Zone 8 · Leafy Greens Growing Guide

When to Plant Bok Choy
in Zone 8

Fast, productive, and delicious stir-fried or in soups. Baby bok choy can be harvested whole at 30 days or left to mature as full heads. Cool-season crop that tolerates light frost.

Plant outdoors
Feb 1 – Mar 15, Sep 15 – Nov 1
Start indoors
Direct sow
Last Frost
~Feb 15
Days to harvest
45–60 days
Difficulty
Easy
Ready to harvest — Zone 8
Harvest window: Feb – May, Oct – Feb

Planting Calendar

In Zone 8, Bok Choy should be planted outdoors Feb 1 – Mar 15, Sep 15 – Nov 1, after the average last frost date of approximately Feb 15.

Fall and winter crop is primary. Very productive with mild winters.

Care Guide

Sunlight
Full sun to partial shade · 3–8 hrs/day
Watering
Regular
Spacing
6–12 inches
Soil
Fertile, moisture-retentive, well-draining
Days to maturity
45–60 days
Soil pH
6.0–7.0
plant tip · Zone 8

Fall and winter crop is primary. Very productive with mild winters.

Feeding Schedule

How often
every 3 weeks
Feed type
balanced (10-10-10)
Key timing
throughout growing season

Fast-growing and a moderate feeder. Liquid balanced feed every 3 weeks. Bolts in heat regardless of feeding.

Succession Planting

Sow every 3 weeks

Sow every 3 weeks from early spring and again from late summer. Bolts in heat — time sowings to mature before temperatures exceed 75°F.

Companion Planting for Bok Choy

What you plant next to bok choy makes a real difference — some plants actively help, others compete or attract pests.

Grows well with
  • Garlic
  • Onions
  • Beets
  • Spinach
Keep away from
  • Tomatoes
  • Fennel
  • Nightshades

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Common questions

In Zone 8, bok choy has two planting windows: Feb 1 – Mar 15, Sep 15 – Nov 1. The spring window opens after your last frost around Feb 15. The fall window lets you grow a second crop before first frost around Dec 1. Fall and winter crop is primary. Very productive with mild winters.
Zone 8 has an average last spring frost of approximately Feb 15 and a first fall frost around Dec 1. These dates vary by specific location — use your ZIP code in the plant app for precision based on the nearest NOAA weather station.
Good companion crops for bok choy include Garlic, Onions, Beets, Spinach. Avoid planting near Tomatoes, Fennel, Nightshades, which can compete for nutrients or attract pests.
Bok Choy typically takes 45–60 days from transplant or direct sow to harvest in Zone 8. Expected harvest window: Feb – May, Oct – Feb.

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Bok Choy in other zones
Crop Guides