Melinda Myers

Kohlrabi

Botanical Name

Brassica oleracea var. gongylodes

Hardiness

Annual

Height

12 to 18 inches

Width

12 to 18 inches

Light

Full sun

Soil

Moist, well-drained

Planting & Care

• Kohlrabi germinates best in temperatures 45°F to 85°F
• Direct sow outdoors in early spring at least 4 weeks before last frost date and continually every 2 to 3 weeks for an ongoing spring and summer harvest. Plant seeds ¹/₂ inch deep and 1 inch apart in rows 12 inches apart - thin seedlings to 6 inches
• The thinned seedlings can be moved to open spaces in the garden or eaten
• For an earlier spring harvest, start seeds indoors and transplanted as soon as the ground can be worked
• For a fall harvest, begin sowing seeds about a month before the first frost
• Use floating row covers to protect plants from insects and plunging temperatures
• Eat leaves as you would kale

Problems

Black rot, black leg, cutworm, flea beetles, cabbage aphids, cabbage root maggots, cabbage loopers

Varieties

• Purple Vienna - purple variety with white flesh, turnip-cabbage flavor, harvest bulbs when tennis ball size
• Kolibri - purple variety with white interior, resistance to black rot
• Grand Duke - white flesh, godd disease resistance, maturity is 45-60 days, All-America Selections winner
• Konan - sweet flavor, excellent texture and uniform upright foliage, AAS winner