While Bok Choy is often the one that’s used most frequently in Chinese cooking, there are actually several varieties that grow extremely well in backyards as well. Some are even considered a vegetable, while others taste more like a citrus fruit than anything else. Growing Bok Choy in your backyard is an excellent way to have this versatile vegetable both year round and in different heights, not to mention all of the different ways you can prepare it for consumption. In this article, we’ll give some basic care tips for growing this type of plant that’s relatively easy to take care of.
Bok Choy needs quite a bit of space in order to grow well, and it also takes a bit of time and patience to establish itself. This makes this a poor choice for those who like to be in their garden all year long. While Bok Choy is often the one that is used most often in Chinese cooking, there are actually many other varieties that can be used in dishes. One of the most common dishes cooked with this vegetable is tofu. While Bok Choy can be used in a variety of Chinese recipes, tofu is often cooked with it since the roots of the plant can easily hold onto tofu and prevent it from sliding down the food processor and out of the knife.
For the best growth, bok choy should be grown in partial shade during most of the day. This is because the leaves will tend to become highly colored if they are grown under full sun, and the fruit itself can turn dark green if it gets too much sun. In addition to this, Bok Choy does not like a lot of fertilizer, so it’s usually best to leave it to grow on its own and just water it when it needs it. The exception to this is that if it is being grown in a raised bed, it might benefit from a weekly fertilization.
The correct time of year to plant your Bok Choy plants is spring, which is typically a month earlier than you would plant any other variety of vegetable. The reason you want to plant it in the spring is because this is a time of year when the plants actually produce more seeds than during any other time of the year. The reason you want to plant it in the spring is because this is also the time of year when the plants are at their largest. If you were to attempt growing this vegetable in summer, the plants would probably be underdeveloped, and the seeds would just be sitting around, taking up space.
Bok Choy Plants tend to grow fast and has a high yield if you know how to prune them properly. Because of the shape of their leaves, you want to make sure that you do not damage their roots by removing too much foliage or too many branches. If you want to prune your bok choy, make sure that you do it during a dry and cool day. If you try to prune your plants during a warm and sunny day, the roots may be damaged.
After planting bok choy in spring, there is one other step that you should take in order for the plants to be healthy and have a successful blooming and harvest. Make sure that you fertilize them in early June. Fertilizing is especially important if you are planning on bolting your plants. Although the plants are dormant during winter, the nitrogen levels in the soil will still be high enough for them to react to planting bok choy in spring. This means that in addition to making sure that the soil is ready for your seeds, you should also fertilize them.