Growing Chinese cabbage, also Wong bok, wong nga pak, napa cabbage

Brassica rapa (Pekinensis Group) : Brassicaceae / the mustard or cabbage family

Jan F M A M J J A S O N Dec
        S              
          T            
          P            

(Best months for growing Chinese cabbage in USA - Zone 5a regions)

  • S = Plant undercover in seed trays
  • T = Plant out (transplant) seedlings
  • P = Sow seed
  • Easy to grow. Sow direct in the garden. Sow seed at a depth approximately three times the diameter of the seed. Best planted at soil temperatures between 50°F and 68°F. (Show °C/cm)
  • Space plants: 12 inches apart
  • Harvest in 8-10 weeks. Harvest whole head or you can take a few leaves at a time..
  • Compatible with (can grow beside): Dwarf (bush) beans, beets, celery, cucumber, onions, marigold, nasturtium, rhubarb, aromatic herbs (sage, dill, chamomile, coriander), lettuce, potatoes
  • Avoid growing close to: Climbing (pole) beans, tomato, peppers (chilli, capsicum), eggplant (aubergine), strawberry, mustard

Your comments and tips

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26 Oct 12, Lisa (Australia - temperate climate)
Hi. Can u eat all of the Wong Bok? Including the middle not so green bit?? Thank you
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14 Nov 12, Brian Larsson (Australia - cool/mountain climate)
Yes, certainly. There are several Chinese recipes using all of the cabbage. Google 'Chinese cabbage in cream sauce', especially the HongkongTaste.com. It can also be chopped or julienned and used in stir fried vegetable dishes as a crunchy celery substitute.
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01 Sep 12, Paul (Australia - temperate climate)
HELP ! I bought some 5 wks ago, already growing a little, gave them water etc, cold climate, but took them in at night to avoid frost. 5 weeks later 12" tall and with flowers. Gone to seed ? Meaning ? What do I do ? thanks
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09 Sep 12, Ray (Australia - cool/mountain climate)
Happens to me a lot with the Chinese cabbage family. Found it best to plant from seed, 4 or 5 in a clump and thin to strongest. Then pick and eat as soon as they are a useful size. They go to seed faster in the warm weather.
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29 Jul 11, Chrissie (Australia - temperate climate)
For the best Wombok recipe EVER - Google Chang's Oriental Fried Noodle Salad and get the recipe from the Chang's website. My partner demands that I make it at least once a fortnight - so I am growing my own Wombok now! The dressing has the perfect balance of flavours.
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10 Apr 22, tt (Australia - cool/mountain climate)
I’m successfully growing wombok in The Snowies at approx 800m I get them to ‘head’ by gathering in & loosely tying the outer leaves together with twine I’ve experimented with tied vs untied plants in the same bed … untied never ‘head’, tied plants always do Good luck!
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07 Jan 11, Lily Flax (Australia - temperate climate)
Yes tie up the leaves and feed, the faster the wong bok grows beore it goes to seed you get a bigger plant and more compact head
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18 Jun 10, Diana Adelaide (Australia - temperate climate)
Growing Wong Bok for the first time.It grows more faster than normal cabbage. I wonder if I have to tie around the veggie for obtaining firm compact leaves.
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Showing 21 - 28 of 28 comments
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Filter press or mill mud is the last pieces/bits of fiber and dirt etc from the process of squashing the juice out of sugar cane. Now days at our local sugar mill they put the fire ash in with it. Very high in P. It doesn't seem much but it has something in it that gives gardens a big lift. It is becoming very expensive (cost of truck to deliver it) compared to fertilisers etc. $120 for a 10 tonne truck load. Down side is you can have a lot of weed seed in it.

- Mike

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