VegetableCabbage
Hotau Improved Cabbage
Hotau Improved Cabbage is a hybrid pak choi that brings speed and reliability to the vegetable garden. Maturing in just 30-39 days, this compact variety grows a petite 12-18 inches tall and produces the uniformly small heads you see in farmers' markets and grocery stores. Hardy across zones 2-10 and tolerant of frost, it thrives in full sun with moderate water and adapts beautifully to spring, summer, and fall planting. Its heat tolerance and slow bolting habit make it a workhorse for gardeners seeking quick harvests without the stress of premature flowering.
Photo © True Leaf Market
Growing Conditions
USDA Zone
2-10
Sunlight
Full Sun
Water
Moderate
Soil
Well-drained Loam, Tolerates Poor Soils
Growth Stats
18 in
Height
TypeUpright
Spacing
18
Plant Profile
Sunlight
Full Sun
Water
Moderate
Zones
2-10
Size
18in H x ?in W
Growth
—
Care
Moderate
Hover over chart points for details
Highlights
This mini pak choi was bred for speed and consistency, growing just 3-4 inches tall and wide with impressively large petioles despite its compact stature. The hybrid vigor shows itself in uniform growth and remarkable heat tolerance, so you can plant it through summer months when many brassicas would surrender to bolting. Its very slow bolting tendency means you're not racing the clock to harvest, even in warm seasons.
Common Uses
Hotau Improved Cabbage is harvested young as a whole head, typically cut at the base when it reaches market-ready size. Its compact form and tender texture make it excellent for stir-frying whole or halved, a preparation common in Asian cuisines where pak choi is a staple. The large petioles stay crisp and are particularly prized in quick-cooking applications where you want texture and flavor without lengthy cooking.
Growing Timeline
No timeline data available yet for this variety.
Care Instructions
Start Indoors
Start seeds indoors 4-6 weeks before your target transplant date, maintaining soil temperatures between 55-70°F. Sow seeds 1/4 inch deep in seed-starting mix and keep consistently moist until germination. Transplant outdoors once seedlings develop 2-3 true leaves and soil temperatures have warmed.
Transplant Outdoors
Harden off seedlings over 7-10 days by gradually exposing them to outdoor conditions. Transplant when soil is workable and nighttime temperatures stay above 50°F. Space plants 18 inches apart in rows 12 inches apart. This variety tolerates cool conditions and frost, so transplanting can occur earlier than heat-loving crops.
Direct Sow
Direct sow seeds outdoors in late spring, summer, or early fall for successive harvests. Sow seeds 1/4 inch deep, thin seedlings to 18-inch spacing once they develop true leaves, and keep soil consistently moist until establishment.
Harvesting
Harvest Hotau Improved Cabbage 30-39 days after planting or transplanting. Cut whole heads at the base with a sharp knife when they reach 3-4 inches tall and wide, checking for firm, full heads. Morning harvest yields the crispest plants. This variety's mini size means you can harvest frequently for continuous supply, and the very slow bolting habit gives you a generous harvest window.
Growing Calendar
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Companion Planting
Ecology & Traits
Edible
Scientific Classification
Brassica rapa var chinensis
Family
Brassicaceae
Genus
Brassica
Growth Habit
Upright
Native Status
L48 (I)AK (I)HI (I)CAN (I)GL (I)