Pak Choi - Yellow leaves and now bolted

[Finedon.Dandy]

I have since read that Pak Choi should not be sown until the longest day. I had already sown much earlier and had turned despondant that the leaves had gone yellow. I now recognise that it was probally due to lack of water and now they have bolted I will harvest tomorrow if the weather lets me.

I would valie everyones opinion on what to do with this space now. Should I invest in some more Pak Choi seed this year or shall I use the space to sow some swede which I already have some seed of but have never grown.

For your further information - there is spinach on one side of this row (also with yellowing leaves - oh dear!) and I have sown some lambs lettuce the other side, following the harvesting of an earlier crop of raddish a couple of weeks ago.

Hope someone can advise.

Thanks

Tammy

[JennieAtkinson]

Tammy there is another thread about bolting pak choi! Do a search and you should find it. A number of us are having problems with it bolting, although I have managed to harvest a little bit.

I had planned to grow lettuce in its place when I have fully harvested if that is any help. But I'm sure there will be others to give you much better advice.

PS and welcome to the Vine!

[Finedon.Dandy]

Thank you for the welcome. I have posted my first two threads in the space of half an hour and already had two lovely replies. Yes when I found this site I started by doing a search but most were about bolting and not about the yellowing of the leaves - I have wondered if it was because they dont like acidic soil. I must admit bever got around to doing that soil testing thingy but did lime anyway before we got sowing.

[JennieAtkinson]

Can't help you on the soil I'm afraid. Mine is quite alkaline, so no idea about acidic side of things. But... sure there will be someone along soon.

Glad you are finding the Forum helpful and enjoyable. It is a great place and we all learn so much from each other.

PS We obviously both like clouds!!!!

[sewer rat]

Hi Finedon Dandy and welcome to the Vine.
The Pak Choi bolting may well be due to lack of water as you think - the hot weather is causing lots of plants to bolt earlier than would normally be expected, and they are also a lot thirstier.
There is no reason why you couldn't sow more Pak Choi and grow in place of the bolted crop, as it is a very quick growing crop. I am growing Pak Choi - variety Ching Chang which is alledgedly fairly resistant to bolting - and will be planting out my first two trays tomorrow and have another two trays recently germinated, and will continue to sow succesively every fortnight or so throughout the summer.

[JennieAtkinson]

Are you planting out "outside" or in the polytunnel SR. I've just grown it in the polytunnel, but wondered if it might do well outside.

[Flummery]

I wouldn't think the acidic soil was a problem. Alice grows great rhododendrons - and great pak choi! There are many varieties and they have different likes - and even growth habits. Some are little squat plants and some are long thin jobbies. Some of mine started to show signs of flowering so instead of using them for salad leaves (which I was doing) I used them steamed as a hot veg - they are really nice like this. In fact I think I prefer them this way.

When they are finished I have some more in trays and I'll probably use the same bit of ground (short of space at the mo!)

Welcome to the grapevine - there are some really nice people here. (And me!)

[momol]

Hi Tammy,

I am pretty new in growing veggie too, this will be my 2nd year. I have been growing mainly oriental veggies and some other unusuall ones ( I can't get them here ). I read it somewhere ( will look for it again and if possible will post the webpage here, if I can find it ) that oriental veggies does tolerate alkaline to acidic soil ( so don't worry ) but it is advice to give them a bit of lime, they do need some small amount of calcium for their growth. As for bolting,it is mostly due to water stress ( too warm and too little water ) and nutrient stress ( they will bolt if not get enough nutrient... they are heavy feeders ). But you can eat your bolted paksoy, at my hometown they actually crop the flowering pakchoy for consumptions and they taste good. And yes you can replanted pak soy at the same spot but make sure you enriched the soil before that ( mix some well rotted manure or granulate dried manure and let it rest for a week or 10 day , meanwhile you sow your seed in paper pot and plat your seedlings in when the site is ready, or mix some more compost and sow directly ) and add a smal a mount of lime.Do Refertilize when seedlings are 3 weeks old... hope this help and happy planting,

Momol

[Finedon.Dandy]

Thanks everyone for your advice.

I will crop when I can get out - kids driving me mad today cos its raining. Have a good mind to put coats and boots on them and just unleash them to the mud- LOL!!!

Will try sowing then planting out - this year and last I sowed direct but at least doing it the other way will give me a change to weed, feed and rest the space first.

Thanks again for the welcome all.

Tammy