Pak-choy cabbage, aka bok-choy or bakh-choy: what secrets is this Chinese woman hiding?

If you like different dishes from white cabbage or Chinese cabbage, then you may like a relative of these vegetable crops – pak choy Chinese cabbage. This culture is still not common in our gardens, and it must be corrected.

What is Pak Choi?

Pak Choi cabbage is the most valuable and ancient Chinese vegetable culture of the salad type. 

The inhabitants of Southeast Asia call the type of pak-choy cabbage bakh-choy, in Europe – bok-choy, and on the territory of our country one can hear the following names: petiole cabbage, Chinese cabbage, Asian, mustard cabbage.

Pak-choy cabbage, aka bok-choy or bakh-choy: what secrets is this Chinese woman hiding?

History and botanical description

The first information about this vegetable was recorded in the Chinese Agricultural Encyclopedia of the XNUMXth century, as the most important vegetable oilseed crop. 

This product appeared on European markets at the beginning of the 19th century. Well, in Russia this plant began to be used and grown quite recently. 

PAK-CHOI in European marketsPAK-CHOI in European markets

Chinese cabbage bok choy Is an early ripe variety that looks like a lettuce. After sowing the seeds, the fruit can be consumed within 25-40 days, so many plant this crop twice a season. 

The bright white choi petioles are very fleshy and crunchy and have a unique soft taste. They take up most of the mass of the vegetable, they are tightly pressed against each other.

Instead of a head of cabbage, it grows smooth and oblong leaves, which form a bizarre bundle with a diameter of 30 to 45 cm.The height of the bundle is on average somewhere 30-40 cm.The leaves, depending on the variety, can have the following color color:

  • dark green;
  • red-violet;
  • light green.

The Chinese root system is very ramified, poorly developed and superficial. The roots are located at a depth of 9-11 cm.

When the fruit ripens, an arrow appears with bright yellow flowers. After that, a pod is formed, in which dark brown seeds of a round shape ripen.  

Flowering petiole cabbageFlowering petiole cabbage

Caloric content and nutritional value

The leaves of petiole cabbage contain many useful and nutritious substances for the body. In addition, it is low in calories, in 100 gr. the product contains only 13 kcal… It is an ideal herb for people who like low-calorie food and keep their figure.

Nutritional value per 100 grams:

Elements, vitamins
Quantity
Energy value
54 kJ
Proteins
1,5 g
Fats
0,2 g
Carbohydrates
2,2 g
retinol (vitamin A) 243 mg
Ascorbic acid (vitamin C) 45 mg
Calcium
105 mg
Hardware
0,80 mg
Magnesium
19 mg
Sodium
65 mg

Useful properties and harm to the body

Tatsoi is still very much appreciated in Chinese medicine and cuisine, as it contains almost all the nutrients and elements necessary for a person. Therefore, this plant is called – a storehouse of vitamins.

What are the beneficial substances found in Chinese cabbage?

  1. Glucosinolates. The use of glucosinolate in small doses can prevent cancer.
  2. Fibre. Excellent cleansing of the intestines from toxins, toxins and cholesterol. A great helper in case of problems with a chair.
  3. Vitamin C… Helps maintain vascular strength. By participating in the synthesis of protein and collagen, it allows the skin to be more firm and elastic. Just 100 grams of bok-choy cabbage leaves are enough to replenish the required daily intake of this vitamin.
  4. Vitamin K. Improves blood clotting. Two hundred grams of Chinese kale fully replenish the body’s daily need for this vitamin. But you should not eat this product if you are taking medications to thin the blood, as the effect of the medication will be minimized.
  5. Vitamin A… This vitamin is essential for the normalization of metabolism, the formation of bones and teeth, the functioning of the immune system, healthy hair and skin. Vitamin A deficiency adversely affects vision, often leading to a deterioration in visibility at dusk.
  6. Vitamins of group B. Irreplaceable fighters with such ailments as anemia.
  7. Healing juice. In combination with chicken protein, an excellent bactericidal agent is obtained, which can be used in the treatment of non-healing wounds. 

Fount of vitaminsFount of vitamins

In cooking pak cabbage is an irreplaceable product for good nutrition. Both roots and leaves are edible in it. It can be fried, stewed, steamed with meat and other vegetables. But of course it is better to use this plant in the form of a salad in order to retain more vitamins.

This product is contraindicated in people:

  1. With a thyroid problem;
  2. Taking blood-thinning medications;
  3. With exacerbations of gastric ulcer and duodenal ulcer;
  4. In pancreatitis;
  5. With individual intolerance.

