When to plant Bok Choy in Subtropical Australia
Subtropical zone — applies to Brisbane, Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, Coffs Harbour, Lismore and similar areas. Growing elsewhere? Temperate · Cool · Tropical · Arid.
Sow bok choy direct in the cooler months from March to May, dropping seed 5 mm deep for fast germination in 5–10 days. This quick brassica is ready in 45–70 days, so autumn sowings mature through mild subtropical winters without the bolting that plagues warm-season crops. Space plants 20–30 cm apart in rows 30–40 cm, in full sun and rich, moisture-retentive soil. In gardens around Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast, the March-to-May window sidesteps both summer heat and the worst pest pressure, giving you crisp, tender heads. Keep the water up, as any check to growth pushes it straight to seed.
Sowing calendar — subtropical zone
Green months are your sowing window: March to May.
Growing notes
Bok choy is fast and easy in the cool season, but it is a brassica, and the classic subtropical failure is bolting to seed before you get a decent head. Heat and any stress, such as dry soil or transplant shock, flick the switch. Sowing direct within the March-to-May window and keeping the soil consistently moist is the single best defence, as steady, unchecked growth is what keeps it leafy.
Pests are the other constant. Even though bok choy is not the classic cabbage-moth crop, it still attracts caterpillars, aphids, and slugs that shred the tender leaves. Exclusion netting laid over hoops from sowing is the cleanest solution, keeping cabbage white butterflies and moths off entirely. If you skip netting, check the undersides of leaves twice a week and squash or hose off pests before they build.
Slugs and snails love the crop after storms, so a night patrol or a barrier around seedlings protects the youngest plants.
Harvest whole heads by cutting at the base, or pick outer leaves as a cut-and-come-again crop. Either way, get it in before warm weather arrives, as older plants bolt fast once the heat builds around the Gold Coast and Lismore.
Bok Choy at a glance
| Sowing depth | 5 mm |
|---|---|
| Plant spacing | 20-30 cm |
| Row spacing | 30-40 cm |
| Germination | 5-10 days |
| Days to maturity | 45-70 days |
| Frost tolerance | Hardy |
| Method | Raise Seedlings,Sow Direct |
Common questions
- When should I plant bok choy in Brisbane
- Sow bok choy direct from March to May in Brisbane so it matures through the mild winter. This cool-season window avoids the summer heat that makes it bolt straight to seed.
- Why does my bok choy bolt to seed so fast
- Bok choy bolts when it is stressed by heat or dry soil. Sow within the cooler March-to-May window and keep the soil consistently moist so growth never checks, which is what keeps it leafy rather than flowering.
- How do I keep caterpillars off bok choy
- Lay exclusion netting over hoops from sowing to keep cabbage white butterflies and moths off entirely. Without netting, check leaf undersides twice a week and remove caterpillars, aphids, and slugs before they build up.
- How long does bok choy take to grow
- It is quick, maturing in 45–70 days from a sowing that germinates in just 5–10 days. That speed lets you fit several successive crops into a single cool season.
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