Kohlrabi
Planting, Growing, and Harvesting Kohlrabi
You’ll find everything you need to know to plant and grow kohlrabi in the accompanying table’s tabs:
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- How many plants of kohlrabi to plant
- Growing conditions for kohlrabi
- When to plant kohlrabi
- How to plant kohlrabi
- Watering, fertilizing, and pruning kohlrabi
- Companion plantings for kohlrabi
- How to harvest, store, and use kohlrabi
Growing Kohlrabi
Kohlrabi are cool-season, biennial, cole-family vegetables valued for their crisp, strong-flavored edible leaves and swollen stems. The bulbous stem of kohlrabi resembles an above-ground turnip; long-stemmed green or purple leaves sprout in a fan from a globelike central stem, 2‑3 in. (50‑75 mm) wide.
Kohlrabi Plant and Care Guide
How Much to Plant
Allow 4–5 plants per household member.
How to Plant
Seed germinates in 12–15 days.
Average Climates: Sow seed or transplant seedlings in full sun–partial shade in spring for early summer harvest or late summer for autumn harvest when soil temperature is 50–85°F (10–29°C).
Mild-Winter Climates: Sow seed in autumn for early winter harvest or transplant seedlings in late winter for early spring harvest.
Autumn–Winter Gardens: Sow seed in July–August for harvest in winter—spring.
Sow seed 1/4–1/2-in. (6–12 mm) deep, 1 in. (25 mm) apart, thinning to 5–8 in. (13–20 cm) apart, in rows 30 in. (75 cm) apart.
Plant successions 3–4 weeks apart.
Best Conditions for Growth
Growing temperature: 40–75°F (4–24°C). Best in mild-summer climates. Protect plants from heat, sun at temperatures above 80°F (27°C). Kohlrabi is generally tolerant of even hard frosts.
Soil Type and Fertility
Moist, well-drained, sandy soil. Fertility: Rich. 5.5–6.8 pH. Prepare soil at least 18 in. (45 cm) deep. Rotate plantings with legumes to avoid nitrogen depletion.
Proper Care
Easy. Keep evenly moist. Fertilize semi-monthly with acidic 5–10–10 formula. Mulch; when plants are 4–5 in. (10–13 cm) tall, apply organic compost to soil around stems. Cultivate. Inspect frequently for foliage damage or egg clusters on underleaves due to larvae of white cabbage butterfly; wash infested plants with dilute soap solution to remove and kill the eggs. Aphid, cabbage looper, cabbageworm, cutworm, root maggot and powdery mildew susceptible.
Pairing Recommendations
Beets, celery, herbs, onions, and potatoes.
Maturity, Picking and Gathering
45–60 days. Cut bulbs and leaves when stems reach 2–3 in. (50–75 mm) wide. Harvest while young and tender; kohlrabi bulbs become woody and lose flavor when they mature and prepare to form seed stalks.
How to Store and Preserve
Fresh in vegetable keeper of refrigerator for 1–2 weeks. Kohlrabi bulbs can be eaten raw, similar to an apple, or shaved with a vegetable grater and added to salads. Use the tangy, cabbage-flavored leaves as salad greens or for steaming.