Pak-choi - Asian in the garden, or Cabbage, which you hardly knew about. Chinese pak choi cabbage: cultivation and care features, useful properties and recipes What can be prepared from pak choi cabbage

The speed and convenience of culinary processing at maximum, as well as a relatively neutral taste and delicate texture, provide pak choy with many advantages over other cruciferous representatives. It is not surprising that such cabbage is more to the liking of children. (In our family, pak choy has always been the children's favorite leafy vegetable.)

In this release - available recipes making super-nutritious pak choi. According to expert opinion, to be effective, you need to consume at least ¾ cup of cruciferous vegetables daily. And even better - twice as much. I hope the recipes given here will make this task easier. (When the function is weakened thyroid gland it is recommended to use recipes that include cooking cabbage - at least 2-3 minutes per steam).

Shredded Chinese cabbage salad

Yield 8 servings

Ingredients:

¼ cup rice vinegar (you can substitute apple cider vinegar)
1 tbsp sesame oil
2 tsp sugar (or honey or
2 tsp mustard (preferably Dijon)
¼ tsp salt
2 medium sized carrots, grated
2 green onions, finely chopped

Cooking:

Mix vinegar, sugar, mustard and salt in a large bowl until the sugar granules are dissolved.
Add cabbage, carrots and green onion. Mix everything with dressing.

Nutritional properties: 36 calories per serving, 2g fat, 0g sat, 0mg cholesterol, 135mg sodium, 4g carbs, 1g fiber, 1g protein, 100% Vitamin A DV, 43% Vitamin C DV, 39% DV vitamin K, 10% DV folate, GN 2

Chinese cabbage salad with cream dressing

Yield 8 servings

Ingredients:

1/3 cup low fat sour cream (or vegan substitute)
1/3 cup good quality mayonnaise
2 tbsp vinegar (apple, white wine or rice)
2 tsp sugar (or honey or)
1/2 tsp salt with celery powder (or replace with 1/4 tsp seaweed)
1/4 tsp sea salt
6 cups finely shredded Chinese cabbage (about 500g)
1 large green apple, grated
1 large carrot, grated
1/2 cup red onion, thinly sliced

Cooking:

Mix sour cream (or substitute), mayonnaise, vinegar, sugar (honey), salt in a large container until a homogeneous consistency is obtained.
Add cabbage, carrot, apple and onion. Mix all.

Nutritional characteristics: 1 serving contains 71 calories, 4g fat, 1g sat., 7mg cholesterol, 270mg sodium, 7g carbs, 1g fiber, 1g protein, 74% Vitamin A DV, 43% Vitamin C DV, 49 % DV vitamin K, 9% DV folate, GL 3

Pak choi salad with tangerines

Yield 8 servings

Ingredients:

6 cups chopped pak choi (about 500g)
1 bunch green onions (about 6-8), minced
¼ cup chopped almonds, lightly toasted
1 jar (220 g) canned tangerines, drained
2 tbsp olive oil
3 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tbsp + 1 tsp sugar or honey (or)

Cooking:

In a large bowl, combine pak choi, onion, almonds and tangerines.
Combine in a smaller bowl olive oil, vinegar, sugar (honey) and soy sauce. Fill the salad with the prepared mixture.

Nutritional properties: 100 calories per serving, 6g fat, 1g sat., 0mg cholesterol, 173mg sodium, 11g carbs, 2g fiber, 3g protein, 63% Vitamin A DV, 73% Vitamin C DV, 66 % Vitamin K DV, 12% Folate DV, 8% Calcium DV, GL 4

Braised pak choi with ginger

Ready in 5 minutes. Good to serve as a side dish.

Yield 4 servings

Ingredients:

1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp freshly chopped ginger
1 garlic clove, minced
8 cups chopped pak choi
2 tbsp low-salt soy sauce (to use gluten-free)
Salt and pepper to taste

Cooking:

Heat oil in a frying pan (not hot). Put garlic and ginger. Cook one minute.
Add the pak choi and soy sauce and simmer for another 3-5 minutes over medium heat, or until the leaves are wilted and the stems are juicy-soft. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Nutritional properties: 54 calories per serving, 4g fat, 0g sat, 0mg cholesterol, 318mg sodium, 4g carbs, 2g fiber, 3g protein, 125% Vitamin A DV, 65% Vitamin C DV, 66 % Vitamin K DV, 13% Vitamin B6 DV, 16% Folate DV, 14% Calcium DV, 10% Iron DV, 16% Potassium DV, 88 mg Omega 3, GL 2

Lo mein with vegetables - Chinese style noodles

Yield 6 servings

Ingredients:

