Repotting guide

When & how to repot Pak Choi 'Feng Qing' (Brassica rapa var. chinensis 'Feng Qing')

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.

Mature size: About 20-30 cm (8-12 inches) tall and wide at harvest; cut earlier for baby pak choi.

Watch for — Clubroot: Swollen, distorted roots and wilting in acidic, wet soils. Rotate brassica beds, improve drainage, and raise pH with lime where the disease occurs.

How to tell pak choi 'feng qing' needs repotting

Repotting on a calendar is less reliable than reading the plant. For pak choi 'feng qing', watch for these signs:

Roots circling the bottom of the module or pot, or poking out of the drainage holes.
The seedling dries out within a day and growth has visibly stalled.
Roots are white and matted in a tight spiral when you tip the plant out.
It has outgrown its current container for the stage of the season — pot pak choi 'feng qing' on before it becomes hard root-bound.

For the underlying biology of a pot-bound root system and why it stalls a plant, see our guide to spotting and fixing a root-bound plant.

How often to repot pak choi 'feng qing'

Pot on seedlings as they grow; not a perennial repot. Pak Choi 'Feng Qing'is grown for one season, so the question is really “how often to pot on” — keep moving it up before the roots circle. Compact, upright rosette of green leaves on pale green petioles; a biennial grown as an annual that bolts to a yellow flower stalk under heat or stress..

What size pot to step pak choi 'feng qing' up to

Pot pak choi 'feng qing' on gradually — a seedling jumped straight into a huge pot sits in cold, wet, airless soil and stalls. Step up one or two sizes at a time as the roots fill each container, finishing in a large final pot or the ground. The aim is roots that never circle and never check.

Not sure of the exact diameter? Our pot size calculator takes the current pot and root spread and tells you the right next size — it deliberately recommends a single step up, never a big jump.

The best time of year to repot pak choi 'feng qing'

Pot pak choi 'feng qing' on through the active growing season, whenever roots fill the current container — there is no single date, just "before it becomes root-bound". Avoid potting on during a cold snap.

Step-by-step: repotting pak choi 'feng qing'

Pot on before it is root-bound. Check pak choi 'feng qing' regularly; move it up as soon as roots reach the edge of the cell or pot, not after they have circled.
Step up one or two sizes. Choose the next container up — not a giant one. Cold, wet, unused soil around a small root system stalls seedlings.
Knock it out gently. Support the stem, tip the pot, and ease the rootball out without breaking it. A little teasing of circled roots at the base is fine.
Pot into rich mix. Set it into fresh fertile, moisture-retentive loam at the same depth (tomatoes are the exception — they can go deeper to root along the stem).
Water in and grow on. Water well, keep it in good light, and resume feeding once it is established and growing again.

Aftercare

Water pak choi 'feng qing' in well and keep it in bright light; a freshly potted-on seedling can wilt for a day while roots settle, so do not overcompensate by drowning it. Do not fertilise for about 1 week — fresh mix already carries nutrients and feeding freshly disturbed roots scorches them.

The right soil mix for pak choi 'feng qing'

Pak Choi 'Feng Qing' wants fertile, moisture-retentive loam. Rich in organic matter with free drainage and a pH near 6.0-7.5. Work compost in before sowing; lean soils give small, quick-to-bolt plants. Always use fresh mix when you repot — reusing old, broken-down soil reintroduces the compaction and poor drainage you are repotting to fix.

Repotting pak choi 'feng qing' — frequently asked questions

How often should you repot pak choi 'feng qing'?

Pot on seedlings as they grow; not a perennial repot for pak choi 'feng qing'. Pak Choi 'Feng Qing' is a seasonal crop, so you pot it on as a growing plant rather than repotting a perennial. Step seedlings up gradually into fertile, moisture-retentive loam so the roots never circle the cell, ending in a large final container. A root-bound transplant stalls and never fully recovers.

What size pot does pak choi 'feng qing' need?

When is the best time of year to repot pak choi 'feng qing'?

Can you put pak choi 'feng qing' straight into a much bigger pot?

No. Even a fast-growing pak choi 'feng qing' should only go up one pot size at a time. A vastly oversized pot holds a reservoir of wet soil the roots cannot reach, which stays cold and soggy and rots the roots — the opposite of what you wanted.

Should you fertilise pak choi 'feng qing' after repotting?

Not immediately. Wait about 1 week after repotting pak choi 'feng qing'. Fresh mix already contains nutrients, and feeding freshly cut or disturbed roots burns them. Resume your normal feeding routine once you see new growth.