My Fall Experiment: Growing Chinese Vegetables

Every gardener loves a good experiment, and this year mine involved stepping outside my usual vegetable lineup. I tried growing a few Chinese vegetables in my garden, and the results were delicious, a little surprising, and a whole lot of fun. If you’ve ever wondered whether these crops are worth a spot in your garden, read on.

The whole adventure started last Christmas, when I unwrapped a copy of Grow Your Own Chinese Vegetables by Gerri Harrington. Paging through it, I was inspired to play around and see what would happen. I decided to keep things manageable and try just three: napa cabbage, bok choy, and tatsoi. My garden is in zone 7b in central Virginia, and I planted them for fall. Two of the three thrived. One didn’t. Here’s how each one did.

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Napa Cabbage

I’ll start with the one that didn’t work out. My napa cabbage never formed the tight, tall heads I was hoping for, and the plants just looked strange. Rather than keep babying them along, I pulled them up and added them to the compost pile. That’s the beauty of experimenting: not every crop will be a winner, and nothing goes to waste. I may give napa another try with a different approach, but this year it was a learning experience.

Bok Choy

Bok choy was a standout. It grew beautifully in my fall garden, with healthy, sturdy plants that were a pleasure to watch and even better to harvest. If you’re looking for an easy, rewarding Chinese vegetable to start with, this is a great one. It grew easily, tasted great, and we used it in stir fries for several dinners. I’ll be growing it again.

Tatsoi

Tatsoi was a pleasant surprise. I’ve never tasted it before, so it was a leap of faith to grow it based solely on the author’s description of the ‘vitamin plant.’ I wasn’t disappointed! This leafy green forms attractive rosettes and grew wonderfully through the fall. In fact, I had forgotten I planted it until I suddenly found a line of happy, healthy plants growing among some random dill volunteers. I’ve been enjoying it in salads and stir fries ever since. It has a mild, mustard-like taste, and it is chock full of vitamins. A great addition to the garden, very easy to grow, and tasty. It is a keeper.

Give Chinese Vegetables a Try

Two out of three might sound like a mixed result, but I count this experiment as a big win. Bok choy and tatsoi were easy to grow, and they handled my zone 7b fall garden with no fuss. If you’re curious, I’d encourage you to give them a go. Pick a couple of varieties, plant them, and have fun seeing what happens.

If you’d like some guidance, I highly recommend picking up Grow Your Own Chinese Vegetables by Gerri Harrington. It’s a wonderful resource and a great source of inspiration. Happy gardening, and have fun!