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Tah Tsai Rosette pak choi - Brassica rapa var. rosularis

Brassica rapa var. rosularis Tah Tsai
Rosette pak choi, tatsoi

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per pack of 300 seeds approximately (0,5g)

From 3,50 €

Price per item 3,90 €
Price for 3: 10,50 € i.e 3,50 € each

Sku: 256101

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This plant carries a 6 months recovery warranty

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This Chinese cabbage forms very low rosettes of dark green, glossy, spoon-shaped leaves, with a sweet and slightly mustardy flavour. This variety is remarkably cold-tolerant. It is harvested leaf by leaf or as a whole rosette, and can be eaten raw in salads and mesclun, or cooked in a wok, in soups, or simply pan-fried. Our organic seeds can be sown from late winter to early autumn, directly in the ground or under cover, for a spreading harvest from spring right through to the heart of winter, depending on the region.

Ease of cultivation

Beginner

Height at maturity

15 cm

Spread at maturity

25 cm

Soil moisture

Moist soil

Germination time (days)

14 days

Sowing method

Direct sowing, Sowing under cover, Sowing under cover with heat

Sowing period March to September

JAN J

FEB F

MAR M

APR A

MAY M

JUN J

JUL J

AUG A

SEP S

OCT O

NOV N

DEC D

Harvest time June to December

JAN J

FEB F

MAR M

APR A

MAY M

JUN J

JUL J

AUG A

SEP S

OCT O

NOV N

DEC D

Description

The Tatsoi (Tah Tsai) Chinese cabbage is a Asian cabbage for full winter, prized for its tight rosettes of dark green leaves, very tender and crunchy. Compact and fast-growing, it easily fills vegetable beds when most summer vegetables have disappeared. Easy to grow, this Chinese cabbage is suitable for all amateur gardeners who enjoy tasty greens for autumn and winter dishes. Its mild, slightly peppery flavour makes it an excellent leaf vegetable for mixed salads, stir-fries and Asian soups.

Botanically, Tatsoi belongs to the species Brassica rapa, in the Brassicaceae family, the large family of cabbages, turnips, rapeseed and mustards. This species, known by names such as cultivated turnip, field cabbage or Chinese cabbage depending on the form, is native to a wide Eurasian zone.
It is a biennial plant grown as an annual for its foliage: it forms its rosette in the first year, then, if left in place, it bolts and flowers the following spring. Tatsoi is an ancient variety, cultivated for centuries in East Asia, likely in China as early as the 6th century, before spreading to Korea and then Japan. It is a traditional, more or less stable type, now available in a few selections such as the 'Spoon' or 'Green Coin' forms.

The plant develops a very low rosette, often flat against the ground, which naturally protects the heart from cold and wind. A well-grown rosette reaches 15 to 20 cm in height and 25 to 30 cm in diameter. The leaves, numerous, thick and glossy, are spoon-shaped, more or less blistered, of an intense dark green with prominent veins. Measuring 10 to 15 cm long, they are borne on a short petiole, white to pale green, somewhat fleshy. Young leaves can be harvested from 30 days after sowing, and the entire rosette between 40 and 50 days. Tatsoi self-seeds easily if plants are left to flower and set seed. In the second year or at the end of the crop, an upright flower stalk develops from the centre of the rosette. It bears clusters of small yellow flowers typical of crucifers, with four cross-shaped petals, about 1 to 1.5 cm in diameter, very popular with insects. It is a hardy vegetable: well-established foliage can withstand temperatures down to –7 °C, or even lower under a cloche or a light blanket of snow. In some regions of China and Japan, the rosette was traditionally harvested from under the snow.

In the kitchen, this cabbage can be eaten both raw and cooked: in salads, quickly stir-fried, in soups or gratins.

In the vegetable garden, growing Rosette Cabbage is a little more delicate than classic cabbages, as it requires more warmth, but it shares the same requirements: deep soil, excellent manure and regular moisture. It is planted in full sun. Not very hardy, Chinese Cabbages are vegetables for late summer and early winter only.

Harvest: The leaves of rosette cabbage are harvested as needed.

