13 Companion Plants for Bok Choy (With Pictures)
-
- Last updated:
There are many vegetable varieties worldwide, and each region has a prevalent vegetable. In Asia, the most common vegetable is Bok Choy, a white Chinese cabbage with thick white stalks and dark green leaves. It has a milder flavor than regular cabbage.
You can use it interchangeably in many recipes. The leaves are also used in many Chinese and Asian dishes, like stir-fries and soups. It has many health benefits; for example, it is rich in vitamins A, C, K, and folate (folic acid). It also contains antioxidants and is an excellent source of fiber.
Bok Choy is also known as Pak Choy or Bok Choi. Like many other plants, this vegetable also needs companion plants to flourish, reduce the need for pesticides and improve the quality of your harvest.
Companion plants are often used in permaculture and organic gardening systems. We’ve put together several plants that complement this vegetable.
The Top 13 Companion Plants for for Bok Choy
Herb Companions
1. Chamomile
| Soil Type: | Compost-enriched |
| Soil pH: | Between 5.6 and 7.5 |
| Watering Requirements: | An inch of water every week when young |
| Sunlight Exposure: | Full sun or partial shade |
Chamomile is a perennial herb. It’s easy to grow and works well as a companion plant for Bok Choy. Its wonderful fragrance and other medicinal uses make it perfect for the garden.
It produces small white daisy flowers with yellow centers that attract beneficial insects like bees, butterflies, ladybirds, lacewings, and hoverflies that will pollinate the plants and feed on aphids and other pests that attack Bok Choy.
The scent of chamomile also repels cabbage moths and other pests that can make their way into your garden. Besides, it will add a nice touch of color to your vegetable garden.
2. Mint
| Soil Type: | Well-drained, nutrient-rich, and moist soil |
| Soil pH: | Between 6.0 and 7.0 (slightly acidic) |
| Watering Requirements: | Thorough watering twice a week |
| Sunlight Exposure: | Full sun to partial shade |
Mint attracts beneficial insects to the garden. You can plant it near Bok Choy to deter pests from eating it. It also repels slugs and snails from your garden bed. The mint leaves also make an excellent addition to salads or soups. It improves the taste of Bok Choy when harvested.
If your soil is heavy clay, mix compost into the top six inches of soil to improve drainage before planting mint. The herb spreads fast and can crowd other plants if not contained. Thus, grow it on the garden bed edges or next to paths.
3. Cilantro
| Soil Type: | Rich and well-drained |
| Soil pH: | 6.2 to 6.8 |
| Watering Requirements: | 1 inch of water per week |
| Sunlight Exposure: | Full sun |
Cilantro, also known as coriander or Chinese parsley, is an annual herb often used as an herb in Asian cuisines. It bears small white flowers and narrow leaves. It’s easy to grow either from seeds or transplanted seedlings.
Its leaves have a distinctive aroma and taste that are often described as citrusy or anise-like. It provides a habitat for beneficial insects to lay their eggs, which later develop into larvae that feed on white flies, aphids, and cabbage worms. These pests won’t attack your Bok Choy.
Also, cilantro’s aroma keeps these pests away from your Bok Choy garden.
4. Sage
| Soil Type: | Well-draining, sandy, and loamy soil |
| Soil pH: | 5 to 7.5 |
| Watering Requirements: | Water thoroughly when the soil is dry |
| Sunlight Exposure: | Medium to full sun |
Sage is usually used in cooking and has many medicinal properties as well. When planted near Bok Choy, it keeps bugs such as cabbage moths and aphids away from the entire garden.
You can plant it alongside rosemary to provide double protection to your Bok Choy.
5. Rosemary
| Soil Type: | Well-draining, loamy soil |
| Soil pH: | Between 6.0 and 7.0 |
| Watering Requirements: | Water often when newly planted for a week or two |
| Sunlight Exposure: | Full sun |
Rosemary is a perennial herb that grows to one foot tall or more. It has aromatic gray-green and needle-like leaves and small blue flowers. The leaves are also edible and can be used as an ingredient in soups or salads.
You can grow rosemary from seeds or cuttings as a border plant. The smell of the rosemary prevents loopers and cabbage moths from laying their eggs near Bok Choy plants. Besides helping to control Bok Choy pests, rosemary enhances the flavor of Bok Choy.
6. Borage
| Soil Type: | Well-drained, moderately moist soil |
| Soil pH: | Between 6.0 and 7.0 |
| Watering Requirements: | Water every few days (ensure the soil is evenly moist but not soaked) |
| Sunlight Exposure: | Full sun or partial shade |
This herb has beautiful blue flowers on top of tall stems. It makes it perfect for attracting pollinators like bees and butterflies to your garden! Borage leaves are an excellent habitat for lacewings, parasitic wasps, and hoverflies. These carnivorous insects feed on cabbage worms that may attack your Bok Choy.
If you want your borage plants to flower more regularly, ensure they get plenty of sunlight. You can also plant borage around other brassica family species. It deters flea beetles from attacking Bok Choy. Borage also protects Bok Choy from harsh weather conditions such as strong winds.
Vegetable Companions
7. Celery
| Soil Type: | Nutrient- and compost-rich soil |
| Soil pH: | 6.0 to 6.5 |
| Watering Requirements: | 1 to 2 inches of water every week during the entire growing season (rainwater or irrigation) |
| Sunlight Exposure: | Six hours of full or partial sunlight |
This herbaceous biennial plant belongs to the Apiaceae family. It’s often used as a flavoring agent in soups or salads.
Celery has similar growing conditions as Bok Choy as it prefers cool weather and doesn’t compete for nutrients with the Bok Choy. These two plants will work well together in the garden or bed.
