Growing Bok Choy in Australia: The Complete Guide
Bok Choy is an easy brassica to grow, needing full–part sun with consistent watering.
We get asked about bok choy often enough that it's worth setting out the full picture here, beyond what fits on our printable card.
Fast and forgiving
One of the quickest brassicas to mature, bok choy suits succession sowing every few weeks and tolerates part shade better than most of its relatives.
Getting Bok Choy Into the Ground
Method — direct sow or transplant seedlings. Soil — rich, moisture-retentive. Timing — sow year-round in mild zones; avoid the height of summer heat.
Ongoing Care
Keep these points in mind:
- Keep soil consistently moist for tender, non-bitter leaves.
- Succession sow every 3–4 weeks.
- Net against cabbage moth if pressure is high.
- Harvest promptly at maturity — it bolts quickly in heat.
Common Problems
Worth paying attention to:
- Bolting — heat stress; grow in cooler months.
- Cabbage moth — net or hand-pick.
- Slugs and snails — target young leaves; use barriers.
- Tip burn — irregular watering; keep moisture even.
Harvest and Storage
Signs — full-sized heads, before any flower stalk appears. Method — cut at the base or harvest outer leaves individually. Curing — none needed. Storage — fridge crisper, about a week.
For the condensed, printable version of everything above, head to the main bok choy guide page.