[viettaclark]

I've been well impressed with the pak choi I've grown this year and now it's bolting (damn heat) so we're eating buds as well which is fine!
Today I noticed one or two plants were dying and on pulling up found small brown tunnels going right up the middle of the solid flower stem  from the base so when cut across there were little brown holes. Reminded me of carrot fly damage.
What have I got in the bed? This is a new pest on me! (Sorry no camera)

[Trillium]

Pak choi is part of the brassica family, and therefore susceptible to all the brassica pests -  flea beetle, cabbage whitefly, caterpillars, root fly, slugs, snails and birds.

The only advantage to pak choi is that is very much a cool weather plant, when most pests aren't too active. Pak choi also prefer frequent waterings because they're shallow rooted, so good drenchings are useless for them and will likely attract the standard brassica pests.

[viettaclark]

Do you think it's root fly then? Nothing else fits the bill.......

[Kleftiwallah]

I'll second Trilliums diagnosis.  I grow pak choi and thought this brown streaking was just the plant 'going over'.   Cheers,   Tony.

[smc]

i have grown them this year also, they are quite big now and slighty bolting, is the best part to eat?

[Babstreefern]

I too have tried growing Pak Choi, but alas like everyone else's is bolting.  I've cut the flower heads off (a bit like taking off the seed heads) hoping this will be ok.  Anyway, how do you eat it?  Hot or cold or is it a type of salad veg?

[mumofstig]

It's like a spinach/chard leaf....so  wilted/stirfried not sure about in salads though, as I've not tried it like that

[oldcow]

My experience is that even if you cut off the flower heads off, the pak choi won't recover. The best option is just to eat the whole plant (including the flower heads, which are delicious) just before they actually flower. Frankly, I prefer them young and flowering, since I think they get a tad stringy and watery when they're old.

[Tapper]

In one of my pak choi plots I had a similar problem, I resorted to treating my entire area with nematodes and I have had no problems on any plants since. As to the question on what to do with pak choi I personally love a leaf straight off the plant to go straight into a cheese buttie. 

[MiklovesHerb(s)]

steam or stir fry pak choi, i stir fried mine with pork marinaded in soya sauce, 5 spice and garlic! serve with noodles! YUM YUM!

Mine are bolting too!

[Yorkie]

Mmm that sounds nice Mik

[MiklovesHerb(s)]

it is - plus so simple! 

[viettaclark]

Stir fry in butter with green garlic, broad beans and baby carrots with a slosh of oyster sauce.

[Trillium]

Pak Choi is really a short term crop - it grows fast and finishes fast. It doesn't stand over, nor does it keep well in the fridge beyond a week. Space out your plantings if possible and eat as you harvest because once the weather gets warm, it's finished for the summer. Period. 

[viettaclark]

However in my experience you can plant later in September/October and they stay in over winter for an early spring crop.
I do that with corriander too......