I had no space on my greenhouse racks for some newly sown seeds so I left the trays on the floor. I turned my back for 2 days and the pak Choi had all sprouted and were already leggy. They’re on the racking now so they’re getting adequate sunlight but I know how floppy brassica stems can get and I can’t be bothered with the hassle of looking after floppy pak Choi all autumn. Is it possible when transplanting them to bury their stems to support them or should I just give up and sow some new seedlings?
(And yes, I know I need to thin them out, so just tend to wait till their first true leaves pop up to see which is stronger)
by Adventurous_Act_1551
1 Comment
I direct sow Bok Choy (“Pak Choi” — several spellings for the same thing.) When the seeds first germinate, they always look leggy and tend to flop over, even when sowed outdoors in full sunlight. After they get a couple sets of true leaves, they usually straighten up and look more like what you would expect from a leafy brassica. Some varieties that I’ve grown, Shanghai Baby Bok Choi for example, even tend to retain a small “stalk” just above the soil line and it becomes the branching point for the leaves. They don’t stand up straight like soldiers in formation, or like a row of corn, they tend to sprawl a bit. But that is all normal Bok Choi behavior.
BTW, be sure to cover them very early with fine-mesh insect netting or the cabbage moths will lay eggs on the leaves you will have a big problem with destructive caterpillars later in the season. In my garden, Bok Choi is a huge moth magnet; they love it more than any other brassica.
Apologies for the long answer. There is no need to start over. It’s OK if they look leggy at the stage in your photo.