Variety field guide
What to expect from Shanghai
Shanghai is a biennial bok choy selection grown for fresh heads or rosettes, cooking, fermenting, succession planting, and seed saving.
Read the complete product descriptionTraits, flavor, garden use, variety notes, and the full catalog record
The tender, succulent stalks are a vibrant jade green, while the spoon-shaped leaves provide a contrasting deep green hue. Ideal for both spring and fall plantings, 'Shanghai' thrives in cooler climates, ensuring a steady supply of fresh greens. The flavor profile of Pak Choi 'Shanghai' is mild and slightly sweet, with a crisp texture that holds up well in various culinary applications.
About Shanghai
Shanghai is a biennial selection of bok choy, with a rosette habit and an expected height or spread of 7–12 in. It is best suited to fresh heads or rosettes, cooking, fermenting, succession planting, and seed saving. Notable traits include harvest when the cultivar reaches its intended head or rosette firmness; crisp, mild to robust brassica flavor.
Keep field notes on Shanghai so its performance can be compared with other bok choy selections under the same planting date and care.
History and provenance
Brassica rapa includes multiple East Asian and Eurasian crop groups selected for greens, heads, stems, flower shoots, or roots. Common names overlap across languages and catalogs, so this record uses the crop group and observable harvest form rather than treating every Brassica rapa green as the same vegetable. Cabbage Seeds - Pak Choi (Bok Choy) - Shanghai belongs to a plant lineage long associated with Mediterranean and Old World garden agriculture. It was selected over generations for kitchen, market, ornamental, or herbal value and remains useful in modern home gardens.
Growing facts
| Scientific name | Brassica rapa L. Chinensis Group |
|---|---|
| Life cycle | Biennial |
| Maturity | 40-49 Days |
| Germination | 5-10 Days at 50–65 °F |
| Seed depth | 1/4 in |
| Plant height / spread | 7–12 in |
| Growth habit | Rosette |
| Spacing | 8 in between plants; 18 in between rows |
| Sunlight | Full sun |
| Soil | Loamy; pH 6.0–6.5 |
| Water | Moderate |
| Support | No-Support |
Starting Shanghai from seed
Sow 1/4 in deep and keep the seed zone evenly moist. Expect emergence in 5-10 Days when the seed-zone temperature is near 50–65 °F. Germination preparation: Start in clean seed-starting mix when season length requires it, then transplant at a sturdy but not root-bound stage. Light requirement: Cover evenly to 1/4 in. Soaking: None required. Stratification: None required. Scarification: None required.
Planting and care
Plant during spring and provide full sun. Space plants 8 in apart with 18 in between rows. Use loamy with a pH near 6.0–6.5, and follow a moderate watering plan. Support requirement: No-Support. Frost response: Semi-Hardy. Good container fit with drainage, even moisture, and the listed spacing
Harvest and use
Approximately 40-49 Days, from direct sowing or transplanting to the listed market harvest stage. Weather, soil temperature, and planting method can shift the actual harvest date. Harvest: Harvest when the cultivar reaches its intended head or rosette firmness. Uses: Fresh heads or rosettes, cooking, fermenting, succession planting, and seed saving. Flavor: crisp, mild to robust brassica flavor. Seed saving: Insect-pollinated Brassica rapa. Best uses include fresh heads or rosettes, cooking, fermenting, succession planting, and seed saving. Flavor and eating quality: crisp, mild to robust brassica flavor.
Saving seed
Select several healthy, true-to-type Shanghai plants that match the expected rosette habit and overall plant form. Avoid saving seed only from the earliest or largest individual unless that is your deliberate selection goal. Pollination system: Insect-pollinated Brassica rapa. Crop groups within Brassica rapa can cross with one another. Separate compatible varieties that may flower together, or use cages, barriers, hand pollination, or another documented control appropriate to the crop. Shanghai is a biennial. Seed production may require overwintering, vernalization, or more than one growing season, depending on climate and crop biology. Clean the seed carefully, dry it thoroughly away from direct heat, label the lot with variety and year, and store it cool, dark, and dry. Test germination before an important planting or distribution season.
Common problems
Common concerns: Flea beetles, imported cabbageworm, cabbage loopers, aphids, slugs, root maggots, and clubroot risk where the pathogen is present. Management: Use rotation, insect netting before pests arrive, regular leaf inspection, sanitation, and well-drained soil. Do not plant the same brassica family repeatedly in one bed. Diagnosis note: Similar symptoms can have different causes. Compare plants of the same age, record weather and irrigation, and use local Extension or diagnostic support before applying a control.
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions - Shanghai
When is Shanghai ready? Use 40-49 Days. Approximately 40-49 Days, from direct sowing or transplanting to the listed market harvest stage. Weather, soil temperature, and planting method can shift the actual harvest date.
How long does germination take? Expect 5-10 Days at about 50–65 °F. Cooler, hotter, crusted, saturated, or dry seedbeds can slow emergence.
How large does it grow? Expect about 7–12 in with a rosette habit. Space plants 8 in apart and rows 18 in apart. Support: No-Support.
Can it grow in a container? Good container fit with drainage, even moisture, and the listed spacing Use a container with drainage and enough volume to maintain the listed spacing and steady moisture.
Can I save seed? Insect-pollinated Brassica rapa. Keep compatible varieties isolated and allow selected plants to reach full seed maturity.
