Repotting guide

When & how to repot Tat Soi 'Yukina Savoy' (Brassica rapa var. narinosa 'Yukina Savoy')

Also called Yukina Savoy, savoy tatsoi, Japanese savoy mustard.

More about tat soi 'yukina savoy'

About Tat Soi 'Yukina Savoy'

Brassica rapa var. narinosa 'Yukina Savoy' · also called Yukina Savoy, savoy tatsoi · edible

'Yukina Savoy' is an upright, cold-hardy Asian green, a heat-tolerant tatsoi type with thick, blistered (savoyed) dark-green leaves on pale stems. Mild and slightly mustardy, it crops fast in cool weather, resists bolting better than flat tatsoi, and sweetens after light frost. Harvest as cut-and-come-again baby leaf or as full rosettes.

Mature size: 20-30 cm tall and 25-30 cm wide at full size; harvest baby leaf at 10-15 cm.

Watch for — Downy / club root: Crowded, wet rosettes invite downy mildew; acidic or waterlogged ground risks clubroot. Space plants, water at the base, and rotate brassicas on a 3-4 year cycle.

How to tell tat soi 'yukina savoy' needs repotting

Repotting on a calendar is less reliable than reading the plant. For tat soi 'yukina savoy', 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 tat soi 'yukina savoy' 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 tat soi 'yukina savoy'

Pot on seedlings as they grow; not a perennial repot. Tat Soi 'Yukina Savoy'is grown for one season, so the question is really “how often to pot on” — keep moving it up before the roots circle. Upright, semi-erect rosette of spoon-shaped, savoyed leaves on stout pale petioles; more vase-shaped than the ground-hugging flat tatsoi..

What size pot to step tat soi 'yukina savoy' up to

Pot tat soi 'yukina savoy' 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 tat soi 'yukina savoy'

Pot tat soi 'yukina savoy' 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 tat soi 'yukina savoy'

Pot on before it is root-bound. Check tat soi 'yukina savoy' 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, ph 6.0-7.5 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 tat soi 'yukina savoy' 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 tat soi 'yukina savoy'

Tat Soi 'Yukina Savoy' wants fertile, moisture-retentive loam, ph 6.0-7.5. Rich in organic matter with good drainage. Work in compost before sowing; brassicas are hungry feeders that respond to a firm, well-limed seedbed. Always use fresh mix when you repot — reusing old, broken-down soil reintroduces the compaction and poor drainage you are repotting to fix.

Repotting tat soi 'yukina savoy' — frequently asked questions

How often should you repot tat soi 'yukina savoy'?

Pot on seedlings as they grow; not a perennial repot for tat soi 'yukina savoy'. Tat Soi 'Yukina Savoy' 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, ph 6.0-7.5 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 tat soi 'yukina savoy' need?

When is the best time of year to repot tat soi 'yukina savoy'?

Can you put tat soi 'yukina savoy' straight into a much bigger pot?

No. Even a fast-growing tat soi 'yukina savoy' 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 tat soi 'yukina savoy' after repotting?

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