How to grow Gai Lan (Chinese Broccoli)
Updated October 2026
Gai lan, or Chinese broccoli, is a fast cool-season brassica grown for its thick, sweet stems, leaves and flower buds. Grow it like regular broccoli, but expect to pick sooner and to keep picking as side shoots regrow.
📖 Our full guide: How to Grow Gai Lan (Chinese Broccoli)
Not to be confused with: Gai lan is not the same as broccolini, which is a cross between broccoli and gai lan, or regular broccoli, which forms one large head.
Where to plant
Grow gai lan in full sun in rich soil that holds moisture but drains well. Work in compost before sowing. As a member of the cabbage family it should be rotated with its relatives such as cabbage, kale and broccoli rather than following them in the same bed.
- Florida: UF/IFAS reports that gai lan does well in Florida gardens in fall and winter. Plant from August to February in North Florida and from September to April in Central and South Florida.
- The Gulf South, Texas, the Desert Southwest and Southern California: sow from early fall into late winter, so the crop grows through the cool months.
- The Mid-South, Mid-Atlantic and Southern Plains: sow in early spring and again in late summer for a fall crop.
- The Northeast, Midwest, Mountain West, Northern Plains and Pacific Northwest: sow from spring onward in small batches, and again in midsummer for fall.
- Alaska: sow in late spring and early summer.
How to plant
- Sow seed about 1/2 inch (1 cm) deep, about 2 inches apart in rows 6 to 8 inches apart, and keep the soil evenly moist until seedlings appear.
- When seedlings are 3 to 4 inches tall, thin them to 4 to 6 inches apart for a crop of stems. Give plants more room if you want larger plants to harvest over a longer time.
- Sow a short row every few weeks through your sowing window for a steady supply.
Watering and feeding
Keep the soil evenly moist, as dry spells make the stems tough and hasten flowering. Mulch helps hold moisture. Feed as you would other leafy brassicas, with compost at planting and a nitrogen side-dressing as plants grow.
Pruning and care through the year
- Cover young plants with insect netting or row cover to keep cabbage worms and flea beetles off.
- Keep picking: each cut stalk is followed by new shoots from the leaf joints lower down.
Harvesting
Cut the flowering stalks just before the flowers open, while the buds are still tight. Young leaves can be picked earlier for salads and stir-fries. UF/IFAS suggests leaving a short section of stem on the plant when you cut, so new side shoots can grow.
Once the flowers open the stems quickly get tougher, though the open flowers are still edible.
Using it
Young leaves can be eaten raw. Larger leaves, stems and flower shoots are best lightly steamed, sautéed or stir-fried.
Companion planting
Gai lan shares the needs and pests of other cabbage-family crops, so plant it where it can be netted with them and rotated away from them the next season.
Good companions
- Onion Takes up little room and grows in the same cool season.
- Beet A cool-season root crop that does not compete for the same space above ground.
- Dill Its flowers draw in small beneficial insects such as parasitic wasps.
Keep apart
Avoid planting these close to gai lan (chinese broccoli).
- Tomato A warm-season crop with different timing; traditional advice keeps the two apart.
- Strawberry Traditional advice keeps cabbage-family crops away from strawberries.
Pests and diseases
Gai lan has the same pests and diseases as other brassicas. Netting and crop rotation prevent most of them.
Pests to watch for
- Cabbage worms Green caterpillars and ragged holes in leaves, with dark droppings at the base.
- Aphids Gray-green clusters under leaves and on flower buds.
- Flea beetles Many small round holes in young leaves.
Diseases to watch for
Common questions
When do I harvest gai lan?
Cut the flowering stalks just before the flowers open, while the buds are still closed. Leave a short piece of stem behind so the plant sends out new side shoots for later picking.
Can I grow gai lan in summer?
It grows best in cool weather. In hot weather it runs to flower quickly and the stems turn tough. In the South grow it from fall through spring; farther north sow in spring and again in late summer.
How far apart should I plant gai lan?
For tender stems, thin to 4 to 6 inches apart in rows 6 to 8 inches apart. Wider spacing gives larger plants that crop for longer.
Why is my gai lan flowering so fast?
Heat, dry soil and crowding all push it to flower. Sow so it grows in cool weather, keep the soil moist, and pick often. The open flowers are still edible.
Is gai lan the same as broccolini?
No. Broccolini is a cross between broccoli and gai lan. Gai lan has thicker stems, larger leaves and fewer, smaller buds.
Sources we checked: UF/IFAS EDIS: Chinese broccoli, Brassica oleracea var. alboglabra (MV032, archived); RHS: Chinese broccoli, grow your own; UF/IFAS EDIS: Florida Vegetable Gardening Guide.
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