How to Grow Napa / Chinese Cabbage: Planting, Spacing, Care & Harvest

Quick answer

Spring: transplant 2–4 weeks before last frost (Purdue HO-186). Clemson: cool-season crop best at about 60 to 65°F; late summer and fall sowings often outperform spring because frost or cold nights can trigger bolting. About 75–80 days (Missouri). Not bok choy and not heading cabbage.

Chinese cabbage at a glance

PlantTransplant: 4–2 wk before last frost
WaterUniform moisture; water in the morning so foliage dries.
SpacingClemson: thin Michihili types to 12 inches; Napa types 18 inches.
Days to harvest75–80 days (Missouri Extension)
-5-4-3-2-1LF+1+2+3
■ Start indoors   ■ Plant out   ■ Harvest
Weeks relative to last frost (LF). Colored weeks show when our ZIP planner schedules each step.
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Planting dates for your ZIP: the ZIP planting planner counts each window from your local frost dates.

Organic pests and diseases: see also organic pest control. Use any product as the label directs.

Napa / Chinese cabbage (Brassica rapa Pekinensis Group) — keep separate from bok choy and heading cabbage.

Napa cabbage
Napa cabbage. Photo: Forest and Kim Starr, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0 US (resized).

Planting timing

Purdue HO-186: Chinese cabbage is semi-hardy; plant 2–4 weeks before the last spring frost; typically transplanted. (Purdue HO-186-W) Clemson: cool-season; best about 60 to 65°F. “Chinese cabbage is best sown in late summer and fall rather than spring. If seed is sown in the spring, young plants may bolt if they are exposed to frost or to a long period of cold nights.” (Clemson Chinese cabbage) Planner spring: Transplant last frost −4 to −2. Fall uses Clemson’s late-summer/fall calendar guidance rather than inventing a crop-specific first-frost week.

Depth and spacing

Clemson: thin Michihili types to 12 inches; Napa types 18 inches. Keep soil moist at establishment.

Sun, soil and water

Well-drained sandy loam with high organic matter; pH about 5.8 to 6.5 (Clemson). Uniform moisture; water in the morning so foliage dries. Prefer soil test and compost; we omit printed fertilizer product rates.

Care

Mulch for moisture and weeds. Bolt risk: about 10 or more continuous days at 35–50°F after favorable growth (Clemson).

Harvest

Missouri Extension planting guide: Chinese cabbage about 75–80 days from planting to harvest. (Missouri G06201)

Pests and diseases

Clemson: imported cabbageworm, cabbage looper, diamondback moth, harlequin bugs, cabbage maggots, aphids, flea beetles; black rot, downy mildew, Alternaria (Chinese cabbage more susceptible), soft rot. Cultural: disease-free transplants or treated seed for black rot. Caterpillars: row cover, Bt, spinosad, or handpick as labeled (UMN cole-crop caterpillars).

Related: ZIP planner · organic pest control · cabbage · bok choy · all grow guides

Frequently asked questions

When do I transplant Chinese cabbage in spring?

2–4 weeks before last frost (Purdue HO-186). Many climates prefer a fall crop (Clemson).

Napa vs bok choy?

Napa is Pekinensis heading types; bok choy has its own page.

How long to harvest?

About 75–80 days (Missouri).

More grow guides: All grow guides

Sources