The seed pods at least need to start changing to yellow. Completely dry is the best way to insure seed viablity. But full grown seeds if dried properly should be ok. When the pods are green they have not not fully developed.

I found this on a site......does it help you figure out when in your area? I think the photoperiod info is the most useful. Climatic requirements. Average temperatures of 55°-70° F (13-21° C) are favorable. Temperatures above 75° F (24° C) may cause some burning of the tips and prolonged temperatures below 55° F (13° C) can cause premature bolting. Bok choy is also very sensitive to photoperiods for flowering. Long days (16 hour days for a month) induce flowering in some cultivars. Short days and warm temperatures keep the plant in the vegetative phase. I'll give you some info about what happened with mine this year. First of all I planted a baby bok choy because somewhere I found info that it took heat better. Next we had a strange spring and I didn't get it into the ground until late April......that means the days are pretty long and warm here. It grew fast and didn't bolt....I think it's because it never got under 55 degrees the whole time and it got confused about not having a cool period. Sorry I haven't really given you any local info but it might help you figure out how it gets the signal to bolt. Good luck.....I'll be trying some this fall so maybe next year we can trade results.

Sure, Clairdo2! You'd think I had subscribed to this thread since I happen onto at about the right time that someone posts . . . nope! Bok choy is in the same family as turnips (Brassica rapa) and the University of Minnesota reports that at 41F turnip seed did not germinate but at 50F, germination only took 5 days. I say this because your soil may still not be warm enuf to get sprouting when direct sowing bok choy seed. Not wanting to go out in the mud from today's 12 hours of rain, I'll just check the state department of ag's weather station several miles away . . . it says that the soil temperature is 45F. That means my garden soil is probably warm enough to sow bok choy seed and see the plants pop up in about a week. Both Johnny's and Kitazawa have Mei Qing Choi "days to maturity" at 40 to 50 days. We are still several weeks away from the last frost date here but I think it is reasonable to expect some plants to harvest by the 1st of June. Of course, I've got 'em beat since I've already started bok choy in the greenhouse and set plants out in the plastic tunnel! Okay Clairdo2 - you must have 60 days between the time the soil temperature hits the high 40's and the time frost can be expected, right? (In Celsius that about 9C.) Bok choy can take frost at either end of the season but it slows down as the fall frosts arrive. It is a cool-season veggie so it really should be okay in your summer season. I say, "Go for it!" Steve

I realize it's a little late to answer but it depends on how far along developed the seeds themselves are. If they were starting to darken in the pod then they should continue to mature if you pull the plant. If they were still completely green then I'm not sure they'd be viable. Rodney P.S. Bok choy is best planted as a fall crop. Spring crops can be hit or miss.