Looking at all the advantages of choi cabbage, every gardener will certainly want to have this plant in his garden. But which variety should you choose?

Varietal variety

The State Register lists many varietal types of bocks. We will only provide examples of the most popular ones.

Name and weight of the bush
(in grams)
Growth and development period (days)
Characterization
Gipro,
700 35-45 The variety is resistant to temperature changes. It tolerates bright sunlight well. You can start planting from the end of April. Parameters:

  • horizontal rosette with a diameter of 30-35 cm;
  • leaves broadly oval light green;
  • resistant to shooting.

Used for preparing salads and first courses.
Yuna,
800-900 50-60 This variety can withstand low temperatures for a long time. Resistant to bacteriosis. Features of the variety:

  • leaves are oblong, with slightly wavy edges;
  • narrow petioles;
  • average yield;
  • the maximum plant height is 35 cm.

Mainly used for cooking and stewing.
Four seasons, 2000 35-45 The earliest variety in terms of yield. Can be planted several times per season. Unpretentious in care. Features:

  • stunted plant, maximum height 20 cm;
  • oval leaves of dark green color;
  • the petiole is thick, light green.

It is used in salads and pickles in Korean style.
A purple miracle,
450 45-55 The first crop can be harvested 45-55 days after sowing. The soil must be constantly moist. Parameters:

  • does not tolerate cold;
  • low yield;
  • spreading outlet;
  • the leaves are dark purple;
  • petioles are small.

Due to its unusual color scheme, it is most often used for fresh consumption.
Lebedushka, 1000-1500 45-60 The variety is resistant to fungal diseases. Can be planted in sunny or shady areas. Loves moist soil. Description:

  • bright green leaves are tightly pressed against each other;
  • high yield;
  • plant height 20-30 cm.

The leaves of this variety are very juicy, so it is recommended to eat them fresh, for example, in salads.
Swallow, 1300 35-45 The earliest variety. The vegetable becomes ripe 35-45 days after planting the seeds. This variety loves sunny areas. Does not tolerate cold well. Characteristics of the vegetable:

  • has a cylindrical shape;
  • ultra-high productivity;
  • the root system is weak, branched;
  • leaves are smooth and slightly harsh.

It has a mild sour taste.
The beauty of the East, 700 35-45 The first harvest can be obtained on day 35. Can be planted both in open ground and protected. Planting begins in April. Due to the early maturity, this variety can be sown again in July. The leaves are colored deep green. Plant diameter 40 cm, height 20-25 cm The leaves of this variety have an interesting sweet and sour taste. Can be used as a sandwich filling.
Corolla, 1000 50-60 Very capricious and sickly variety. But on the other hand, the leaves of this species have a unique amazing taste. To get yields, it is best to use a shady planting area. And water as often as possible, since the ground should always be moist. Otherwise, the plant will die.
Goluba, 700 40-45 This variety is ideal for the northern latitudes of our country, as it is cold-resistant and easy to care for. It is better to plant in the last days of April. Main characteristics:

  • leaves are smooth, wide;
  • more resistant to diseases such as keela and alternaria;
  • a spreading bunch with a diameter of 40 cm.

It is used for fermentation, salting, pickling and fresh consumption.
Vitavir, 500 25-30 This hybrid combines the flavors of Chinese cabbage and common turnip. The main advantage is the short growing season, only 25 days. The best time to plant is the beginning of the last spring month. The variety has the following parameters:

  • leaves of a pale green color;
  • low in height, somewhere around 20 cm;
  • a bunch of small diameter, semi-spreading.

Vitavir has a pronounced pungent taste. It is recommended to dry and use as a seasoning for various dishes.
Vesnjanka, 250 25-35 Vesnyanka is an early ripe variety, therefore it has a small leaf size and a large spreading rosette. The main characteristics of cabbage:

  • the maximum beam weight is only 250 g;
  • depending on the presence of moisture in the leaves, the color ranges from light green to rich green;
  • resistance to color;
  • leaves are elongated, rounded.

Since this variety is early maturing, it is not suitable for various kinds of marinades. Can only be used as a salad snack.
Alenushka, 1800 45 Alenka is the most favorite variety of Russian gardeners, because:
1. short ripening period;
2. easily tolerates heat and cold;
3. has strong immunity to various types of diseases;
4. leaves are juicy and crispy;
5. can be sown twice a season;
6. a record high weight of the finished product;
7.Spicy taste allows using this vegetable in any culinary experiments;
8.except эIn addition, the vegetable is not only pleasant to the taste, but also beautiful in appearance, so you can use it as a decoration for any dish.

