When to Plant Bok Choy

Bok choy is a half-hardy cool-season vegetable. It takes light frosts but not a hard freeze.

Start seeds indoors 5 to 7 weeks before the last spring frost, and plant out from 2 weeks before the last frost to 1 week after it. Or sow it where it will grow, from 3 weeks before the last spring frost to 1 week after it. For a fall crop, sow 7 to 10 weeks before the first fall frost. The first harvest comes about 40 to 60 days after sowing.

Example dates

The same rules in dates for three climates, using typical frost dates. Enter your ZIP code above for the dates where you live.

Bok Choy: dates by last spring and first fall frost
TaskLast frost Mar 15first Nov 15Last frost Apr 15first Oct 25Last frost May 15first Sep 30
Start seeds indoorsJan 25 – Feb 8Feb 25 – Mar 11Mar 27 – Apr 10
Harden offFeb 22 – 28Mar 25 – 31Apr 24 – 30
Plant outMar 1 – 22Apr 1 – 22May 1 – 22
HarvestMar 6 – 27Apr 6 – 27May 6 – 27
Direct-sown: Sow outdoorsFeb 22 – Mar 22Mar 25 – Apr 22Apr 24 – May 22
Direct-sown: HarvestApr 3 – 24May 4 – 25Jun 3 – 24
Fall: Sow outdoorsSep 6 – 27Aug 16 – Sep 6Jul 22 – Aug 12
Fall: HarvestOct 16 – Nov 6Sep 25 – Oct 16Aug 31 – Sep 21

Growing bok choy

Bok choy bolts in heat or after a cold snap, so it often does best as a late-summer sowing for fall.

  • Spacing: 8 in apart, in rows 18 in apart. In a raised bed, 4 per sq ft at square-foot spacing.
  • Days to harvest: 40 to 60 from sowing, then about 3 weeks of picking.
  • Rotation: bok choy is in the cabbage family. Plant it where nothing from that family grew in the last two years. See crop rotation.

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Questions

When do I start bok choy indoors?

5 to 7 weeks before the last spring frost: with a last frost of April 15, that's Feb 25 – Mar 11. Enter your ZIP code above for your own dates.

Can bok choy go in before the last frost?

Yes. Bok choy is half-hardy: plant it out from 2 weeks before the last spring frost to 1 week after it.

How long does bok choy take to grow?

About 40 to 60 days from sowing to the first harvest, which then lasts about 3 weeks. Varieties differ: check the seed packet.

Can I grow bok choy in fall?

Yes. Sow 7 to 10 weeks before the first fall frost. Enter your ZIP code above for the dates where you live.

More planting dates

Sources

  1. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 (annual/seasonal, by station: freeze dates at 32 °F)
  2. University of Maryland Extension: Vegetable Planting Calendar for central Maryland
  3. NC State Extension: Extension Gardener Handbook, Chapter 16: Vegetable Gardening
  4. WSU Extension: Pacific Northwest Gardener's Handbook, Chapter 7: Vegetable Gardening
  5. Iowa State University Extension and Outreach: Vegetable Planting and Harvesting Times (chart, central Iowa)