230 g noodles or vermicelli (use gluten-free for the GD diet)
¾ tsp sesame oil
½ tsp vegetable oil (I use avocado)
3 garlic cloves
1 tsp grated fresh ginger
2 cups chopped pak choi
½ cup chopped green onions
2 cups grated carrots
Approximately 150-170g firm tofu (organic), drained and diced
6 tbsp rice vinegar
¼ cup tamarind sauce or plum jam (can substitute 2 tbsp honey or to taste)
¼ glass of water
1 tsp low-salt soy sauce (to use gluten-free)
½ tsp red hot pepper flakes (or to taste)

Cooking:

Cook spaghetti or vermicelli according to package directions. Drain and place in a large mixing bowl. Mix with sesame oil.
In a large non-stick skillet (or wok), heat oil over medium heat. Add garlic and ginger, simmer, stirring for 10 seconds.
Add pak choi and onion, simmer for another 3-4 minutes until cabbage softens slightly.
Add carrots and tofu and simmer for another 2-3 minutes or until carrots soften.
In a separate small saucepan, combine the vinegar, plum jam (or honey), water, soy sauce, and red pepper flakes. Heat with constant stirring over low heat until a homogeneous consistency is obtained.
Mix together spaghetti, vegetables and dressing sauce. Ready for submission.

Nutritional properties: per 1/6 recipe 202 calories, 3g fat, 1g sat, 32mg cholesterol, 88mg sodium, 34g carbs, 3g fiber, 8g protein, 154% Vitamin A DV, 17% Vitamin C DV, 38 % DV vitamin K, 33% DV vitamin B1, 13% DV vitamin B2, 19% DV vitamin B3, 10% DV vitamin B6, 27% DV folate, 14% DV iron, 10% DV potassium and magnesium, GN 20

Hearty Spaghetti with Pak Choi

As a result of this "meeting of the East with the West" (not uncommon in our time), we got such an amazingly tasting dish with pak choy " a la italy". Will not leave anyone indifferent! For better texture, you should choose larger cabbage, then it will retain its juiciness even after poaching.

Yield 4 servings

Ingredients:

1 tbsp olive oil
8 cups shredded pak choi (about 600g)
1 sweet red pepper (Bulgarian), thinly sliced
½ tsp red hot pepper flakes
5 garlic cloves, finely chopped (5 tsp)
1 cup vegetable broth (lightly salted)
4 large eggs
250 g spaghetti, whole grains (or BG if you are on a GD diet; for a low-carb diet, beans or spaghetti squash)
4 green onions, finely chopped (½ cup)
50-60g grated parmesan or romano cheese (or vegan substitute if no dairy) (about ½ cup)

Cooking:

Heat oil in a pan (but not hot). Add bok choy bell pepper and red pepper flakes. Simmer, stirring, for 8 minutes or until vegetables are lightly browned.
Add garlic, then broth. Reduce heat and simmer for 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Keep on low heat while you prepare the rest.
Prepare poached eggs. Pour water about 5-6 cm high into a small saucepan or frying pan, put it on heat and bring to a low boil. Crack the egg and carefully pour into the simmering water, do the same with the rest of the eggs. Keep on low heat for about 4 minutes.
Cook spaghetti according to package instructions. Drain the water. Mix with cabbage. Arrange in portions, placing a poached egg on each serving, approximately 2 tbsp. green onions and 2 tbsp. cheese. Add salt and pepper if desired.

Nutritional properties 1/4 Buckwheat Noodle Recipe 403 Calories, 13g Fat, 4g Sat, 222mg Cholesterol, 55g Carbs, 492mg Sodium, 4g Fiber, 23g Protein, 140% Vitamin A DV, 158% Vitamin C DV, 98% DV vitamin K, 27% DV vitamin B1, B2 and B6, 31% DV folate, 15% DV vitamin B3 and B12, 33% DV calcium, about 25% DV iron, potassium and magnesium, 16% DV zinc, 27% DN selenium, GN 34.

Potato salad with salmon and pak choi

Bon Appetit!

If salads from fresh white or Beijing cabbage regularly appear on your table, then you will certainly be interested in a close relative of these crops - cabbage (bok choy). This Chinese woman (Brassica chinensis) is still rarely found in our beds, which certainly needs to be corrected. After all, vitamin pak-choi, unlike its cabbage sisters, has a more accommodating character and begins to ask for a table a month after planting.

plant description

This leafy variety of crops of the Cabbage family is also called celery or mustard cabbage for the incomparable taste of juicy crispy leaves, characterized by soft spicy notes and a very pleasant aftertaste. Therefore, Asians - lovers of combining exquisite taste and a pile of vitamins in one dish, have long noticed this plant and have been growing it everywhere for many centuries.

