Yu Choy Sum

Pests & beneficial insects

🐛 Prone to: Caterpillars

Caterpillars

Lepidoptera larvae

Holes, droppings, and a pest you can simply pick off by hand.

, Aphids

Aphids

Aphididae

Curled leaves, sticky honeydew and ants on patrol — usually with something already eating them.

, Flea beetles

Flea beetles

Chrysomelidae (Alticini)

Shot-holes in seedling leaves, and a beetle that jumps when you lean in.

, Cutworms

Cutworms

Noctuidae

A seedling lying beside its own stump in the morning, cut clean through at soil level.

.

Attract Parasitic wasps

Parasitic wasps

Braconidae, Ichneumonidae and relatives

Pinhead-sized, stingless, and lethal to aphids and caterpillars from the inside.

, Hoverflies

Hoverflies

Syrphidae

The adults only drink nectar. It is the larvae that eat the aphids.

, Lacewings

Lacewings

Chrysopidae

Golden-eyed adults that mostly drink; larvae that hunt like small alligators.

,

to keep them in check — plant nearby.

🌼 Beneficial companion — draws Hoverflies

Hoverflies

Syrphidae

The adults only drink nectar. It is the larvae that eat the aphids.

, Parasitic wasps

Parasitic wasps

Braconidae, Ichneumonidae and relatives

Pinhead-sized, stingless, and lethal to aphids and caterpillars from the inside.

that help control Aphids

Aphids

Aphididae

Curled leaves, sticky honeydew and ants on patrol — usually with something already eating them.

,

on neighbouring plants.

Growing from seed

Direct-sow Yu Choy Sum outdoors around your last frost date, keeping seeds in cooler soil (around 10–18 °C). Seeds usually come up in around 7 days. Grow in full sun, spaced about 25 cm apart. Expect to harvest in roughly 50 days.

Yu Choy Sum seed rarely stays viable beyond 3 years — track what's still worth sowing.

Companion Planting

• 
  Chaytor's Lavender
  

  Chaytor's LavenderExcellent pair

  • ❧Chaytor's Lavender attracts Parasitic wasps and Hoverflies, which prey on the Caterpillars and Aphids and more that attack Yu Choy Sum
  • ❧Yu Choy Sum draws Bees and Butterflies that improve pollination for both
  • ❧Chaytor's Lavender roots deep while Yu Choy Sum feeds near the surface — no competition
• 
  Common Vetch
  

  Common VetchExcellent pair

  • ❧Common Vetch attracts Parasitic wasps and Ladybugs and more, which prey on the Caterpillars and Aphids and more that attack Yu Choy Sum
  • ❧Common Vetch fixes nitrogen in the soil that Yu Choy Sum feeds on
  • ❧Yu Choy Sum acts as living mulch, keeping soil moist and weeds down around Common Vetch
• 
  Hairy Vetch
  

  Hairy VetchExcellent pair

  • ❧Hairy Vetch attracts Parasitic wasps and Ladybugs and more, which prey on the Caterpillars and Aphids and more that attack Yu Choy Sum
  • ❧Hairy Vetch fixes nitrogen in the soil that Yu Choy Sum feeds on
  • ❧Yu Choy Sum acts as living mulch, keeping soil moist and weeds down around Hairy Vetch

How to grow Yu Choy Sum

1. Sow0 weeks from frost
2. Germinates7 days
3. Space25 cm apart
4. GrowFull sun
5. Harvest~50 days

Water: Medium · Height: 40 cm · Soil: Moist, fertile, well-draining