Celery attracts parasitic wasps and ladybugs, which protect your Bok Choy from harmful pests such as aphids and cabbage worms. Also, a combination of celery and Bok Choy attract pollinators to your garden.
8. Onions
| Soil Type: | Well-draining soil with high organic matter |
| Soil pH: | Between 6.0 and 7.0 |
| Watering Requirements: | Irrigate to a depth of one inch once a week |
| Sunlight Exposure: | Six hours of direct sunlight |
Onions are excellent companion plants to Bok Choy; they keep away pests such as aphids and leaf miners, and the Bok Choy will keep the soil fertile. Onions also deter nematodes from attacking the roots of Bok Choy plants and keeps weeds away.
You can plant onions between rows of Bok Choy or at the end of the row to create a border around your vegetable patch. The only downside of planting onions with Bok Choy is that their roots take up space and may compete for nutrients. So, it’s crucial to keep a distance between Bok Choy and onions.
9. Garlic
| Soil Type: | Loose, excellent-draining sandy loam soil |
| Soil pH: | Between 6.0 and 7.0 |
| Watering Requirements: | Half an inch to one inch of water every week |
| Sunlight Exposure: | Six to eight hours of full sun |
Plant garlic bulbs throughout your Bok Choy garden to keep pests at bay and improve soil fertility! Besides, garlic is known to have antibiotic properties. It may help protect Bok Choy from disease-causing organisms in the soil.
You can plant it with your Bok Choy seedlings or directly into the ground once the weather has warmed up. Plant the garlic bulbs about four inches deep. Then, allow them to grow until they reach about six inches tall before harvesting them for use in cooking or medicine making.
10. Parsley
| Soil Type: | Well-draining soil rich in organic matter |
| Soil pH: | 6.0 to 7.0 |
| Watering Requirements: | One to two inches of rainwater per week (Water if there’s no rain) |
| Sunlight Exposure: | Full and partial sunlight |
Parsley attracts beneficial insect hunters such as parasitic wasps and ladybugs. They feed on Bok Choy pests like aphids. Insect hunters are the first line of defense against Bok Choy pests.
You can plant parsley as a border around your Bok Choy plants or mix them in the garden bed. Besides harboring insect hunters, parsley also adds flavor to salads made from the leaves of the Bok Choy.
You can even grow parsley, celery, and Bok Choy together. This way, many pollinators will visit your crops. Don’t plant celery and Bok Choy only. Deer prefer eating celery. You need another crop like alliums to deter deer away.
11. Potatoes
| Soil Type: | Well-draining, sandy soil |
| Soil pH: | Between 6 and 6.5 |
| Watering Requirements: | One to two inches per week (Don’t water if the foliage turns yellow or dies off) |
| Sunlight Exposure: | Six hours of direct sunlight every day |
Potatoes are easy to grow and require little maintenance once planted. The presence of potatoes near Bok Choy helps keep nematode populations down. They’ll also enhance the taste of your Bok Choy.
Besides, potatoes have a similar growth cycle to Bok Choy, so they will work well together. Plant them at least two weeks apart from each other. It’ll give the potatoes enough time to mature before the Bok Choy starts producing.
Flower Companions
12. Marigolds
| Soil Type: | Well-drained, moderately fertile soil |
| Soil pH: | Between 6.2 and 6.5 |
| Watering Requirements: | An excellent soaking once a week |
| Sunlight Exposure: | Full sun |
Marigold is a flowering plant native to Mexico and Central America. It produces orange or yellow flowers. It has been used as insecticides and for medicinal purposes since ancient times.. Planting them near Bok Choy will keep pests away.
Marigolds are easy to grow and will do well even if you don’t have much space in your garden! Besides keeping Bok Choy pests away, they attract butterflies to keep your Bok Choy well-pollinated. The butterflies also deter whiteflies and aphids.
When you harvest marigolds, they make excellent mulch for Bok Choy. They’ll also discourage destructive nematodes.
13. Nasturtiums
| Soil Type: | Free-draining soil |
| Soil pH: | Between 6.1 and 7.8 |
| Watering Requirements: | 1 inch every week |
| Sunlight Exposure: | Six to eight hours of full sunlight |
Nasturtium protects Bok Choy by trapping aphids, flea beetles, and cabbage worms. Its flowers attract pollinating insects like bees and butterflies, as well as other beneficial insects that prey on pests.
You can plant it around the Bok Choy garden as a border plant.
Worst Companion Plants for Bok Choy
There are several other plants you should never plant with Bok Choy. Let’s discuss a few of them!
- Tomatoes: Bok Choy and tomatoes don’t get along. Tomatoes are susceptible to a soil fungus called verticillium wilt. The fungus has a destructive effect on Bok Choy. It can also make the plant die.
- Strawberries: They’re a member of the rose family and are known to be destructive to other plants growing nearby. Strawberry roots will grow into your Bok Choy’s root system and compete for nutrients, making them produce lower yields.
- Brassicas: Brassicas, like broccoli and cabbage, are related to Bok Choy. So, don’t plant them near each other in your garden plot. They share the same pest and diseases. Besides, they compete for root space. If you plant them together, they’ll produce low yields.
Conclusion
Companion planting is ideal if you want to improve the quality of the soil and crops in your garden. The above 13 plants will thrive when planted alongside Bok Choy. Some will reduce potential pest problems while others attract beneficial insects such as pollinators.
So, if you’re looking to plant a Bok Choy garden, choose any companion plants, and you’ll have high yields with this amazing vegetable.
Featured Image Credit: mayapujiati, Pixabay
Contents