And the health benefits of eating bak choy are truly priceless. Vitamins C, K, PP, A, B1 and B2, as well as essential phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, iron and calcium literally jump out of its beautiful leaves. The high content of lysine, fiber, pectin compounds, biologically active enzymes and citric acid. And the best part: pak choy can be consumed in unlimited quantities, thereby increasing the tone of the body. 100 g of this dietary product contains only 13 kcal, which will not affect the waist in any way.

In addition, this Chinese woman allows you to carry out a wide variety of culinary manipulations with her. Its leaves are suitable not only for preparing fresh salads and snacks, but also for cooking, stewing, frying, baking and marinating.

Delicious pak choi will decorate not only the table, but also the garden, as it forms a very decorative rosette of leaves, similar to a fancy vase. Depending on the variety, such a "vase" reaches a height of 20 to 50 cm, a diameter of up to 40-45 cm, and may have different colors of petioles and leaves.

In the first year of life, this biennial plant forms a rosette of leaves, and in the second season it throws out a tall peduncle. After flowering, numerous seeds ripen, which can be used for further reproduction.

cultivation

Pak choi is picky in cultivation and is highly disease resistant. It perfectly tolerates spring and autumn colds, so it will be an excellent addition to the usual diet during these "avitaminous" periods. Unlike the shrew, this one will tolerate any type of soil on the site and will not require such careful preparation of the beds for planting.

Amazing pak-choi feels great in cool, dank weather and can withstand short-term frosts down to -4 ° C without any problems. Therefore, the most favorable period for its sowing will be early spring, the second half of summer and autumn. During these periods, nature usually does not skimp on precipitation and reduces the length of daylight hours. But the long June and July days do not have a very good effect on the Chinese woman and often make her go into the arrow.

Landing

Pak-choi seeds can be sown in the garden as early as April - they germinate at a temperature of +3 ... + 4 ° С. At the same time, sowing is best done in small batches with an interval of 7-10 days. This will allow you to get a conveyor of juicy vitamin greens, because bak choy is most delicious at a young age, and quickly becomes coarse when overgrown.

If spring planting is planned, then it is better to prepare a bed for this crop in the fall. To do this, you need to choose a well-lit area on which solanaceous, pumpkin or legume crops have grown before. It is important that water does not stagnate on the selected bed after precipitation.

Then you need to make for each m² 0.5 buckets, 2 tbsp. spoons, 1 tbsp. spoon (or replace mineral fertilizers with 1-1.5 cups of wood) and dig the soil onto a shovel bayonet.

If the soil in the area is acidic, then hydrated lime, chalk or dolomite flour are additionally embedded in the soil according to the instructions. On heavy soils, it is better to loosen the soil by adding coarse sand or rotted sawdust for digging.

In the spring, with the onset of favorable weather, the beds are loosened, leveled and shallow furrows are made at intervals of about 30 cm. The seeds are moistened and planted to a depth of 0.5-1 cm. In order for the seeds to germinate faster, it makes sense to soak them in the solution 1-2 days before planting trace elements. With this approach, friendly shoots will appear already in 3-4 days.

When the seedlings form a pair of true leaves, they need to be thinned out, leaving an interval of 20-40 cm between the sprouts (depending on the strength of the rosettes of the planted variety).

seedling method

If you want to get appetizing leaves of this crop early, it can be grown through seedlings and planted in the garden at the age of 15-20 days, when the temperature in the greenhouse or on the street (when grown in open ground) rises to + 15 ... + 17 ° С. In this case, the soaked seeds are sown in a pre-prepared container from the end of March to mid-April (depending on the region of cultivation and the expected date of planting the plants in the garden).

In order not to disturb the seedlings with a pick, which they do not tolerate very well, it is better to sow the seeds immediately in separate containers. To do this, two seeds are planted in each pot or cell of seedling cassettes, and with the advent of sprouts, a stronger specimen is left.

Care for pak choi seedlings in the same way as seedlings white cabbage. In the phase of 4-5 true leaves, the hardened seedlings are transplanted into a prepared bed in a greenhouse or open field.

Care

In order for the leaves and petioles of pak choi to turn out juicy and tender, it must be provided with regular watering. In this case, you need to adhere to the golden mean: the soil under the plants should always be in a moderately wet state. With frequent drying of the soil in the garden, the Chinese woman will grow rough and tasteless, and in a waterlogged area she can rot.

