Brassica oleracea
History:
An oddly named and shaped vegetable, Kohlrabi is grown for its bulb like stem. Excellent taste and flavor, more and more gardeners are beginning to plant this crop in their fall/winter garden.
Seeding:
Direct seed into the garden in mid to late August. Plant .25” deep. Seeds should germinate in 5-10 days.
Spacing:
5” – 7”
Cultivation:
Kohlrabi is a fast growing, cool season vegetable. They are easy to grow and easy to weed. Kohlrabi is a light feeder but similar to other brassicas prefers a fertile soil that is high in organic matter and nitrogen. Kohlrabi will continue to grow well into the fall and winter until hard freezes begin.
Pests:
Like Most other brassicas, the cabbage worm, which is the larva of the beautiful White Cabbage Butterfly, is a pest that you will sometimes find on Kohlrabi. Pick these worms off mechanically or you can use a bacterial pathogen, Bacillus thuringiensis. This is a control method that is safe and offers excellent control of the worm. It is sold under several brand names.
Harvest:
Harvest Kohlrabi when the bulb is almost the size of a tennis ball – or between 2” – 3”. For storage, trim the leaves (which are edible) and any loose roots, and store in a cellar. Well grown plants can be stored for the whole winter.
