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

28 Oct 21, Liz (New Zealand - temperate climate)
Try an online seed supplier, like Egmont Seeds or else garden shops - Bunnings, Mitre 10
17 Oct 21, Mary Boynton (New Zealand - temperate climate)
I want to grow chinese mini cabbages and chinese brocolli over summer.
11 Apr 21, Deborah (New Zealand - temperate climate)
I want to grow this variety of cabbage. Can I plant it in autumn/winter?
12 Apr 21, Liz (New Zealand - sub-tropical climate)
If you are likely to get frosts then it is best to leave starting the seeds till late winter/spring time
20 Jan 21, lori (Australia - temperate climate)
it says ' prefers cooler weather
22 Jan 21, Anonymous (Australia - temperate climate)
I personally would plant this autumn and harvest winter (not Sept as they suggest - way too hot by Oct/Nov). I'm sub tropical and have done this. Prefers cooler weather means grow it in the cooler months.
27 Nov 19, Sera Taole (Australia - temperate climate)
Iam a home gadener in Fiji.Been tryin g to get my napa cabbage to have a head .The leaves seem to be taller and wider.l have not given up hope yet... would be grateful for advice to get my plant looking like the one on pictures.
24 Dec 19, colleen (USA - Zone 10b climate)
You're not alone! I have *never* been able to get mine to naturally head like it's supposed to, and I've tried several different seed varieties of Napa cabbage. An older gardener told me to tie them loosely with twine once the plants started to get fairly big (he said to do the same with cauliflower) and also to make sure I'm planting in the coolest months possible, amending my soil to make it more acidic (mine is very alkaline), adding phosphorus but not too much nitrogen, and making sure the plant is getting enough water. The twine trick worked fairly well, but it seems like
31 Aug 18, Jane (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
I have some wombok growing at different stages. My biggest three have lage, widespread leaves but all the pics of wombok I can find show me long, compact vegies. Since I don't know what the wombok should look like I don't know if this is how it should be? Should I let them keep growing in hope that a long central core shapes itself?Or is this the way it's meant to look? To confuse things more, I googled wombok images/Chinese cabbage and found a host of different pics but not one that looks like mine. Thanx in advance.
18 Jan 21, Joanne (USA - Zone 9a climate)
Mine is doing the same. Wide spread leaves not compact at all.
Showing 11 - 20 of 39 comments

I lived in NZ in the North Island and wish to grow the Chinese Cabbage Wombok that I use to find readily available in Aussie in the supermarkets. I have looked everywhere and no one seems to know what I'm talking about when I asked in the supermarkets here in NZ. They only seen to stock the Asian green Bok Choy. I wish to be able to grow it if possible so, want to know if I can get seeds here in NZ.

- Gina Bubb

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