Napa Cabbage - Pe-Tsai

Napa cabbage or pe-tsai is a Chinese variety that forms attractive, densely-packed elongated heads of light green wavy, crinkled leaves with large ribs. Its delicate flavour is milder than green cabbage. Delicious raw or cooked! Sow under cover from April to May or direct sow from June to July. Harvest from August to October.

Chinese cabbage (Brassica rapa) is a leaf vegetable belonging to the large Brassicaceae family. It is native to East Asia. It is a staple in Asian cuisine and has become increasingly popular in western countries since the 19^th century. The two most common subspecies are napa cabbage (Pekinensis Group) and bok choy (Chinensis group). Napa cabbage, also known as Chinese white cabbage, pe-tsai and “celery cabbage”, produces tall, oblong heads of pale green leaves white thick white ribs. Bok choy or pak choi is doesn’t form heads but lightly-packed clusters of fleshy stalks, topped with dark to medium green leaves. Chinese cabbage is a versatile vegetable that is delicious eaten raw in salads as well as cooked in a stir-fry or a stew. This biennial plant, grown as an annual, is remarkably healthy thanks to its high vitamin A, K and C content. It is also a good source of fibre and minerals such as calcium and potassium.

Chinese cabbage is slightly trickier to grow than regular green cabbage as it tends to bolt easily in hot weather and is not very cold hardy. It is an ideal crop for late summer and early autumn, before the frost sets in. In cooler regions, it is possible to grow Chinese cabbage as a winter crop. It requires deep, rich soil, regular watering and plenty of sun.

Harvest: Either harvest the leaves as and when required or wait until the heads are fully formed and cut them off at ground level.

Storage: Chinese cabbage will keep for several days in the refrigerator.

Good to know: Mulching with grass clippings or dead leaves will help keep the soil moist whilst limiting weed growth.

Even if the vegetable garden is first and foremost a place for growing great quality veg, it’s always a good idea to leave a bit of room for flowers. Growing flowers alongside your vegetable plants will make your general gardening experience more enjoyable and is a great way to attract pollinators and repel garden pests! Flowers such as gaillardia, marigolds, zinnias, cosmos or nasturtiums can be sown in and around the rows of vegetables. Herbs such as dill can be very useful also. Bear in mind that some companion plants self-seed easily and can be a bit invasive (borage, chives, lemon balm etc.)