If you fertilized the soil in the garden with humus before planting and mineral fertilizers, then there will be no need to feed early-ripening plants. On poor soil, to get more lush rosettes, you need to carry out 1-2 top dressings, giving preference to natural fertilizers. Pak-choi responds well to a solution of mullein (1:10), on a bucket of which a glass of sifted wood ash is added.

To protect plants from other pests that encroach on all members of this family, it is necessary to dust the plantings with a mixture of tobacco dust and wood ash (1: 1) at intervals of a week. And as usual - the removal and loosening of row spacing after irrigation. To avoid this, you can mulch the soil in the garden with any available material (weeds), straw or rotted sawdust, which at the same time will reduce the amount of watering.

These simple procedures will make it possible to serve crispy vitamin pak-choi of early ripe undersized varieties to the table in 25-30 days. Tall varieties ripen a couple of weeks later, but they make it possible to get larger rosettes.

Harvest

Harvest this leaf crop as it matures. You can tear off individual outer leaves from plants, or you can rip off the entire rosette, then cutting off the roots.

Pak choi is best harvested in the morning when it is most saturated with moisture. Perfect option- immediately prepare a vitamin salad or other appetizing dish from it. But if you wash the outlet, dry it, wrap it tightly with cling film and put it in the refrigerator, it will be perfectly preserved for another 10-14 days.

Varieties

There are no problems with buying pak-choy seeds today - everyone will be able to choose for themselves the variety of “vases” of one size or another that they like. In addition, pak choi may differ in the color of its ground part. Some varieties are completely light green, others stand out with snow-white petioles, and in others, green petioles are crowned with bright red-violet leaves.

You can choose suitable seeds of this crop in our market, which unites large online stores. Take a look at the collection.

Bok Choy, or Pak Choy, or Chinese Cabbage, or Buttered Vegetable... This useful thing has a lot of names. And there are a lot of recipes with it, from kimchi to all sorts of things in a wok. This recipe can be a great side dish if you are a meat eater or a fish lover, and maybe a main dish if you are a convinced vegetable eater. It goes well with steaks, fish, poultry or plain boiled rice. Or just as a hot appetizer. In general, you can serve as you like - here fantasize! Preparing everything is very simple - literally one or two!

Cooking time: 15 minutes

Ingredients for 3-4 servings:

400 g Bok Choy (4 cobs)
2-3 garlic cloves
80 ml warm water
25 ml Soy Sauce
15 ml Sesame Oil
10 g Cornstarch
10 ml Lime Juice (or Lemon)
Black Pepper, Salt - to taste
10 g Sesame (I use already roasted)
Vegetable and Ghee Oil - for frying

Cooking method:

Ideally, use a wok for frying, but if you don't have one in the house, then a good deep frying pan will also work.

Cut off the bok choy base from the cob and disassemble it into leaves. We wash with water. If we use large leaves, we cut them into white and green parts - that is, twice. Small leaves can be left whole.

Mix water, soy sauce, sesame oil, cornstarch and lime juice until smooth sauce.

We heat vegetable oil in a pan (you can add a piece of melted butter - it tastes better with it). When the oil is hot, add the white parts and crushed garlic in a press. Season with salt and ground pepper and fry for 3 minutes, stirring constantly so that nothing burns.

Add the green parts and fry for another 1-2 minutes. It is important to keep all the leaves crisp, i.e. al dente.

Fried bok choy or pak choy

Pour the sauce, add sesame seeds, mix well and fry over low heat for another 1 minute, maximum 2.

Serve immediately while bok choy leaves are crispy and fragrant. It can be served simply with rice, or as a side dish. Bon Appetit!

Fried bok choy or pak choy

Pak choi is a popular vegetable crop. Cultivated in China for thousands of years, this exotic product is gradually and quite successfully conquering the European market.

Unpretentiousness in cultivation, high germination and excellent nutritional properties only contribute to increased consumer demand for this outwardly reminiscent of Beijing.

Description of the Chinese guest

Pak choy is more perceived as a salad vegetable or exotic greens, because it does not form heads. In addition, due to the precocity, such a product can be consumed within a month from the moment of planting, which in the warm climate of Asia allows you to harvest several times a season. This culture is valued for its high content of vitamins, iron, phosphorus, magnesium, potassium and lysine, which are useful for the body - a powerful source of energy that a person needs for normal cell growth, production of antibodies, enzymes, hormones and tissue repair. In addition, lysine prevents the development oncological diseases, making pak choi a highly sought-after item on the dining table.

