How to grow Chinese Cabbage

Brassica rapa subsp. pekinensis

🥕 Vegetable 🌱 Grown each year

Tall, crisp, mild heads for stir-fries, kimchi and slaws. Sow in summer — spring sowings bolt as the days lengthen.

At a glance: Sow mid June to late July, harvest from mid August.

When to sow, plant and harvest

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Sow outdoors

Harvest

Timed for a typical UK garden (last frost mid-April). The app uses your own town's frost dates.

Mid June – late July · 9 weeks after the last spring frost
Sow Seeds Outdoors
Sow thinly in drills where they are to grow. Sow 1 cm deep, three seeds every 30 cm, and thin to the strongest.
4–10 days after “Sow Seeds Outdoors” · Mid June – late June
Check Germination
Seedlings should appear in 4–10 days. If sown outdoors, thin to 30 cm, rows 40 cm apart apart when big enough to handle.
0–3 days after “Check Germination” · Mid June – late June
Net Against Pests
Cover with fine insect mesh or netting straight after planting to keep off pigeons, cabbage white caterpillars and flea beetles.
60–81 days after “Check Germination” · Mid August – early September
Start Harvesting
Cut the whole head at the base when firm. Cover with fleece if frost threatens.
30–60 days after “Start Harvesting” · Mid September – mid October
Finish and Clear
Clear the remains to the compost heap once cropping ends.