Which variety to choose is up to you, of course. But we want to advise you to plant several varieties of pak-choi at once for different purposes: marinade, salting, frying, etc.

Site selection and soil requirements

To get a good harvest, it is important to take into account several nuances when choosing a place for a garden.

  1. This plant loves light, so choose well-lit planting spots.
  2. Despite the fact that the side loves moist soil, it is still not worth planting it in swampy areas of the garden, it is better to choose soil with medium acidity pH = 5,5-7.
  3. In front of cabbage in the garden, legumes, cereals, pumpkin seeds, nightshades, and onions can grow. Does not tolerate the neighborhood with crops such as: turnip, radish, radish, rutabaga.

Variety "Swan"Variety “Swan”

Planting dates for seedlings and in open ground

This cabbage can be planted in two ways:

  1. seedling;
  2. seed in open ground.

It is better to sow seeds for seedlings in the first decade of April. After 25-30 days, the seedlings can be transplanted into open ground according to the 35 × 25 cm scheme. And in a month your cabbage will be ready for harvesting.

In open ground, seeds can be sown in late April – early May. But you need to use some kind of insulation.

Note! In mid-May – June, it is impossible to sow Chinese cabbage, because the rosette phase will just take a long day, which will have a bad effect on the ripening of cabbage

Summer sowing of Chinese cabbage (first decade of July) makes it possible to obtain the highest and highest quality yield. Protect Chinese cabbage from frost in October. At this time, it is advisable to put an arc on the garden bed and put on a film or lutrasil, agri.

Autumn culture also gives good results. To do this, sow the seeds in late July – early August on the beds in an ordinary way, placing rows every 40 cm. Moisten the soil beforehand, and cover the crops with foil. After the emergence of seedlings, remove the film, thin out in the phase of one true leaf, leaving the strongest plants in the row after 20-25 cm. The cabbage of July sowing is ready for harvesting in October-November.

If Chinese cabbage plants are removed by the roots and buried in the basement in wet sand in the fall, they are stored until the new year. Cut heads of cabbage are well stored packed one by one in plastic wrap at a temperature not exceeding 10 ° C.

Growing pak choy cabbage

Growing by seedling

The seedling method allows you to get an early harvest. Seeds begin to be sown in late March – early April. Peat pots are suitable for the container; coconut substrate can be used as a soil mixture. 3-4 seeds are placed in a pot, after germination, weak shoots are removed. The pots should be in a warm, well-lit area. You can plant seedlings in the garden in three weeks.

It is better not to disturb the seedlings with a pick and immediately sow in a separate containerIt is better not to disturb the seedlings with a pick, so it is advisable to immediately sow the seeds in a separate container

Soil preparation

It is also important to properly prepare the soil before planting. What do I need to do?

  1. It is necessary to prepare the soil in the fall. To do this, you need to dig up the bed well and remove the roots of the plants.
  2. Next, we add organic fertilizers. A solution of superphosphate and potassium chloride is best suited (10/1 for 1 liters).
  3. If you have acidic soil on your plots, then it is better to add ash to the garden bed.
  4. If the soil is heavy, then you need to add some sand or rotted sawdust to the soil.
  5. In the spring, dig up the soil again, apply fertilizer.
  6. Loosen the ground.

In the spring, dig the soil to a depth of 15 cmIn the spring, dig the soil to a depth of 15 cm

Planting and care

In order for the cabbage to grow juicy and tender, it is important not only to plant it correctly, but also to carefully care for it.

  • At first, there should be regular watering. With frequent drying out of the soil, the fruits grow tasteless and tough. But it is important to remember that the earth must be moderately moist.
  • Secondly, cabbage should be fed only if the land is infertile.
  • Thirdly, after each watering, you need to loosen the soil and remove weeds.

Pak-choy cabbage, aka bok-choy or bakh-choy: what secrets is this Chinese woman hiding?

Planting seedlings in open ground

Before planting young plants in open ground, they must be carefully prepared for this event.

1. Gradual hardening… Allows seedlings to adapt more easily to climatic conditions.

  • The first hardening is carried out 4-7 days after germination, at an outdoor temperature of + 10-12 ° C. Young plants remain outdoors for no more than 2 hours.
  • From the second, we leave the seedlings for 6 hours.
  • From the fourth day, you can remove the sprouts only at night.
  • From the fifth day of hardening, we leave the seedlings overnight, only we must cover them.

2. Watering and top dressing12 days before planting in open ground, we reduce the frequency of watering. We add top dressing a day before planting.

