Every winter I grow a crop of bok choy. It is such a treat to harvest this fresh Chinese cabbage that is full of good nutrition. The succulent leaves and stems provide a good source of calcium, potassium, iron and vitamin C.
Bok choy is typically used in stir fry or salads. The leaves have a mild peppery taste. The stems are quite plump and juicy. In a pinch, I have used the succulent stems to replace celery in certain recipes.
At the nursery, you will usually find several basic kinds of bok choy. The small, baby variety called mei quing choi grows about eight inches tall and sports lime green leaves and pale green succulent petioles. Petiole is the mid rib, or stem, of a leaf. With this bok choy, it is best to plant small starts that are not root bound. Otherwise, plants will bolt quickly and stop producing foliage.
Joi choi is a much larger bok choy that produces a full-sized head averaging 12 inches tall. Leaves are deep green with a white succulent stem. This type is slower to bolt.
Purple choi is a small plant that rarely gets more than five inches tall before bolting. It has purple leaves and green petioles. This one is great for salads.
One of the best things about bok choy is that it is a cut-and-come-again green. This means if you cut it just above the roots and let the base remain, more plants will sprout. You can get at least two small crops from this nutritious, good-value plant.
Bok choy tolerates cold, damp winter weather as the succulent leaves quickly swell. While bok choy grows without fuss during the winter on the coast, it is highly favored by slugs and snails. One little slug can riddle a plant’s leaves overnight. Beware of even the tiniest slug.
I also grow bok choy for spring butterflies. A few plants are left to go to flower during March and early April. Stalks of beautiful yellow mustard-type flowers are a good source of early food for butterflies and many other pollinators.
Terry Kramer is the retired site manager for the Humboldt Botanical Garden and a trained horticulturist and journalist. She currently runs a gardening consulting business. Contact her at 707-834-2661 or terrykramer90@gmail.com.
Source: times-standard.com