The aerial part of the garden plant is used for food, which is a rosette of succulent leaves of a bright green color with median, fairly wide veins, connected in an elastic white base. Depending on the variety, the height of the plant varies from 30 to 60 cm. The leaves are collected in a rosette with a diameter of about 30 cm and are characterized by a bright green color, the petioles are white.

Beneficial features

Cabbage Chinese pak-choi, the cultivation of which is not particularly difficult, is an excellent dietary product. It is used in salads. The Chinese curiosity is good as a low-calorie side dish, an independent vegetable dish, but it is not suitable for salting. It has a multifaceted rich taste, giving off freshness and sharpness with a slight bitterness. Perfectly combined with various products, it is vaguely reminiscent of spinach, lettuce and chard and is a great addition to any dish.

Pak choi can be eaten when getting rid of extra pounds and to maintain a figure. This is an excellent remedy for the prevention of constipation and cleansing the intestines from cholesterol, toxins and other harmful elements. Regular consumption of Chinese cabbage has a positive effect on the elasticity and strength of blood vessels. Vitamin A contained in its composition effectively affects the renewal of skin cells. Pak choi cabbage, the preparation of which takes a minimum of time, is recommended for pregnant women, as it contains folic acid preventing the formation of various defects in the fetus.

Popular varieties

Being a biennial plant, pak choi is grown as an annual crop in vegetable growing. In temperate climates, its seeds can be sown throughout the growing season. Most of all, the following varieties of pak choi cabbage are used in vegetable growing:

The subtleties of growing

Growing Chinese cabbage is somewhat different from the usual way for everyone and has its own nuances. The advantages of the product include its undemanding to the composition of the soil: pak-choi cabbage, the cultivation and preparation of which is simple, is quite well suited to medium and low-fertilized lands. The plant loves a cool climate, high humidity, fertile land, which is recommended to be prepared in advance. It is best to do this in the fall: dig with the simultaneous application of fertilizers. It is good to add organic matter at the rate of 1 bucket per square meter; on acidic lands, beds can be enriched with wood ash: 200 grams per square meter. meter. When choosing a site for planting, one should take into account the predecessors, the worst of which are considered to be all types of cabbage. Indeed, in this case there is an increased risk of damage by common pests and diseases.

Sowing Chinese cabbage

Pak choi seeds are sown from April to August, although most gardeners prefer to plant cabbage in the middle of summer - it is the July product that pleases the largest harvests. In addition, during this period, the risk of tying flower arrows is minimal.

When sown in open ground pak-choi seeds are planted in prepared holes to a depth of 2-3 cm in accordance with the following scheme: 20-30 cm between cabbage sprouts with row spacing of 25-35 cm. The feeding area of one unit is 30 * 30 cm. *20 cm.

Proper Care Factors

In the care of Chinese pak-choi cabbage, the cultivation of which even an inexperienced gardener can grow, is undemanding. It is advisable to periodically loosen the soil, doing it very carefully, because in Chinese cabbage the root system is located close to the soil surface. It is important to water the plants in a timely manner, without frills: do not flood the ground, but also prevent it from drying out. The average watering rate in August-September is 15-20 liters per square meter. A little more water should be spent in the process of tying rosettes.

Like any plant, pak choi cabbage, which reviews are positive, needs periodic top dressing aimed at activating growth and increasing the expected yield. During the growing season, it is recommended to feed the plant once or twice with a liquid herbal solution or mullein infusion. It is important to provide top dressing after prolonged rains.

Harvesting

It is recommended to harvest a Chinese curiosity at each stage of plant development: from the appearance of sprouts to the formation of flower arrows. The grown cabbage needs to be cut at a height of 2-3 cm above ground level, adult specimens are cut slightly higher. It is advisable to use juicy greens immediately, as it is not adapted for long-term storage.

Pests and diseases

Of the pests, pak-choi cabbage is not indifferent, which are of particular danger to young sprouts, and are able to destroy the plant at the initial stage. The larvae gnaw through large through holes in the leaf plates, which significantly reduces the growth of the vegetative mass and the quality of the product itself. You can get rid of such pests by frequent loosening of the soil and regular watering. If this method is ineffective, it is required to spray cabbage beds every morning with tobacco infusion or treat with wood ash.

Not indifferent to the overseas product, the presence of oviposition can be identified by yellowish grooves. In order to avoid a massive invasion of voracious caterpillars, the discovered eggs must be removed from the plant. Treating cabbage with chemicals will help get rid of an uninvited pest.

Pak choi is also loved by slugs and rain snails. Therefore, in order to prevent the appearance on the leaves of wide winding paths gnawed by such pests, it is recommended to remove the latter from the leaves.

Pak Choi: Recipes

Roasted bak choi

Young pak choi cabbage - 350 grams.

