With a light taste that provides an excellent complement to flavors such as garlic and chicken, bok choy is a perfect garden choice for homeowners who enjoy making stir-fry.

Bok choy, which includes a variety of spelling alternatives such as pak choi, includes large dark green leaves and stark white stalks. It is a compact crop, reaching heights of two feet and widths of only one to one-and-a-half feet. According to the Cornell University Cooperative Extension, bok choy does not grow in the wild and was likely cultivated from oil seed varieties in China more than 2,000 years ago.

When growing bok choy, look for a place that receives some shade during the day. This cover will prevent the plant from bolting, or producing a flower stalk, during hot summer temperatures. Marie Iannotti, writing for About, recommends a garden plot that will receive three to five hours of sunlight per day.

The soil should be well-drained, and the crop can benefit from a high amount of organic matter. A neutral or slightly acidic pH level of 6 or higher is ideal, although bok choy can also grow in soil that is slightly alkaline.

Like many plants, bok choy can be started indoors before the last frost in spring and transplanted outside. However, it is also possible to sow seeds directly in the ground in late summer for a fall crop.

When starting early, bok choy can be grown inside about four to six weeks before the last frost, then moved to the garden with four to six inches between plants. The Cornell University Cooperative Extension says seedlings should not be moved to the garden until the overnight temperature is consistently above 50 degrees. If the evenings are too cold, the plant can bolt prematurely.

If you prefer to sow seeds, bury them one-quarter to one-half inch deep. Seeds should be kept about an inch apart.

Keeping boy choy evenly watered is essential for healthy growth. Karen Russ and Powell Smith, writing for the Clemson University Cooperative Extension, recommend giving the plants a uniform watering, providing enough moisture to reach a depth of six inches and promote strong root development.

Bok choy generally doesn't need any soil amendments if the garden plot is fertile enough. Iannotti says you can add a nitrogen fertilizer if your soil does not have sufficient levels of this element.

One way to increase your harvest is to plant more bok choy every few weeks. This will let you collect several plants, then have another crop ready when you have used up the first harvest. You should stop this process when temperatures get too hot, but can resume it once they cool off in late summer or early autumn.

The seed company Burpee recommends thinning out the seedlings once they have reached a height of two to three inches, leaving about two feet between plants. However, the Cornell University Cooperative Extension says six to 12 inches of space should be adequate. The thinned seedlings are edible, and can make a nice addition to a salad.

Bok choy can be affected by the same pests and diseases that might harm other members of the cabbage family. Russ and Smith say these include aphids, cabbageworms, flea beetles, downy mildew, and black rot. Use of floating row covers and proper watering practices can help avoid these issues.

Burpee says bok choy will be ready to harvest once the heads are firm to the touch. Cut the stems at ground level, and keep an eye on the plants; smaller heads will continue to grow from the base of the plant, and these are edible as well.

When bok choy is harvested in the fall, it can keep well if stored in an area with high humidity levels and a temperature of about 40 degrees. The plant's seed will last for about four years.