Crop type: Pak Choi
Brassica rapa (Chinensis Group) ‘Ivory’
Common name: Pak choi ‘Ivory’
Crop slug: pak-choi
This Allotment Pro editorial draft summarises the cited RHS cultivar profile and its linked crop guidance. Check the sources and adjust cultivation decisions for local conditions.RHS cultivar profile
1 - Overview
‘Ivory’ is an easy-to-grow pak choi with succulent, crisp white stems and dark-green fleshy leaves. Harvest the foliage young for salads or let the upright rosette mature so both stalks and leaves can be used in stir-fries. The bright stems give the head a clean, high-contrast appearance.
Like other pak choi, it grows rapidly but may bolt if checked by drought, heat or cold. Repeated small sowings and consistent watering provide the longest useful harvest.
2 - Size
- Ultimate height
- 0.1–0.5 metre
- Ultimate spread
- 0.1–0.5 metre
- Time to ultimate size
- one year
Use 8–10cm spacing for baby leaves, 20cm for semi-mature plants and 25–30cm for mature rosettes. Full plants commonly reach 30–45cm tall.
3 - Growing conditions
- Suitable soils
- Chalk, clay, loam or sand
- Moisture
- Moist but well drained
- Preferred pH
- Acid, neutral or alkaline
Enrich soil before sowing and keep it evenly moist. The white stalks remain tender with uninterrupted growth, while good drainage protects the compact base from rotting.
4 - Position and hardiness
- Light
- Full sun; light shade in hot summer conditions
- Aspect
- East-, south- or west-facing
- Exposure
- Sheltered
- Hardiness
- H3
Use sun for spring and autumn crops and a cooler lightly shaded position in summer. Fleece or cloches protect young plants from cold checks.
5 - Colour and seasonal interest
Broad, fleshy dark-green leaf blades rise from crisp, bright-white succulent stems in a compact columnar rosette. ‘Ivory’ is visually distinct from green-stemmed types and from purple-leaved ‘Red Choi’. Harvest before flowering.
6 - Botanical details
- Family
- Brassicaceae
- Native to Great Britain and Ireland
- No
- Foliage
- Deciduous
- Habit
- Columnar upright
- Name status
- Unresolved
Genus
Brassica includes upright annual, biennial and perennial plants with alternate leaves, long taproots and clusters of cross-shaped yellow or white flowers. Many are cultivated as food crops.
Safety
Young leaves are edible raw; mature white stems and foliage are best lightly cooked. Wash harvested material before use.
7 - How to grow
Cultivation
Sow from spring, one or two seeds per module, or directly outdoors after frost risk in drills 2cm deep. Thin gradually and use sound thinnings in salads. Keep well watered throughout the growing season to avoid bolting.
Pick baby leaves from about 30 days, taking only a few outside leaves at a time, or cut compact heads at the base after roughly 45–75 days. Grow late-summer sowings under glass for protected autumn leaves.
Propagation
Propagate by seed.
Suggested locations
- Cottage or informal garden
- Patio container
- Conservatory or greenhouse
- Raised salad bed
- Vegetable plot
Pruning
No pruning is required. Remove flower stems before the buds open and harvest the plant promptly.
Pests
May be susceptible to flea beetle, slugs, snails, cabbage caterpillars and pigeons. Fine mesh protects young foliage.
Diseases
May be susceptible to powdery mildews. Maintain steady moisture, airflow and brassica rotation.