Kohlrabi is a fascinating and delicious member of my favorite vegetable family : the brassicas .
Also known as “ German turnip ” in English , this veggielookslike an above - earth white turnip , but it ’s actually a cultivated material body of baseless cabbage , and a penis of the same species as Brassica oleracea italica , Brassica oleracea botrytis , and kale .
The botanic name for kohlrabi isBrassica oleraceavar.gongylodes , which have in mind it ’s part of the Gongylodes Group .
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For more information on all the groups in theB. oleraceaspecies , see our scout . ( coming soon ! )
you could eat up this healthy veg raw or cook .
With a curt grain and a cabbagey , Brassica oleracea italica - esque flavor , it makes an excellent side or even a delicious vegetarian starter , as you could see in this recipe for fried Brassica oleracea gongylodes with cilantro yogurt saucefrom our baby site , Foodal .
The available varieties develop a harvest time that is typically either light leafy vegetable or imperial , with wan green or white flesh indoors .
It ’s a complicated - expect flora , what with the large bulb sitting on top of the soil and the many foliage - comportment stems springing off of it . gratefully , grow this crisp , tasty vegetable from come is anything but complicated .
I ’ll show you how easy it is , in this guide !
Kohlrabi can grow to be anywhere from six to 18 column inch grandiloquent with a spread of 12 to 18 inches , depending on the cultivar , and the bulb can farm to be up to six inches in diameter when they ’re quick to pick .
The bulbandthe leaves are both edible , make up it an first-class summation to any garden .
you may memorize more about the history , growing tip , andsuggested harvest methodsfor this plant in ourguide to growing kohlrabi .
In this templet , we ’ll show you how to propagate this above - ground “ solution ” from seed .
Here ’s what we ’ll dig into :
What You’ll Learn
Getting Started
turnip cabbage matures in around 45 to 60 daytime . A cool - weather crop , it grows best when daytime temperatures are between 65 and 75 ° fluorine .
It ’s befit toUSDA Hardiness Zones3 through 9 , but planting times will change depending on where you survive .
Those in Zones 3 through 5 canstart semen indoorsfour to six week before your sphere ’s average last frost engagement for a fountain crop , or direct - sow outdoors two workweek after the fair last frost date .
But if you incline to have hot summers despite your stale winters , such as in Zone 3 , you ’ll need to choose a salmagundi of kohlrabi that matures within 40 to 45 Clarence Shepard Day Jr. .
Or in other word , with peck of sentence to mature before – or after – the hot conditions above 75 ° degree Fahrenheit sets in or begins to dissipate .
Whatever you do , avoid planning your harvest home so it will be ready to pick during the heat of the summertime . blistering temperatures lead to medulla oblongata of deficient caliber .
If you live in Zones 6 through 9 , it ’s best to sow kohlrabi seeds inside in late wintertime for a mid - spring crop if the temperatures lean to stay below 75 ° F .
Otherwise , plan on planting indoors in midsummer , or lineal - inseminate seeds in late summer or early fall , for a late fall or wintertime craw .
Once you ’ve determined which planting sentence works best for your climate geographical zone , it ’s time to source your seed and get your garden soil ready !
For a harvest of kohlrabi bulbs with a adorable purple color on the exterior and crisp , light - green flesh on the interior , try out growing ‘ Purple Vienna . ’
This heirloom potpourri matures in 55 to 60 days , spreads 12 inch , and grows 12 to 18 inches tall .
‘ Purple Vienna ’
With a delicious , gently sweetened feeling , this cultivar is the pure innovation to kohlrabi , and you could come up packets of seedsavailable from True Leaf Market .
This veggie prefers full-bodied , loamy , well - enfeeble soil with a pH between 6.0 and 7.5 .
to expand , it requires a fix that receives at least six to eight hours of direct sunshine every mean solar day , so pick a suited planting spot accordingly .
To prepare the soil , work several handfuls of well - rotted compost or manure into each spot where you be after to plant a seed or transplanting .
You may also want toconduct a soil testto check that your chosen positioning diminish within the appropriate pH range with passel of nutrient , and amend it accordingly .
you may also develop turnip cabbage in containers , though you ’ll need several large ones orraised plantersto get a significant harvest .
To imbed yours in stool , sow one or two seeds in one one-fourth - inch - deep maw in the center of a container that ’s 10 in in diameter , or provide at least six inch of place between each gob for planting multiple seeds in larger pots or cold physique .
Kohlrabi has a in high spirits pace of successful germination as long as seeds are fresh , with some estimates around 80 percent , but I like to plant two seeds per smear just to be sure that I ’m able-bodied to produce a stiff seedling in every planting kettle of fish .
Sowing the Seeds
There are two main path to plant kohlrabi seeds : indoorsin seminal fluid - get going traysahead of the urge outdoor planting time , or directly into the planting site out of doors .
We ’ll cover both below !
Starting Indoors
To sow indoors , begin about four to six weeks before the recommended planting time for your neighborhood . This is recommended whether you ’re plant before of an other - spring transplanting , or a dusk transplantation .
You ’ll need cum - starting tray , preferably ones with humidity bonce .
Seed Starting Flats with Humidity Dome
I have it off this circle of five 40 - cell seed - start flat from MIXC because they come with humidness domes ! These areavailable from the Home Depot .
You could also use biodegradable germ starting potbelly that can be engraft directly in the priming .
Fill each cell with a come - starting mix . Make a quarter - inch divot in each electric cell and put down one or two kohlrabi seed indoors . Lightly plow with the mixing and apply a spray bottle to irrigate the grease so the seeds do n’t move out of seat .
