Korean vegetables in America
The crops behind kimchi, ssam and jangajji, and what changes when you grow them in an American garden: when to sow for fall kimchi, how to ripen gochu in a short season, and where to find the seed.
Nine crops for a Korean kitchen garden
Each one has its own page with planting dates for your area. Here is what each is for, and the one thing that tends to catch growers out in the US.
배추 baechu · Napa cabbage
For: Whole-head baechu kimchi, geotjeori and the fall kimjang.
In the US: Spring crops often bolt after a run of cold nights. A fall crop sown about 11 weeks before your first fall frost heads far more reliably.
How to grow napa cabbage무 mu · Korean radish
For: Kkakdugi, dongchimi, kimchi stuffing and soup; the greens dry into siraegi.
In the US: US catalogs often file it under daikon. Sow it directly about 10 weeks before your first fall frost; spring sowings tend to bolt.
How to grow Korean radish고추 gochu · Korean chili pepper
For: Green peppers to dip in jang all summer; red ones dried and ground for gochugaru.
In the US: Drying types are listed at 90–110 days from transplant. In northern and coastal gardens, green peppers are often the main crop and red ones a late bonus.
How to grow Korean chili pepper깻잎 kkaennip · Korean perilla
For: Leaves for ssam wraps, kkaennip kimchi and soy-pickled jangajji.
In the US: Easy in summer heat, but it flowers as nights lengthen and drops seed freely; it is listed as invasive in several eastern states. Cut flower spikes before seed sets.
How to grow Korean perilla부추 buchu · Garlic chives
For: Buchu kimchi, buchujeon and soups, cut again and again.
In the US: A hardy perennial in zones 3–9 that seeds itself through the garden if flower stalks are left standing. Cut them before the seed ripens.
How to grow garlic chives마늘 maneul · Garlic
For: Kimchi seasoning, ssam, and most of the Korean kitchen.
In the US: Planted in fall, around your first frost, and dug the next summer. Hardneck types suit cold winters; in zone 8 and warmer, softneck types do better.
How to grow garlic파 pa · Scallions
For: Pajeon, kimchi, soups and garnish.
In the US: US seed racks sell bunching onions, which fill this role. Sow about 4 weeks before your last frost and again about 10 weeks before your first fall frost.
How to grow scallions쑥갓 ssukgat · Crown daisy
For: Aromatic greens for maeuntang, hot pot and fresh namul.
In the US: Fast in cool weather and finished once summer heat arrives. Sow about 4 weeks before your last frost, and again about 8 weeks before your first fall frost.
How to grow crown daisy애호박 aehobak · Korean zucchini
For: Doenjang jjigae, hobakjeon and stir-fried banchan, picked small.
In the US: Most US-sold varieties grow as long vines, kin to butternut rather than zucchini. Give it a trellis, and watch for squash vine borer and powdery mildew.
How to grow Korean zucchini
Your kimchi garden calendar
These dates count from your average frost dates, the same way each plant page does: gochu from the last spring frost, napa, mu and garlic from the first fall frost.
