Do you want to grow bok choy in Florida, but don’t know when to plant them?
Planting bok choy is not as easy as it seems.
Here’s why:
- Bok Choy are not able to survive frost or cold weather under 40 degrees Fahrenheit.
While this rarely happens in Florida, you still want to pay close attention to frost dates and cold weather.
Today, I’m going to teach you the ideal time to plant bok choy in Florida:
- To Learn More About HOW to Grow Bok Choy, Check Out This GUIDE!
When to Plant Bok Choy in Florida
As you may have already guessed, you need to pay very close attention to your local weather in the spring. Specifically, you are going to need to watch when the last frost occurs.
In general, when there hasn’t been a frost for two weeks, you are SAFE to plant your bok choy outside in Florida!
For your reference, I have created this table for average frost dates for most major cities in Florida. If your city is not listed below you can find its Last & First Frost Dates HERE.
Florida Last & First Frost Dates
Unfortunately, Mother Nature plays cruel tricks on us every year.
It should be noted that the above dates are just averages.
There are years when the last frost comes MUCH later. Sometimes, the last frost happens much earlier and you can get your bok choy planted outside in Florida much quicker.
Like I said before, you need to be very diligent in checking your local weather.
So what happens if a frost comes AFTER you plant your bok choy?
When you know a frost is coming you need to take action.
- If bok choy are in pots, bring them inside
- If bok choy are in the ground, cover them in burlap and hope they survive
Also, make sure not to plant your bok choyin your garden too late.
- Planting bok choy too late will cause small bok choy or even worse, no bok choy.
When Should You Start Your Bok Choy Seeds Indoors?
Depending on the type of bok choy, it takes roughly 30-35 days to grow bok choy from seed indoors and then transplant them to your garden.
For a specific date that you should start bok choy seeds indoors you should:
- Find the last average frost date HERE
- And then subtract 35 days from it
Not only this, but I recommend again paying close attention to your local weather report. While this shouldn’t be a problem in Florida, I still recommend starting your seeds indoors during later winter.
It should also be noted that the best technique for bringing your bok choy plants outside is to introduce them (in their pots) outside for an hour. And then increase the amount of time they spend outside each day by an hour until they have been outside for 8 hours.
This will “hardened” your bok choy plant, increasing its chances of fighting off diseases, insects, droughts, and wet conditions.
If you want to learn WHEN to plant ANY Vegetable in Florida, head over to HERE and just type in the vegetable you want to grow.