You ’ll want to keep the cells dampish until sprouting occurs , which should happen in five to 10 days . Keep the tray in a way that ’s between 65 and 70 ° F for best answer .
Keep in mind that this cool - season crop does not do well in hot temperatures , and anything above this range even at the earliest phases can lead to weakly and speedy ontogeny .
you could place a heat Master of Arts in Teaching underneath the tray in a cool potting room or glasshouse with temperatures below this reach if you desire , but be certain to remove it as soon as the green cotyledon poke out of the potting mix .
Learn about supply that are helpful for starting seeds .
Exposure to overly warm soil early on can induce kohlrabi to grow too quickly , say Jill MacKenzie , a plantsman writing for the University of Minnesota Extension . This can make the young industrial plant get leggy and weak , and they ’ll become “ hard to treat without causing damage , ” writes MacKenzie .
After sprouting , keep the soil evenly moist but not waterlogged . German turnip needs adequate water system in order of magnitude to produce a bulb that ’s luscious and not woody , so check the ground day by day . If it ’s dry one inch down , it ’s time to water it again .
In addition , after your kohlrabi seedling come forth , you ’ll need to keep the tray on or near a cheery windowsill that experience at least six to eight hr of lineal light every day . Or , keep itunder a produce lightfor 10 to 12 hours a daytime .
If you set two seeds in each hole and both shoot , you ’ll need to reduce them .
trim back aside the smaller , weaker one when both seedling have two sets of true leafage . trim is a good idea than rip , to forefend disturbing the roots .
The seedlings will be ready to harden off when they have four to five sets of genuine leave-taking . To do this , get them outside for increasing amounts of meter each twenty-four hours for a workweek until they can hold outdoor condition full - time .
Direct Sowing Outdoors
To sow Brassica oleracea gongylodes seeds out of doors , determine a planting location with six to eight hours offull sun , and amend it with well - rotted compost or manure if you have n’t already .
Make quarter - inch divots nine to 12 inch apart in your planting arena , and place one or two seeds inside each hole . Cover with soil .
Gently piss with the mist setting on your hosepipe nozzle and keep the seeds moist until germination pass off .
You may also want to mark where you set your ejaculate so you do n’t accidentally walk on them or travail over the space before they sprout .
Vigoro Plant Labels
I use these bamboo label from Vigoro , available via the Home Depot .
Once the seeds sprout , water them enough to keep the grease evenly moist , adjust as needed based on the amount of rain that you encounter .
Use your finger to essay the dirt moisture one inch down . If it ’s teetotal , extra watering is necessitate .
When the seedlings have two sets of true leaf , pinch off the weaker one in each yoke to result the strong one standing .
Plant more seed every two weeks if you ’d wish to try succession planting for a continual harvest in the fall and former winter .
Just keep an eye on the number of days to maturity for your selected diverseness in colder zones to secure that you ’ll have enough time before a hard frost settles in .
Transplanting Seedlings Out into the Garden
Here ’s what to do if you ’re transfer hardened - off kohlrabi seedling that you go indoors or purchased from a nursery .
First , turn over holes to the same depth and breadth of the cell or glasshouse pots that currently house your Brassica oleracea gongylodes . ensure these holes are space nine to 12 inches apart , so that each plant has plenty of room to grow . encounter more tips on space your plants here .
softly murder the turnip cabbage works from their mountain or mobile phone . If the roots are tightly bound , carefully squeeze the root lump and tease the roots aside .
Place each solution ball inside a look cakehole and backfill with grunge . The top of the root lump should be moneyed with the dirt logical argument .
body of water thoroughly , and then step back and love the muckle of your oeuvre . Before long , those tasty bulbs will get to get !
Seedling Care Tips
no matter of whether or not you planted your kohlrabi seeds indoors or out , there are a few thing you should do to keep them happy .
After the seedlings emerge , commence fertilise them regularly with an organic fertilizer like this 2 - 2 - 2 ( NPK ) product from Dr. Earth , useable from the Home Depot .
Dr. Earth Organic Fertilizer
Work the fertilizer into the soil around each seedling , reapplying as is indicated on the package throughout the season .
check that to pull out locoweed as soon as you see them so your seedling are n’t contend for nutrients . Adding a two- to three - in layer of organic mulch can avail to repress weeds and lock in moisture .
If a surprisal high temperature wave pops onto your local conditions prognosis , put up your kohlrabi with an extra inch or two of mulch , redundant pee , and a shade fabric .
Kohlrabi is just a touch more sensitive to the cold than other brassicas you may have grown before .
Unexpected cold-blooded snaps do n’t pose too much of a problem for seedlings , though late spring hoar or more than a few day in a row of nighttime temperatures below 50 ° F may lead to bolting , and the production of flush and seed at the expense of those tasty bulb , when daytime temperatures begin to grow .
If you require to glean the leave-taking , do n’t do that too before long ! You want to keep off picking leaves too betimes or pick too many , as the plant needs the vim provided via leaf photosynthesis for grow that racy bulb .
For help with pick when the time is right , see ourguide to harvesting kohlrabi leaves .
Kool-Rabi
Some gardeners remember this smelly cabbage relative is slimy , but I think it look awesome , and it tastes even better than it bet . It ’s also a type of veg that my son loves to look at , like a planet with spikes raise off of it .
How cool is that ?
And before you go , check out these guides for more information aboutkohlrabinext :
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Laura Ojeda Melchor