Your dates
Typical dates by zone
| Zone | Last frost | First frost | Start gochu seeds indoors | Set gochu plants out | Sow napa cabbage (in the bed or in trays) | Sow Korean radish in the bed | Plant garlic |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3b | May 17 | Sep 24 | Mar 22 | May 31 | Jul 9 | Jul 16 | Sep 24 – Oct 8 |
| 4a | May 12 | Sep 28 | Mar 17 | May 26 | Jul 13 | Jul 20 | Sep 28 – Oct 12 |
| 4b | May 8 | Oct 1 | Mar 13 | May 22 | Jul 16 | Jul 23 | Oct 1 – Oct 15 |
| 5a | May 4 | Oct 4 | Mar 9 | May 18 | Jul 19 | Jul 26 | Oct 4 – Oct 18 |
| 5b | May 1 | Oct 10 | Mar 6 | May 15 | Jul 25 | Aug 1 | Oct 10 – Oct 24 |
| 6a | Apr 29 | Oct 17 | Mar 4 | May 13 | Aug 1 | Aug 8 | Oct 17 – Oct 31 |
| 6b | Apr 23 | Oct 22 | Feb 26 | May 7 | Aug 6 | Aug 13 | Oct 22 – Nov 5 |
| 7a | Apr 16 | Oct 25 | Feb 19 | Apr 30 | Aug 9 | Aug 16 | Oct 25 – Nov 8 |
| 7b | Apr 6 | Nov 1 | Feb 9 | Apr 20 | Aug 16 | Aug 23 | Nov 1 – Nov 15 |
| 8a | Mar 29 | Nov 6 | Feb 1 | Apr 12 | Aug 21 | Aug 28 | Nov 6 – Nov 20 |
| 8b | Mar 18 | Nov 13 | Jan 21 | Apr 1 | Aug 28 | Sep 4 | Nov 13 – Nov 27 |
| 9a | Mar 3 | Nov 25 | Jan 6 | Mar 17 | Sep 9 | Sep 16 | Nov 25 – Dec 9 |
| 9b | Feb 13 | Dec 7 | Dec 19 | Feb 27 | Sep 21 | Sep 28 | Dec 7 – Dec 21 |
If daytime highs are still above about 90°F on the napa and mu dates, sow a week or two later. Harvest napa and mu before the first hard freeze, when nights reach the low 20s °F.
Frost dates: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 (50% chance of 32°F), the middle value of the ZIP codes in each zone.
Growing in a short or hot season
Red gochu in the North
Korean chili peppers need a long, warm season to ripen red. Start seed indoors 8 weeks before your last frost, on a heat mat if you have one, and set plants out 2 weeks after it into warm soil. Choose the earliest drying variety you can find, pick every full-sized pepper before your first fall frost, and plan on green peppers and jangajji in years when red ones run short.
Napa is easier in fall than spring
Young napa plants that get a week or more of nights below 50°F can bolt later, which is why spring crops so often fail. Fall crops grow into shorter, cooler days and head well. In hot-summer areas, start napa in trays in light shade, or sow a week or two after the usual date if late summer is still above 90°F.
Perilla comes back on its own
Perilla flowers as nights lengthen in late summer, and one plant can drop more than 1,000 seeds. Pick heavily through midsummer, cut flower spikes before the seed ripens, and pull volunteer seedlings in spring. Keep it well away from pasture; it can be toxic to grazing animals.
Cool-season greens in hot climates
Ssukgat, napa and mu all bolt or turn harsh in summer heat. Where summers are long and hot, grow them from late summer through fall and, in mild-winter areas, on into winter.
Where to get seeds
General US seed racks carry few Korean varieties. These established sellers list Korean types by name. We have no affiliation with any of them.
- Kitazawa Seed Co. — Asian vegetable seed sold in the US since 1917, now through True Leaf Market. Korean listings include gochu, Korean radishes and Korean squash.
- Johnny's Selected Seeds — Maine seed company with a daikon and Korean radish section, including Alpine, which it describes as a traditional kimchi radish, and several napa cabbages.
- Second Generation Seeds — Small Asian American seed company with Korean heirlooms such as 38N Kkaennip and Gyopo Gochu. Popular varieties sell out, so check early in the year.
- Adaptive Seeds — Oregon seed company offering an organic Korean perilla selection, Early Select Kkaennip.
Some Korean grocery stores sell seed packets and young gochu, perilla and squash plants in spring. Stock varies by store, so ask in early spring.
Questions Korean-garden growers ask
- When should I plant napa cabbage and Korean radish for fall kimchi?
- Why is my napa cabbage bolting instead of making a head?
- When is Korean radish (mu) ready, and why do roots split or go pithy?
- Why are my peppers not turning red?
- How do I dry Korean chili peppers for gochugaru?
- How do I keep perilla (kkaennip) from taking over my garden?
- How do I keep garlic chives (buchu) coming back thick every year?
Planting dates on this page come from the same frost-date rules as each plant page, which cite their university extension sources. The questions above each list their own sources.