Soy sauce - ½ tbsp. spoons.

Cornmeal - ½ tsp.

Vegetable oil - 1 tbsp. a spoon.

Cabbage needs to be washed, cut into two parts and fry for 5 minutes over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Parallel mix cornmeal with soy sauce, gradually adding 50 ml of water while stirring. Put the fried cabbage on a serving dish, and place the sauce in the pan where bak choi was prepared, and bring to a boil while stirring constantly. Pour thickened sauce over Chinese cabbage. Add ground pepper to taste.

Pak choi in oyster sauce

Chicken broth - 200 ml.

Pak choi - 4-5 pieces (about 400 grams).

Brown sugar - 1 tbsp. a spoon.

Peanut (or any vegetable) oil - 3 tbsp. spoons.

Crushed peanuts - 2 tbsp. spoons.

Oyster sauce - 2 tbsp. spoons.

Sesame seeds - ½ tsp.

Green onions - 3 feathers.

Salt - 1 tbsp. a spoon.

Wash cabbage heads and cut into two halves. Boil water in a saucepan, add a tablespoon and salt, which will allow the leaves to retain their natural bright green color, and the cabbage heads themselves. Blanch for a few seconds and remove as soon as the leaves soften. Place cabbage in cold water. In a wok (round deep Chinese frying pan), heat the remaining peanut butter, add cabbage, oyster sauce, chicken broth and brown sugar. Mix everything gently, bring to a boil and cook for about 2 minutes. Put the finished cabbage heads on a serving plate, pour over the prepared broth, sprinkle with green onion rings, and crushed peanuts.

Chinese cabbage Pak-choi is widespread in eastern countries, Europe and North America, but is almost unknown to us. What is special about this vegetable, why it should be grown on your own personal plot and is it difficult to do this - read further in the article.

What is pak choi?

Pak choi or bok choy (Brassica rapa chinensis) is a leafy annual plant of the cruciferous family. It is especially popular with residents of Southeast Asia and southern China, and is increasingly capturing the markets of Europe and the USA.

In our country, the plant is not very popular. It is often called: petiole cabbage, Chinese leaf or simply Chinese. The last name is not very true, since Beijing cabbage is called Chinese.

Botanical description

Pak choi is an early maturing variety. An adult plant does not create a head of cabbage, but forms a lush rosette of leaves, which reaches a height of 20 to 60 cm, a diameter of 40 to 45 cm. It looks more like a lettuce than a cabbage. The leaves are located on thick and fleshy cuttings with an external bulge, tightly pressed against each other. The sheet is large, delicate, slightly corrugated. According to the color of the leaf plate and petioles, 3 main types are distinguished:

Joi Choi. Bright dark green leaves grow on white petioles.
Shanghai Green. Both leaves and petioles are light green. The leaves are a little darker.
Red Choi. The petioles are green, and the leaves are green below and red-violet above.

Sort Joi Choi

Shanghai Green Pak Choi

Variety Red Choi

After germination, the cabbage forms a leaf rosette, and after full ripening, it throws out an arrow with flowers. After the peduncle ripens in varietal cabbage, seeds can be collected.

Pak choi has a branched, thin, shallow root system. The depth of occurrence does not exceed 15 cm.

Historical information

Pak choi is known as one of the first vegetable crops which began to be grown in China, where it still occupies a special place in national cuisine and medicine.

In the 19th century, it was brought to Europe, where it was liked and successfully grown.

Popular varieties

The State Register of Breeding Achievements includes many varieties of Pak-choi. All of them are recommended for cultivation in private farms and consumption.

Pak choi cabbage varieties table:

