When to plant Bok Choy in Arid Australia

Arid zone — applies to Alice Springs, Mildura, Broken Hill, Kalgoorlie, Port Augusta and similar areas. Growing elsewhere? Temperate · Cool · Subtropical · Tropical.

Sow bok choy direct from March to August, the cooler half of the arid year, dropping seed 5 mm deep for fast germination in just 5–10 days. This is a quick crop, ready in 45–70 days, so successive small sowings through autumn and winter keep a steady supply of tender stems. Thin to 20–30 cm between plants with rows 30–40 cm apart. In Alice Springs, Mildura and Broken Hill the timing is everything: bok choy grown in the mild, shorter days of autumn and winter stands well, whereas anything sown into warming weather bolts to flower almost immediately.

Sowing calendar — arid zone

Green months are your sowing window: March to August.

Growing notes

Bok choy is fast, easy and productive in an arid garden, provided you keep it strictly to the cool season. It is frost hardy, so the cold winter nights of Broken Hill and Kalgoorlie do not trouble it, and the short days of autumn and winter are exactly what keeps it leafy rather than flowering.

The number one failure mode is bolting. Sow bok choy into warm soil or lengthening spring days and it runs straight to a flower stalk, giving you bitter, stringy stems instead of a plump rosette. The fix is discipline about timing: hold sowings to the March-to-August window, and if a warm spell hits, keep the plants well watered, because heat and water stress together trigger bolting fastest.

Water is the other essential. Bok choy has shallow roots and swells its stems on steady moisture, so mulch well and never let the bed dry out, or you get tough, checked plants. Feed with a nitrogen-rich liquid feed every couple of weeks for fast, tender growth. Watch for slugs and snails on young seedlings after any watering or rain, and for aphids clustering in the leaf bases, which a strong hose spray or a soapy wash keeps in check.

Bok Choy at a glance

Common questions

When can I grow bok choy in Alice Springs?

Through the cooler months, sowing direct from March to August. The mild temperatures and shorter days of autumn and winter keep it leafy, whereas sowing into warming spring weather makes it bolt to flower almost at once.

Why does my bok choy flower before I can eat it?

That is bolting, triggered by heat, long days and water stress. Keep sowings to the cool season, water consistently so the plants never check, and harvest promptly, because bok choy matures in as little as 45 days.

How often should I sow bok choy?

In small batches every couple of weeks through autumn and winter. Because it matures in 45–70 days, successive sowings give you a steady supply of tender heads rather than a glut all at once.

What pests attack bok choy?

Slugs and snails go for young seedlings after watering, and aphids cluster in the leaf bases. Handpick or bait for the former, and knock aphids off with a strong hose spray or a soapy wash before they build up.

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