Asian Leafy Vegetables: Huang Jing Pak Choy（皇京白菜）

Huang Jing Pak Choy （皇京白菜）is extremely tasty when cooking with steamboat or any soup dish. It is famous among the Chinese families in Asia and can be stir fried with chopped garlic and olive oil too. 

It grows well in tropical weather with lots of sunlight.

Materials you need

· At least a space of approximately 1m by 1m for about 30 to 40 seedlings at a garden plot, balcony area or roof top garden.

· This illustration is designed and documented using a green house garden lot as well as a HDB balcony plot with 2 square fiberglass containers of 0.8 x 0.8 m. Each container can plant 16 plants.

· I used seeds from farm 85 at Lim Chu Kang for this illustration but other brands like Known-you （农友）， Green world work well too.

Fig. 1 The seeds

 

Step 1: Use a small gardening pot to seed the vegetable, seed about 50 seeds (about 20cm diameter pot for up to 60 seeds). Leave the pot at a sunny spot (~ 28 to 32 degree C). The seeds take about 3 to 5 days to germinate. Assuming a germination rate of 80%, you will have at least 40 seedlings with 50 seeds. It will take about 7 to 10 days to grow into seedlings. This vegetable grows quite fast and is typically ready for transplant in about 10 days from seed. However, the best success rate is achieved when you transplant any time on 12th to 14th day from first seed.

Farm 85 seeds are generally of pretty high quality. I can usually achieve about 90 to 95% germination rate with the right soil, sun and water.

Fig. 2 Seedlings on day 7 (on top) and ready for transplant on day 14 (below)



Step 2: Water the planting plot with lots of water. You need about 20L of water to 1m x 1m space. Gently loosen the soil with a gardening spade and water with another 10L of water. Dig small holes about 10 to 15cm apart. This ensures each seedling will be about 10 to 15cm apart.

Fig. 3 Dig holes ~10 to 15 cm apart on the planting plot

Transplant the seedlings from the pot in Fig.2 to the ready planting plot. I planted at both the garden as well as HDB plot You need to prepare the soil 1 to 2 weeks before the actual transplant. Refer to how to prepare the soil or plot in this blog.

 

Step 3: On a bi-weekly basis, fertilise the seedlings. Refer to how to prepare the liquid fertilizer here.

Step 4: The growth rate of the vegetable immediately after transplant is typically very slow for the first 3 days. But after one week, they will grow at a tremendous rate.

 Fig. 4 On week 1 of transplant or week 3 after the seed(above). On week 2 of transplant (below)

Step 5: continue to water and fertilise the vegetables. The vegetables will be ready for harvesting 2 to 3 weeks after transplant or maximum 5 weeks after seeding.

 

Seedlings at balcony plot however will grow slower and will be ready for harvest  about 3 to 5 weeks after transplant or maximum 7 weeks after seedling.

 

Fig. 5 Week 3 after transplant or week 5 after seeding for the garden plot(left) and the HDB balcony plot (right)

 

The typical size of the vegetable is about 25 to 30 cm diameter for seedlings transplanted to the garden plot and about 20 to 25 cm diameter for those transplanted to the balcony plot.

Fig. 6 Huang Jing Pak Choy ready to be harvest from garden plot (above) and harvested from balcony plot (below) 

After harvest, cut away the roots and spread out the vegetables on a piece of newspaper. Let them air for half a day in a cool place. Do not place it under the Sun and do not wash them. You will know if the vegetables are ready for keeping when the leaves soften and their size seem to have shrunk.

Prepare a plastic air-tight container and place the vegetable loosely into the container. Do not press them. Cover them and place it in the refrigerator.

Remove the vegetable at least 1 hour before cooking. Soak them in water and let them expand (typically takes at least 30 mins). Cut/slice and cook as per normal. 

This variety of Pak Choy is very susceptible to pests attack. Stay tuned for ideas on how to look out/prevent/get rid of pests.

Disclaimer:

Information are documented to the best of my ability and your result may varies.

Products and brands mentioned directly or indirectly in this blog reflects the experience of the author and does not represent the views of the individual merchants. There are many factors like seeds condition, weather, actual soil mixed, individual planting habits etc which may affect your results.