Plant care
Chinese Cabbage 'Michihili'temperature & humidity
Brassica rapa var. pekinensis 'Michihili'
More about chinese cabbage 'michihili'
Ideal temperature for chinese cabbage 'michihili'
Aim for 13-21°C (55-70°F) on the thermostat and you've handled the easy part. The hard part is the half-metre around the plant: window glass that drops to near-freezing on a January night, a radiator pumping out hot dry air, a draught from an opened front door. Move the plant 30 cm and you've usually fixed the problem. Below roughly 13°C growth pauses; cold beyond that pushes it into dormancy rather than killing it outright.
Cold tolerance & winter care
Chinese Cabbage 'Michihili' is comparatively hardy (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)). Within that range it tolerates a cold dormant spell outdoors; outside it, grow it in a container you can move under cover or overwinter in a cool but frost-free spot. Hardiness assumes an established plant in well-drained soil — a wet, cold root zone kills far more plants than cold air alone.
Humidity for chinese cabbage 'michihili'
Chinese Cabbage 'Michihili' sits happiest at around 40-70% relative humidity. An outdoor autumn crop with no special humidity needs; reliable soil moisture is far more important than air moisture. The usual low-humidity tell is crisp brown leaf tips and edges while the soil moisture is fine — a sign the air, not the watering, is the problem. If you need to raise it, the reliable methods are grouping plants together, standing the pot on a tray of damp pebbles (the pot above the waterline, never in it), or running a small humidifier in winter when indoor heating dries the air most. Misting is the least effective — it raises humidity for minutes, not hours.
Chinese Cabbage 'Michihili' temperature & humidity — frequently asked questions
What temperature is best for chinese cabbage 'michihili'?
Chinese Cabbage 'Michihili' grows best between 13-21°C (55-70°F). Keep it out of cold draughts, off freezing windowsills in winter, and away from the hot dry air directly above radiators — the extremes matter far more than the average room temperature.
How cold can chinese cabbage 'michihili' tolerate?
Chinese Cabbage 'Michihili' starts to suffer below roughly 13°C. It tolerates a cold dormant period within USDA Grown as a cool-season annual; tolerates light frost, best as an autumn crop, but a wet cold root zone is more dangerous than cold air.
What humidity does chinese cabbage 'michihili' need?
Chinese Cabbage 'Michihili' prefers about 40-70% relative humidity. An outdoor autumn crop with no special humidity needs; reliable soil moisture is far more important than air moisture.
How do I raise humidity for chinese cabbage 'michihili'?
Group it with other plants, stand the pot on a tray of damp pebbles (kept above the waterline), or run a small humidifier in winter. Misting only helps for a few minutes, so it is the weakest option for a plant that genuinely needs more humidity.
Can chinese cabbage 'michihili' live outside?
Chinese Cabbage 'Michihili' is rated for USDA zone Grown as a cool-season annual; tolerates light frost, best as an autumn crop and RHS hardiness H3 (half-hardy; stands light frost but not hard freezes). Within that range it can stay outdoors; outside it, grow it in a moveable container and protect the roots from a wet, cold winter.
More chinese cabbage 'michihili' care
In the UK? Keeping chinese cabbage 'michihili' warm in a UK home covers the radiator, single-glazing and heating-season humidity angle. Temperature and humidity are one piece. See the full chinese cabbage 'michihili' care guide, its cold-hardiness guide, and watering schedule — humidity and watering problems are easy to confuse.