When all the preparatory stages are completed, you can safely plant the plants in the garden in any way convenient for you:

  • under the peg;
  • into the holes.

Planting seedlings under a peg allows you to keep the soil dense and capillary, due to which the natural supply of moisture begins immediately.

The advantages of the hole are that it is convenient to water and feed the culture.

Attention! Better to land early in the morning or evening when the sun’s rays are less active

Sowing seeds in open ground

If you don’t want to mess with the seedlings, then you can sow the seeds directly into the open ground. But first you need to pickle them in a manganese solution to get rid of fungi and bacteria:

  • We take 2 g of potassium permanganate crystals,
  • Fill with a glass of water (room temperature),
  • We leave for 45 minutes,
  • We rinse with cold water,
  • We dry it.

The seeds are now ready to plant.

In open ground, seeds are sown when the earth warms up to + 2-5 ° C. We make holes 1,5 – 2 cm deep. The minimum distance between the holes is 30 cm. Put 3-4 seeds in each hole, cover with soil and cover with a film to maintain heat and moisture. The first shoots will appear in 2 weeks.

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Care

After planting, it is important not to forget about caring for the plant.

How to take care of a bak-choi? Growing and caring have several basic rules:

  1. After each watering, it is necessary to loosen the soil so that oxygen flows to the roots.
  2. Weed control regularly.
  3. Tear off the lower leaves, as they: make it difficult to access the ground, because of them, high humidity is formed, which leads to decay of the roots.

But the most important thing is regular watering, since in hot weather the leaves of the side can evaporate up to one bucket of water.

Watering

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There is a strong belief that watering should only be done in the evening. In fact, the best time for watering is dawn. Moreover, it is necessary to water not with warm, but with cold water. Yes, it is with cold water, since warm water is detrimental to the root system, and cold watering maintains a comfortable zone for the plant.

In addition, watering should be sparse, and moderately generous. With low watering, moisture does not flow to the roots, which has a detrimental effect on the plant. Too much watering leads to an increase in the acidity of the soil, after which the roots rot.

Additional fertilizing

After the tank cabbage has taken root in the garden, there is no need to feed it. But if the land on which the cabbage grows is too poor, then it is better to make complementary foods.

For complementary foods, you can use the following substances:

  • Wood ash. Add 1 glass of ash to 1 bucket of water, mix well and water.
  • Manure. Divorce 1 to 10.
  • Organic mulch (plant biomass lying in the garden).
  • Organomineral mixtures.

The main thing, when using complementary foods, is to observe the proportions correctly so as not to harm the vegetable. Everything should be in moderation!

Fighting diseases and pests

Despite the fact that bok-choy is resistant to many diseases, the cultivation of this product is not complete without the attack of pests. These include cruciferous fleas, slugs, and cabbage whites.

How to deal with them?

  1. Cruciferous fleas. They gnaw large holes in the leaves, which weakens the young sprout and leads to death. To prevent the attacks of the cruciferous flea, you need to water the soil abundantly, loosen the soil, or cover the seedlings with agrofibre. You can also sprinkle ash on the soil and leaves.
  2. Cabbage whiting. Lays eggs on leaves, from which caterpillars appear, causing damage to the leaves. An effective way to combat this pest is tobacco dust.
  3. Slugs or rain snails. Better to collect by hand. If this is not possible, then you can use bran baits infused with alcohol.

Cruciferous fleas on young shoots of Pak ChoiCruciferous fleas on young shoots of Pak Choi

Harvesting

Harvesting a Chinese woman is necessary as it ripens. It is better to clean Pak Choi in the morning when it is saturated with moisture as much as possible.

There are two ways to do this:

  1. Tearing off the outer leaves or plucking the bunch completely and then removing the root.
  2. When removing only the outer leaves, it is important to cut them correctly so as not to damage the roots. You need to cut them off at a distance of 2-3 cm from the root.

You can store fresh pak choy for 10-14 weeks in the refrigerator, after wrapping it in a plastic bag or a damp towel.

It is better to cut the leaf when it has not yet lost its juiciness. So, leaves more than 50 days old, for early varieties, are considered overexposed, become rough and unsuitable for food.

Trimming the spinesTrimming the spines

Conclusion

In this article, we wanted to take a closer look at the amazingly tasting Chinese collard greens. Having learned its special advantages, every gardener will want to have such a treasure in his garden. After all, this picky culture has a huge supply of nutrients and nutrients necessary for human life.

Bok choy cabbage is versatile in its use. It can be used for a variety of culinary purposes. Dishes prepared on its basis are always a success at any event.

Anna Evans

Author-editor

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