Hi,
Sorry I didn't see this posting earlier. For 3 years, I would only have luck with planting one round of bok choy from seedlings started inside under grow lamps. When I would try to start another round, it would bolt. Especially the white stem variety.
This year, things are turning around for me. I'm in zone 6. I think the main change was to plant seeds early in cold frames before the last frost. We had a dry winter, so I began in March. I found that when you start in the cold frame, the plants come up when they are ready and there is less transplant shock than when you start indoors. Also, I realized that bok choy has the ability to grow fast. If it doesn't the seedlings get eaten up by bugs. So it's best that it grows under these conditions:
sun but with day temps no higher than 70 (after a stretch of rainy days, it will take off quickly when the sun is out if well fertilized)
cool night temps no lower than 35 (i used row cover when it when below freezing and they stayed alive!)
very fertile soil or repeated applications of compost tea
My next round was direct seeded because of the warmer weather. I have thinned and transplanted the thinings in a separate bed. We have been having a lot of rain lately, but I think they are going to do well once the sun comes up and I shade with row cover. I put down some crushed eggshell to deter the slugs which are chomping on everything now.
I'll keep you posted as to how they do. I'm getting greedy now and want to start a whole nother bed in the shadier spots of the garden.
