Miniature Bok Choy
Baby Choi Bok Choy is a compact, tender Asian green that reaches harvest in just 35 to 60 days, making it one of the fastest greens you can grow. This subspecies of Brassica rapa grows with delicate, spoon-shaped leaves and pale stalks that are equally edible, offering a mild, slightly sweet flavor when harvested young. It thrives in full sun to partial shade and needs just 12 inches of space in all directions, fitting neatly into small garden beds, containers, or tight row spacing. The quick turnaround means you can succession plant for continuous harvests through spring and fall.
Partial Sun
Moderate
1-11
?in H x ?in W
Annual, Biennial
High
Hover over chart points for details
What makes Baby Choi stand out is its genuine speed and compact footprint. Unlike full-sized bok choy, this variety was bred to mature in little more than a month, making it ideal for gardeners who want quick wins and frequent harvests. The whole plant, leaves and stalks alike, is tender and mild enough to eat raw when very young, or lightly stir-fried when slightly more mature. Its willingness to grow in partial shade sets it apart from many brassicas, giving you flexibility in garden placement.
Baby Choi is harvested whole when young and tender, making it perfect for fresh salads, light stir-fries, and Asian soups where delicate texture matters. The entire plant, leaf and stalk, is edible and cooks down quickly, so it's ideal for last-minute side dishes or as a nutritious green to add to grain bowls and noodle dishes.
Starting seeds indoors is not recommended for Baby Choi due to its quick maturity and the potential for transplants to lag behind directly sown seeds.
Sow seeds outdoors 2 to 4 weeks before your average last frost date, when soil temperature reaches at least 60°F (ideally 75–85°F for faster germination). You can also sow again in late summer for a fall crop. In mild climates, sow in fall for winter or spring harvests.
Harvest Baby Choi when plants are 4 to 6 inches tall and still tender, typically 35 to 60 days after sowing. Cut the entire plant at soil level with a sharp knife, or harvest individual outer leaves if you prefer a gentler approach that allows the plant to regrow. Young plants are most tender and mild, so don't wait for full maturity, the goal is to enjoy them at their most delicate stage.
Enter your ZIP code to see a personalized growing calendar for this plant.