Growing guide

Best time to plant chinese cabbage in Australia

Brassica rapa subsp. pekinensis

Also called Wombok, Napa cabbage, Celery cabbage, Hakusai, Baechu

Chinese cabbage, widely called wombok in Australia, is a leaf vegetable that began near Beijing and is now common across East Asian cooking. Its Mandarin name means 'big white vegetable', setting it apart from the smaller bok choy. Crops are now raised well beyond Asia, including in Australia.

On a shared plot: suits a plot

Finishes in a season and stays within its space, so it suits most plots.

When to sow

ZoneJFMAMJJASOND
CoolMatches local guidesSowSowSowNoNoNoNoSowSowSowSowSow
TemperateNot yet checked against a local guideSowSowSowSowSowSowSowSowSowSowSowSow
SubtropicalNot yet checked against a local guideSowSowSowSowSowSowSowSowSowSowSowSow
TropicalNot yet checked against a local guideNoSowSowSowSowSowSowSowSowSowSowNo
AridMatches local guidesNoNoSowSowSowNoNoSowSowSowSowSow

Good months to sow

Your local conditions can shift any months shown here, so treat them as a guide.

Growing details

How to start
Sow directly or raise seedlings
Sowing depth
12mm
Plant spacing
45cm
Row spacing
45cm
Height
45cm
Germination
About 14 days
Time to harvest
91 days from sowing
Frost
Hardy, takes a light frost
Sun
Full sun
Life cycle
annual

These are typical figures, and varieties differ. Your seed packet takes priority.

Further reading on this plant