Storage: They keep in the refrigerator for a few days.

The Gardener's Tip: To limit watering, we advise you, once the young plants are well established, to mulch the soil with thin successive layers of grass clippings, if possible mixed with dead leaves. This protection, which helps the soil retain moisture, also reduces weeding.

In the garden, Tatsoi is a versatile small leaf cabbage. It finds a place in a family vegetable plot, a kitchen garden, a square-foot garden, an urban garden or balcony, or a market garden micro-farm. It is planted at the edge of beds, between taller crops, or as a filler after summer harvests. It grows very well under cloches, cold frames or fleece, but also in large pots and containers on a terrace. It can be combined with other autumn and winter salads to create colourful mesclun mixes: for example with Oak Leaf Lettuce 'Eluarde', with its red-bronze leaves, Mizuna early and a Chinese cabbage Pé-tsaï such as ‘Granaat’.

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Family sheet

Modified the 27 January 2026 by Virginie T. 15 min.

Cabbage: planting, sowing and harvest

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Harvest

Harvest time June to December

Type of vegetable Leaf vegetable

Vegetable colour green

Size of vegetable Small

Interest Flavour, Nutritional value

Flavour Sweet

Use Cooking

Plant habit

Height at maturity 15 cm

Spread at maturity 25 cm

Growth rate fast

Foliage

Foliage persistence Annual

Foliage colour dark green

Botanical data

Genus

Brassica

Species

rapa var. rosularis

Cultivar

Tah Tsai

Family

Brassicaceae

Other common names

Rosette pak choi, tatsoi

Origin

Cultivar or hybrid, East Asia

Annual / Perennial

Biennial

Product reference • 25610

Planting and care

Sowing:

The germination temperature for Chinese Cabbage Tatsoi (Tah Tsai) is around 20°C and takes approximately 14 days.

Sow from March to September, adjusting slightly according to the region and cultivation method. In spring (March-April under cover, April-May in open ground), sowings yield harvests in late spring and early summer. In summer (June-July), it is better to reserve sowings for regions with a cool climate or a partially shaded exposure, to avoid too rapid bolting.
The most favourable period remains late summer and early autumn: sowings carried out from August to September allow for autumn and then winter harvests, under fleece or a tunnel in cold regions. In a mild climate, one can even attempt sowings until October.

You can proceed by direct sowing in situ or prepare young plants which will later be installed in the garden in their final position.

Preparation of young plants: Under cover or in a nursery bed in the garden for the rest of the year (following the recommended sowing period), sow the seeds at a depth of 1 to 2 cm in good sowing compost or very fine soil. Cover lightly with compost and remember to keep the substrate moist but not waterlogged.

When the young plants appear strong enough to be handled, prick them out into pots if necessary before transplanting them to the garden, when no more frost is to be feared. During planting, respect the recommended spacings for direct sowing.

Direct sowing: In properly amended and finely worked soil, draw furrows one or two centimetres deep, spaced 40 centimetres apart. Sow the seeds and cover them with a thin layer of fine soil. When the seedlings are well developed, proceed to thinning, keeping only one young plant every 40 cm or so.

Cultivation:

Chinese Cabbage is cultivated in full sun. It is a greedy vegetable, requiring well-manured soil, rich in nitrogen and potash. It is advisable to make, preferably in autumn, a generous application of mature compost (about 3/4 kg per m2), by raking it in to a depth of 5 cm, after having, as for any vegetable crop, thoroughly loosened the soil. It is not very tolerant regarding soil pH, which should be between 5.6 and 6.5. In acidic soil, care must be taken to gradually raise this pH by making calcium applications in the form of Dolomite or Lime.

Beware of pests such as the Cabbage White butterfly or Flea Beetles and plan to install an insect-proof mesh.

Seedlings

Sowing period March to September

Sowing method Direct sowing, Sowing under cover, Sowing under cover with heat

Germination time (days) 14 days

Care

Soil moisture Wet

Disease resistance Good

Pruning No pruning necessary

Intended location

Type of use Container, Vegetable garden

Hardiness Hardy down to -9.5°C (USDA zone 8b) Show map