How to Grow Kohlrabi
Instruction & Advice for Growing Kohlrabi Plants
in Your Vegetable Garden
| Nutrition | Watering Instructions | Harvesting |
| Climate | Fertilizing Instructions | Storage |
| Soil | Challenges | Tips |
| Planting |
*** Easy To Grow ***
Kohlrabi looks something like a cross between a cabbage and a turnip, and tastes similar to a broccoli stem. This garden vegetable is known for it's root, but the leaves are also edible. While it is somewhat similar to a turnip, it will grow during hot dry summer weather, when turnips struggle.
Nutrition Information: (back to top)
Kohlrabi contains: Chromium, Potassium, Dietar Fiber, Manganese, Thiamin, Folate, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Vitamin C, B6, Copper
Climate & Growing Conditions: (back to top)
Kohlrabi tolerates all gardening climates (from sub-zero to tropical). It will grow best in sunny well-drained soil.
How to Prepare the Garden Soil: (back to top)
Kohlrabi will grow most fruitfully in soil that is rich in organic matter (compost, manure) and that is well-drained. The pH level of the soil for this vegetable should be between 6.5 to 7.5. (Instructions: How to test your garden soil pH level.)
Unlike some other root crops, do not hill the soil around the vegetable as it grows.
Gardening Advice Tip: It has a shallow root system, so keep the garden bed free from competing weeds. (Remove weeds carefuly, such that you don't disturb kohlrabi's roots.)
How to Plant Kohlrabi: (back to top)
This plant doesn’t tolerate transplanting, so it’s best to plant the seeds directly into your garden bed. Sow seeds from mid-summer to autumn. If you have a cooler gardening climate, you can also sow an additional crop in early spring.
Prepare the garden bed with an application of a complete fertilizer (mixed into the soil) a few weeks before you plant.
When the seedlings reach about 2" high, thin to about 6" apart.
How to Water: (back to top)
Keep soil moist. If the soil dries out, you will likely have a tough and “woody” vegetable.
How to Fertilize: (back to top)
Give your plants a growing boost one month after planting: spread a small amount of a complete fertilizer on the ground around the plant. Water the fertilizer into the ground immediately after application.
Gardening Advice Tip: If you have sandy soil, you may want to apply a light fertilizer more frequently through the growing season.
Gardening Challenges: (back to top)
On this garden vegetable, you may see: cabbage moth caterpillars, white butterfly, center grub, or downy mildew.
If you see leaves that are turning yellow, that most likely is telling you that there's a magnesium deficiency in the soil. If so, mix 1 oz Epsom salts with 5 quarts of water and water the ground around the plants with it.
How to Harvest Kohlrabi: (back to top)
Kohlrabi's growing season is between 8 and 10 weeks. Once the vegetable root has reached 2 or 3 inches in diameter, pick a cool day for harvesting.
Gardening Advice Tip: Don't wait for the root to get bigger, or it will be too tough.
Kohlrabie tends to go to seed when the temperatures drop below 60 degrees (F).
Storage: How to freeze Kohlrabi (back to top)
Wash kohlrabi well, peel and cut into pieces. Blanch for 3 minutes. Chill kohlrabi in iced water for 3 minutes. Drain and spread on a tray in a single layer. Freeze kohlrabi for 30 minutes. Pack in freezer bags, remove air, seal and label. Freeze kohlrabi for up to 6 months.
Gardening Advice Tips (back to top)
Have a helpful gardening tip (or even a fun story) to share about your kohlrabi growing experience? Share it with us at: gardeningtips@howtogardenadvice.com
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