Cold hardiness & minimum temperature

Is Chinese Cabbage 'Michihili' (Brassica rapa var. pekinensis 'Michihili')cold hardy? Hardiness zone & min temp

Also called Michihili cabbage, celery cabbage, Chinese celery cabbage.

More about chinese cabbage 'michihili'

About Chinese Cabbage 'Michihili'

Brassica rapa var. pekinensis 'Michihili' · also called Michihili cabbage, celery cabbage · edible

'Michihili' is a tall, cylindrical Chinese cabbage forming a tightly packed, upright head of crinkled, mild-flavoured leaves on crisp white midribs. A cool-season brassica, it is best sown in mid-to-late summer for an autumn harvest, maturing in around 70-80 days. Steady moisture and unbroken cool growth are key to firm, full hearts.

Cold limit: USDA Grown as a cool-season annual; tolerates light frost, best as an autumn crop · RHS H3 (half-hardy; stands light frost but not hard freezes) (13-21°C)

Watch for — Bolting: Spring sowings and heat or cold checks trigger early flowering before heads form. Sow from midsummer and keep growth even and unstressed.

What chinese cabbage 'michihili''s hardiness rating actually means

Hardiness works differently for chinese cabbage 'michihili': it is grown as a seasonal crop, not overwintered. The question is not "what zone" but "how long is your frost-free growing window". Its RHS rating of H3 means: Half-hardy — comes through mild UK winters outside but is killed by a hard freeze. On the US scale that maps to USDA Grown as a cool-season annual; tolerates light frost, best as an autumn crop — the zones where it can be left outdoors year-round.

New to these scales? The USDA hardiness zone map explained covers how the zone numbers work, and you can find your own zone with the zone finder.

Minimum temperature — and what happens below it

As an annual crop, its "minimum temperature" is the first hard frost — that is the end of the plant's life, not a survivable low. Many types are also damaged by light frost (around 0 °C).

Concretely, for chinese cabbage 'michihili' as it gets too cold:

Light frost (around 0 to −2 °C) damages or kills tender summer crops outright; cold-hardy types take a few degrees of frost.
The plant does not "survive winter" — its life cycle simply ends, by design, when frost arrives or it finishes cropping.
A surprise late spring frost can also kill young transplants set out too early, before the season even starts.

Can chinese cabbage 'michihili' go outside or overwinter — and where?

Time it to your frost dates: sow or plant out after the last spring frost, and aim to harvest before the first autumn frost.
In short-season zones, start it indoors or under cover to stretch the effective growing window.
Hardier crops in this group can be sown for an autumn or overwintered harvest in mild zones — check the specific crop.

Work back from your local frost dates with the frost-date calculator: the last spring frost and first autumn frost are what really decide when chinese cabbage 'michihili' can be outside. US growers can check USDA zones; UK growers should use the RHS hardiness ratings, which match the H3 figure above.

Frost protection for borderline chinese cabbage 'michihili'

Chinese Cabbage 'Michihili' is right on a hardiness edge in many gardens, so if you are pushing it, these measures buy it the margin it needs:

Use fleece, cloches or a cold frame at each end of the season to dodge a borderline frost and add growing weeks.
Have row cover ready for an unexpected late spring or early autumn frost.
Know your local last- and first-frost dates and count back the crop’s days-to-maturity to schedule the sowing.

Chinese Cabbage 'Michihili' hardiness — frequently asked questions

Is chinese cabbage 'michihili' cold hardy?

Hardiness works differently for chinese cabbage 'michihili': it is grown as a seasonal crop, not overwintered. The question is not "what zone" but "how long is your frost-free growing window". A seasonal crop, not a perennial. Chinese Cabbage 'Michihili' is grown Grown as a cool-season annual; tolerates light frost, best as an autumn crop; you sow after the last frost and harvest before the first one, then start again next year.

What is the minimum temperature chinese cabbage 'michihili' can survive?

As an annual crop, its "minimum temperature" is the first hard frost — that is the end of the plant's life, not a survivable low. Many types are also damaged by light frost (around 0 °C).

What hardiness zone is chinese cabbage 'michihili'?

Chinese Cabbage 'Michihili' is rated USDA Grown as a cool-season annual; tolerates light frost, best as an autumn crop and RHS H3 — Half-hardy — comes through mild UK winters outside but is killed by a hard freeze.

Can chinese cabbage 'michihili' survive winter outside?

Time it to your frost dates: sow or plant out after the last spring frost, and aim to harvest before the first autumn frost. In short-season zones, start it indoors or under cover to stretch the effective growing window. Hardier crops in this group can be sown for an autumn or overwintered harvest in mild zones — check the specific crop.

How do I protect chinese cabbage 'michihili' from frost?

Use fleece, cloches or a cold frame at each end of the season to dodge a borderline frost and add growing weeks. Have row cover ready for an unexpected late spring or early autumn frost. Know your local last- and first-frost dates and count back the crop’s days-to-maturity to schedule the sowing.