Sow Asian greens in Arkansas twice a year: from late February through March, and again from late August through early October. Both windows sit in cool weather, which is what these crops want. Summer sowings bolt or sulk. The frost dates at the Little Rock reference station set the edges of each window, and the north of the state starts later and finishes earlier.
The short answer for Arkansas
Sow quick Asian greens such as bok choy, tatsoi, mizuna and komatsuna outdoors from late February through March, then again from late August through early October. The spring window shuts when days lengthen and warm up. The fall window shuts when plants no longer have time to size up before hard freezes arrive.
The edges come from NOAA’s 1991-2020 Climate Normals for the Little Rock reference station. The last spring freeze at 32°F falls between March 12 and March 28, and the first fall freeze between November 7 and November 20. Those dates are the 30 to 70 percent band of the odds of a 32°F freeze, so in some years a freeze lands before or after them. The tighter 36°F light-frost dates from the National Weather Service in Little Rock, April 3 and October 31, matter for tomatoes and peppers. Most Asian greens shrug off light frost, so they don’t have to wait for those dates.
When do you sow Asian greens in spring in Arkansas?
Start as soon as the soil can be worked, usually late February, and keep sowing in small batches through March. Seedlings that come up before the last freeze are usually fine. A cold snap may stall them for a few days, and a sheet of row cover handles the worst nights.
When do you sow Asian greens in fall in Arkansas?
Fall is the better season. Soil is warm, nights are cooling, and the plants mature as days shorten, which keeps them from bolting. Sow slower types first, then quick ones, finishing about a month before the first freeze band opens.
| Type | Spring sowing | Fall sowing |
|---|---|---|
| Bok choy, tatsoi, komatsuna | Late February through March | Late August through late September |
| Mizuna and mustard greens | Late February through early April | Early September through early October |
| Napa cabbage | Skip; it bolts before it heads | Late August to early September |
Variety choice shifts these dates by a week or two. The Best Asian Greens for Arkansas covers which types handle the state’s heat, and Growing Asian Greens in Arkansas covers the rest of the season.
What will not work here
Summer sowing fails. Sown in June or July, greens meet hot, humid weather and long days, and they send up flower stalks before they make a worthwhile leaf. Even a spring sowing made in April can run out of cool weather. The gap between the last spring freeze (March 12 to March 28) and the heat is short, and a slow crop gets caught.
Does napa cabbage work as a spring crop?
Rarely. Napa needs a long stretch of mild weather to form a tight head. A March sowing runs into warm days before it finishes, and the plant bolts instead. Treat it as a fall crop only.
Does weekly watering work for Asian greens in Arkansas?
Not for long. The roots are shallow, and in late August soil dries fast. A deep soak once a week leaves seedlings wilting in between. Seedbeds sown at the start of the fall window need a light watering every day or two until the plants are up, plus shade from afternoon sun if the soil is still hot to the touch.
What goes wrong with close spacing?
Humidity turns crowded rows into a disease nursery. Leaves stay wet after rain or heavy dew, and mildew and slugs follow. Thin bok choy and tatsoi to the spacing on the packet, even if it feels wasteful at the seedling stage. Flea beetles, which peppers the leaves with tiny holes, are worst on young plants in warm weather, so cover early fall sowings with row cover from day one.
Winter is the last trap. The mean daily minimum in the coldest month at Little Rock is 30.9°F, so the average winter night sits right at freezing. Hardy greens like mizuna and tatsoi can hold on under cover, but growth nearly stops. A sowing made in November will not produce a harvest before spring.
What changes across Arkansas
There is no single answer for the state. The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map (2023, built on 1991-2020 normals) places Arkansas in zones 6b to 8a. That is four half-zone steps, from the higher Ozarks in the northwest to the warmer south and southeast. The dates above belong to Little Rock, a reference point in the middle of that spread.
Hardiness zones rest on one variable, the average annual extreme minimum temperature. They say how cold the worst night gets, and they say less about when frost arrives or leaves. Two gardens in the same zone can still differ by a week or more on the last spring freeze, especially if one sits in a low pocket where cold air settles.
A gardener in the north or at higher elevation should shift in three ways:
- Start spring sowings later, and expect the cool window to be a bit longer in the other direction.
- Begin fall sowings earlier, since the first freezes come sooner.
- Count on row cover for winter greens rather than hoping they sail through.
In the south and southeast the reverse holds. Fall sowing can run later, and hardy greens hold up through more of winter. To see where your own address falls, look it up on the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map by ZIP code.
Where to check this for your own county
Your county office of the University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service is the best next stop. Every county has one, staffed by agents who know local soils, frost pockets and pest pressure. Many counties also have Master Gardener volunteers who answer questions about what grows in the neighborhood.
Ask for two things. First, the local vegetable planting calendar, which lists sowing windows for cool-season crops in your county. Second, the varieties that have been trialed or recommended there, since a bok choy that holds in one region may bolt quickly in another.
A county recommendation beats a statewide one. The dates above come from one reference station in Little Rock, which makes them a statewide starting point. A county agent can tell you whether your area runs a week earlier or later, and whether the greens you want have proven themselves nearby.
Checking this against your own garden
Your own observations outrank every date here. Three are worth watching, and none needs equipment.
Soil warmth by feel. Push your fingers two inches into the bed in the morning. In spring, soil that crumbles and doesn’t feel icy is ready. In late August, soil that still feels warm at that depth in the morning is too hot for good germination, so wait or shade the bed. Beds that warm first in spring are your early microclimate.
First true leaves. The seed leaves come up first, and the true leaves, which have the shape of the mature plant, follow. If true leaves arrive quickly, the planting is well timed. If they lag for weeks in spring, that bed is colder than the rest, and next year it should be sown later.
The first flower stalk. Note the date when the first plant in your spring planting starts to bolt, with a thick stem rising from the center. That date marks the end of your cool window, and next year’s last spring sowing should land at least a few weeks before it. Write it down. A few seasons of notes give you a calendar more accurate than any statewide one.
Common questions
Can I grow Asian greens through an Arkansas summer?
Not reliably. Heat and long days push them to bolt. Wait for late August, and sow in a shaded bed with regular light watering.
Will Asian greens survive an Arkansas winter?
Hardy types like mizuna and tatsoi often do, especially under row cover. The mean daily minimum of the coldest month at Little Rock is 30.9°F, so expect frequent freezing nights and little growth. Heading types like napa are less forgiving.
How late can I sow in fall?
Quick types like mizuna can go in through early October. After that, plants will not reach a useful size before the first freeze band, which runs November 7 to November 20 at Little Rock.
Should I start seeds indoors?
Rarely. Asian greens grow quickly from direct sowing and dislike root disturbance. Starting indoors can help in spring if you want a head start in the north, but outdoor sowing in small batches works well for most gardeners.