Variety name	Vegetation period, days	Productivity, kg / sq. m	Plant weight, g	Description
Alyonushka	45	9	1800	Semi-spreading socket. Small dark green leaves with a grayish tinge, the petiole is fleshy.
stonefly	25-35	2,7	250	The socket is semi-raised. The leaf is light or green in color, slightly wavy along the edge, the central vein is fleshy, juicy.
Vitavir	25-35	6,2	500-700	Low, semi-folding socket. The leaf is short, somewhat pubescent, with a wavy edge. Petiole of medium thickness, short, green.
Golub	25-35	6	600-900	Rosette with a diameter of 40 cm. The leaf is medium, light green, smooth. Petiole of medium thickness, wide, short.
corolla	50-60	5	1000	The socket is sprawling, small. The leaves are rounded, smooth along the edge, dark green. Petiole narrow, short, white.
Beauty of the East	35-45	6	700	The socket is vertical, average size. The leaf is smooth, with smooth edges, green. Petiole medium, light green.
Martin	35-45	10	1500-3000	Semi-raised socket. Leaves are smooth and green. Petioles are fleshy, juicy, green.
Swan	50-60	5-7,5	1100-1500	The rosette grows horizontally. Leaves are oval, entire. Petiole fleshy, white, long.
Peahen	50-60	10	1000-2000	Semi-straight socket. The leaves are oval, smooth, green. The petiole is fleshy, without fibers, crunches.
In memory of Popova	35-45	10	800	Semi-folding outlet of medium size. The leaves are green, smooth with a slight wave along the edge. Petioles are white, flat, medium in size.
Chill	50-60	6,5	1500	The socket is semi-folding, medium-large. The leaf is light green, smooth. Petioles of the same color as the leaves are flat.
four seasons	35-45	7,5	1350	Semi-folding outlet of medium size. The leaf is green, smooth. Petioles lighter than leaves, thick, wide.
Chingensai	35-45	3	120	The outlet is compact. The leaves are even along the edge, smooth, green. Petioles of medium thickness, lighter than the main color, short.
Yuna	50-60	5	800-1000	Half socket. The leaves are medium in size, dark green, dissected, wavy along the edge. Petioles narrow, green.

Useful properties of Pak-choy and its harm

95% of Pak-choi cabbage consists of water, it also contains many vitamins (A, C, K, PP, B1, B2, B9) and minerals (potassium, calcium, magnesium, manganese, iron, sodium, phosphorus, zinc). It is a dietary product that contains only 13 kcal per 100 g.

Beneficial effect on the body:

cleans from toxins and harmful cholesterol;
improves the elasticity of blood vessels, normalizes blood pressure, supports the heart;
promotes the renewal of skin cells;
helps to heal wounds, improves blood clotting and hematopoiesis;
used as prevention of oncology;
improves immunity.

But there are some precautions in use:

the vegetable contains glucosinolates, which, if consumed excessively, are harmful to the body;
the enzyme myrosinase, which is found in all cruciferous, negatively affects the functioning of the thyroid gland, prevents the absorption of iodine;
To prevent the negative effect of the enzyme, cabbage is subjected to heat treatment.

for those who suffer from the pathology of thick blood and take medicines that thin it, the use of Pak-choi is contraindicated;
people who are allergic to any kind of cabbage should be used with caution.

Preparations before boarding

You can grow Pak-choi cabbage all year round in a greenhouse and in warm weather in open ground. The plant is not demanding on the composition of the soil and does not need special attention and skill of the gardener.

Location and climate

When choosing a place for the garden, consider the following features:

Good warm-up. Cabbage loves a well-lit area or partial shade.
Soil moisture. Do not plant cabbage in an area where water will stagnate after rains.
Soil acidity. Cabbage will feel best on soil with medium acidity pH = 5.5-7.
Daylight hours. best period for cultivation is considered early spring or the second half of summer-autumn. Long daylight hours, at the end of May, June and July, can provoke the plant to shoot arrows. Under such conditions, it will not be possible to get a good harvest.
Pak-choi cabbage shoots arrows and blooms with increasing daylight hours.
Freeze resistance. Seedlings are not afraid of a short-term drop in temperature to -4 ° C.
Predecessors. Beans, cereals, pumpkin, nightshade, onions can grow in the garden before cabbage.
Any kind of cabbage, turnip, radish, radish, swede will be a bad predecessor.

Land preparation

Soil preparation for planting Pak-choi begins in the fall.

Step by step work:

Autumn digging. Dig the bed well, remove the roots of the plants.
Fertilizer. Apply organic fertilizer (10 kg) and superphosphate (1 tablespoon) per 1 sq. m.
Deoxidation of the soil. If your area has acidic soils, add 1 tbsp. a spoonful of lime or 200 g of ash per 1 sq. m.
Heavy soil. To correct the situation, add coarse sand or rotted sawdust to the site, dig it up.
Spring digging. In the spring, dig the soil to a depth of 15 cm.
Application of fertilizers. Add 1 teaspoon of urea per 1 sq. m.

seed preparation

Seed preparation does not require any specific actions and consists in:

Calibration. Sort through the seeds and choose the largest ones. If there are not many of them, medium-sized ones are also suitable.
Germination test. Prepare a 3% salt solution and dip the seeds in it for 5 minutes. Collect those that have surfaced, and those that have fallen to the bottom are suitable for sowing. Immediately below running water, wash off the salt from them, and then dry them so as not to provoke premature germination.
disinfection. Dip the seeds in a solution of potassium permanganate, then rinse with water. This will protect plants from fungal and bacterial diseases.
Another way is to warm up. For this they prepare hot water(48-50 °С). Seeds are placed in a gauze bag and dipped in water for 20 minutes. The difficulty of this method lies in controlling the temperature of the water.
If the temperature is more than 50 ° C - the seeds will lose their germination, if it is below 48 ° C - there will be no disinfecting effect.

