[SallyPrecey]

My pak choi is growing like mad and is now very long with lots of flowers and seed pods etc. I've tried to look for some advice on pruning but with no avail.

Does anyone have any tips?

Thank you

[fatcat1955]

Sounds like it has bolted. Very common with Pak Choi. Try treating it as CCA, using the small leaves in salads or stir fry. This method seems to hold back the instinct to bolt.

[mobilekat]

And then you get to eat it nearly everyday (if there is enough growing!)

[SG6]

Plant another crop at the end of August.
They are tropical and expect more or less equal lengths of day and night, here in the UK at this time, June, they get long day, short night. So they bolt.

Theoretically beginning of March is the same, more or less equal day/night, but it is cold.

Had the same problem a few yewars back. So searched for the reason, the one above made the most sense and was on a few sites that appeared knowledgeable.

[gillie]

This year I sowed a 'slow to bolt' variety called  Yuushou and it has lived up to its name.  We have had the first proper crop of Pak Chois ever!

Gillie

[SallyPrecey]

That all does seem the logical reason but now that it is long, what can be done to save it? Take the long flowers heads off?

Thank you

[solway cropper]

I cut the heads off and used the smaller leaves steamed but they were rather tough and stringy.

It looks so tempting in the seed catalogues but after three years of failure with pak choi I'm not going to bother again. there are plenty of easier things to grow.

[mobilekat]

I had never tried Pak Choi before and got Red F1 from Tuckers seeds http://www.tuckers-seeds.co.uk/
I am lucky to live 10 mins away from their shop!- which does mean I wander around and have to watch out for myself buying too many good seeds!

These have been great- good germination, growing on nicely and I have been harvesting them by snipping off leaves and they taste great!

[wilko10]

We grew some in pots in the greenhouse starting end March and picked them as baby veg before the days lengthened.

I was told that they will tend to bolt as the days lengthen and to set some off again at the end of June to grow as baby veg then some more the month after to continue on as larger plants as the days shorten into autumn. Although I have no proof yet this works as its our first year growing them.

Hope that helps

Nic

[oldcow]

According to the excellent Oriental Vegetables book by Joy Larkcom, pak choi will also bolt if they have a "hard start" in life, ex. they suffer cold weather or lack of water when they're very young. She suggests starting them indoors.
I find that harvesting them when they're still young is best, since they taste better and they have a better texture; they grow pretty quickly anyway so if you sow them every couple of weeks or so you'll always have some ready. If they bolt, make sure you eat them in the next day or two - they still taste very nice if you don't wait too long!