When to Plant Bok Choy

Sow bok choy outside up to 3 weeks before your last frost, and again 7 to 10 weeks before your first fall frost for a fall crop.

Bok choy at a glance

Sow outside: up to 3 weeks before your last frost
Fall sowing: 7 to 10 weeks before your first fall frost
Time to harvest: 40 to 55 days from sowing
Harvest lasts: about 4 weeks
Spacing: 4 per square foot
Frost: Takes a light frost

Growing bok choy

Bok choy grows fast in cool weather in moist, rich soil. Sow it straight in the bed or set out young plants in spring or late summer, and harvest whole heads or single leaves. Baby varieties are ready in about a month.

Dates by hardiness zone

Typical dates for each zone; your ZIP code gives your own.

When to plant bok choy in each USDA hardiness zone
Zone	Sow	Sow for fall	Harvest
Zone 3a	May 7–28	Jul 6–27	Jun 16 – Jul 22 · Aug 15 – Sep 20
Zone 3b	Apr 26 – May 17	Jul 17 – Aug 7	Jun 5 – Jul 11 · Aug 26 – Oct 1
Zone 4a	Apr 21 – May 12	Jul 20 – Aug 10	May 31 – Jul 6 · Aug 29 – Oct 4
Zone 4b	Apr 17 – May 8	Jul 23 – Aug 13	May 27 – Jul 2 · Sep 1 – Oct 7
Zone 5a	Apr 12 – May 3	Jul 27 – Aug 17	May 22 – Jun 27 · Sep 5 – Oct 11
Zone 5b	Apr 10 – May 1	Aug 1–22	May 20 – Jun 25 · Sep 10 – Oct 16
Zone 6a	Apr 8–29	Aug 7–28	May 18 – Jun 23 · Sep 16 – Oct 22
Zone 6b	Apr 2–23	Aug 13 – Sep 3	May 12 – Jun 17 · Sep 22 – Oct 28
Zone 7a	Mar 26 – Apr 16	Aug 16 – Sep 6	May 5 – Jun 10 · Sep 25 – Oct 31
Zone 7b	Mar 15 – Apr 5	Aug 23 – Sep 13	Apr 24 – May 30 · Oct 2 – Nov 7
Zone 8a	Mar 8–29	Aug 29 – Sep 19	Apr 17 – May 23 · Oct 8 – Nov 13
Zone 8b	Feb 24 – Mar 17	Sep 4–25	Apr 5 – May 11 · Oct 14 – Nov 19
Zone 9a	Feb 9 – Mar 2	Sep 17 – Oct 8	Mar 21 – Apr 26 · Oct 27 – Dec 2
Zone 9b	Jan 11 – Feb 1	Oct 6–27	Feb 20 – Mar 28 · Nov 15 – Dec 21
Zone 10a	Jan 3–24	Oct 18 – Nov 8	Feb 12 – Mar 20 · Nov 27 – Jan 2
Zones 10b–11b	Frost is rare here, so grow bok choy in the cooler months, from fall to early spring.