Growing Chinese Cabbage

Chinese cabbage, is more closely related to mustard than to cabbage. It is also variously called Crispy Choy, Chihili, Michili, and Wong Bok. Also, it is popularly known as celery cabbage, although it is unrelated to celery. It is perhaps best described as a sweetly flavored, lettuce-like vegetable with large crisp leaves. It is used fresh for salads or boiled as greens.

Chinese cabbage seems to do best as an autumn crop in central North America. When fullgrown, it is an attractive vegetable. It is not especially successful as a spring crop, and gardeners are advised not to try to grow it at any season other than fall in the North or in winter in the South.

A continued period of heat tends to force the plant into flower before the leaves have reached any size or formed heads, at the same time giving them an undesirable cabbage taste.

The plant demands a very rich, well-drained but moist soil. Apply a generous amount of compost or well-rotted manure to the soil before planting. If the soil is reasonably rich, a three-inch layer of compost can be lightly dug in along the line where the rows are to stand. An application of dried cow manure during the growing period will also be beneficial. It is important to encourage a quick and fleshy growth.

In soils known to be acid, lime should be raked into the soil to correct this condition.The seeds may be sown and the plants transplanted to the garden, or the seed may be drilled in the garden rows and the plants thinned to the desired stand.

Sow the seed in the open ground, as the plant is somewhat checked in its growth by transplanting. Plant one-half inch (1.5 cm) deep in rows about 12 to 16 inches (30 to 40 cm) apart. When the plants are 3 to 4 inches (7.5 to 10 cm) high, thin out to stand about 10 inches (25 cm) apart in the row. You may use the thinnings for greens or salad.

This crop requires a good amount of moisture. Cultivate frequently to keep down weeds and save moisture. Water during dry spells, if possible, with a thorough drenching every evening.

Frequent watering will help plants mature faster, taste better and help prevent them from going to seed (bolting) during dry spells. Avoid watering leaves directly to reduce the likelihood of fungal disease.

Most varieties reach maturity in approximately 70-80 days after planting. When the heads reach maturing they may be cut for use as you need them. The heads can be harvested after the first light frost and stored for a couple of months in a cool cellar or outdoor storage pit.

In gathering, pull the plants with the roots, remove the outer leaves and store in layer protected by dry straw and cover with soil. Cut the heads to the ground during dry weather, usually 2-3 months after planting, before the appearance of seed stalks. They will stay fresh for a couple of weeks in the refrigerator.

As the heads reach maturity, bind the leaves around the heads and secure them with string or rubber bands or cover the entire plant with an open-ended box. This will blanch the inner leaves and keep them tender and white.