Cold hardiness & minimum temperature

Is Pak Choi 'Feng Qing' (Brassica rapa var. chinensis 'Feng Qing')cold hardy? Hardiness zone & min temp

Also called Feng Qing bok choy, green pak choi.

More about pak choi 'feng qing'

About Pak Choi 'Feng Qing'

Brassica rapa var. chinensis 'Feng Qing' · also called Feng Qing bok choy, green pak choi · edible

'Feng Qing' is a green-stemmed pak choi prized for tender, uniform heads and reliable performance from baby-leaf size up to full maturity in about seven weeks. With pale green petioles and smooth green leaves, it suits successional sowing across the cool seasons and is well-loved for stir-fries, light braises, and salads when harvested young.

Cold limit: USDA Grown as a cool-season annual in zones 2-11 · RHS H4 (13-24°C)

What pak choi 'feng qing''s hardiness rating actually means

Hardiness works differently for pak choi 'feng qing': 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 H4 means: Hardy in an average winter across much of the temperate world. On the US scale that maps to USDA Grown as a cool-season annual in zones 2-11 — 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 pak choi 'feng qing' 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 pak choi 'feng qing' 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 pak choi 'feng qing' can be outside. US growers can check USDA zones; UK growers should use the RHS hardiness ratings, which match the H4 figure above.

Frost protection for borderline pak choi 'feng qing'

Pak Choi 'Feng Qing' 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.

Pak Choi 'Feng Qing' hardiness — frequently asked questions

Is pak choi 'feng qing' cold hardy?

Hardiness works differently for pak choi 'feng qing': 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. Pak Choi 'Feng Qing' is grown Grown as a cool-season annual in zones 2-11; you sow after the last frost and harvest before the first one, then start again next year.

What is the minimum temperature pak choi 'feng qing' 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 pak choi 'feng qing'?

Pak Choi 'Feng Qing' is rated USDA Grown as a cool-season annual in zones 2-11 and RHS H4 — Hardy in an average winter across much of the temperate world.

Can pak choi 'feng qing' 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 pak choi 'feng qing' 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.