Germination acceleration. Seeds are placed in a container and filled with water so that it covers them. Changing the water every 4 hours, the procedure is carried out at room temperature for 12 hours.
You can apply a solution of Nitrophoska (dissolve 1 teaspoon in 1 liter of water). Keep the seeds for 12 hours.
hardening. Seeds are placed in the lower section of the refrigerator and incubated for 24 hours.

After that, the seeds are dried so that they stop sticking to the fingers and start sowing.

How to plant Chinese collard greens?

Pak-choi can be planted in two ways, which will be discussed later.

seedling method

For seedlings, seeds are sown in late March-early April. This method is good because it allows you to get an early harvest.

Work sequence:

Seedling container. Prepare the required number of peat pots. It is recommended to sow the seeds immediately in them, so as not to damage the delicate root system. Can be used peat tablets.
Priming. Fill pots with potting mix, coconut substratum works well.
Sowing seeds. You can put several seeds in each pot. And after germination - remove the weak ones.
Close up. Seeds are covered with soil to a depth of 1 cm.
Place for sprouting. It should be warm, well warmed up by the sun.

The first sprouts will appear 3-5 days after sowing.

In order to provide themselves with a constant harvest on long time, you can sow seeds for seedlings in a small amount every 7-10 days.

You can transfer seedlings to the garden or to the greenhouse after 3 weeks. In doing so, adhere to the scheme:

40-50 cm - between rows;
20-35 cm - the distance between plants in a row, depending on the size of the rosette of the variety.

Seeds in open ground

Seeds can be sown in open ground starting from April, when the earth warms up to + 3-4 ° С or in July.

Seeding order:

Method. There are 2 methods of planting in the ground:
- Ribbon line. When the seeds are glued onto the tape and stacked in rows. Or a groove is made in the ground and seeds are sown in it.
- Into the holes. The bed is divided into rows in each row, holes are made with a depth of 2 cm after 30 cm. 2-3 seeds are placed in each hole.
Close up. Cover the seed with soil.
Shelter. Cover the rows with plastic wrap to maintain heat and moisture. This will promote rapid germination.
shoots. The first plants hatch in 1-1.5 weeks.

Diseases and pests, control and prevention

Cabbage resists major diseases well. Of the pests may be affected:

Cruciferous flea. The pest gnaws in the leaves big holes. You can fight with the help of ash or ash and tobacco dust (1: 1), with which the soil is sprinkled. Another method is to cover young shoots with agrofiber.
Cabbage white. Dangerous for cabbage are not the butterflies themselves, but their caterpillars. Tobacco dust is suitable for the fight. Leaves with pest eggs must be removed.
Slugs and snails. They are removed either manually or with the help of special baits that can be purchased at the store and laid out between rows.

Using chemicals you should follow the instructions and do not use them during the harvest period.

Caring for Pak-choi

Caring for Chinese kale is:

thinning. It is necessary for the row-tape sowing method. Carry out the first thinning after the appearance of true leaves. Weak plants are removed, leaving 10 cm between them. After the rosettes grow and the row closes, carry out the second thinning, leaving 20 cm between the plants.
Top dressing. It is needed only if fertilizers were not applied during planting. Apply organic fertilizer at the beginning of the growing season. For this purpose, a solution of mullein (1:10) or bird droppings (1:20) is suitable.

Polivakh. Cabbage loves abundant watering. You can use the sprinkling method, but remember that stagnant water can lead to fungal diseases.
Weeding. Remove weeds in the garden in a timely manner, this will help in pest control.

When and how to harvest?

You can try the first harvest 3 weeks after planting. Cut off young leaves leaving 2-3 cm at the root, more mature - even higher. This will allow you to re-crop on cut rosettes - cabbage quickly grows new shoots.

Cut leaves cannot be stored for long, so harvest as needed. If necessary, you can wrap the leaves in a damp towel and store up to 2 days on the refrigerator door.

If the plant was cut at the initial stage of arrow formation, it can be consumed, since the leaf has not yet lost its juiciness.

Leaves over 50 days old early varieties, are considered overexposed, become coarse and unfit for food.

You can see what Pak-choi looks like in the video clip. From it you will also learn the features of growing, caring, harvesting and what can be prepared from a vegetable.