Healthy, full of vitamins and with a mild taste – kohlrabi is one of the most popular vegetables and can be seen in more and more home gardens. The crunchy vegetables are a real all-rounder in the kitchen and can be prepared in a variety of ways. Be it strawberries, tomatoes, cucumbers, etc. - everything that you grow yourself tastes much better and many people grow their own fruit and vegetables. Would you like to plant kohlrabi, but don't know which plants it gets along with? What are good neighbors for kohlrabi? In order to get the most out of your harvest, we have done some research for you and will tell you which companion plants are ideal for your mixed crop.
Why is it worth growing companion plants with kohlrabi?
Kohlrabi (Brassica oleracea var. Gondylodes L.) is a healthy and delicious vegetable that is bothin the home garden, as well as on the balcony. Together with kale, white cabbage and cauliflower, it is one of the cabbage-washed plants. The vegetable grows very quickly and the first tubers can be harvested just 8 to 12 weeks after planting. Mixed cultivation in the garden is a big topic among hobby gardeners and a great way to promote the health and growth of our plants. Kohlrabi's good neighbors ensure that the tubers grow well, keep pests away and improve soil conditions. In contrast to the other cabbage plants, kohlrabi is a medium-feeder and does not require an excess of nutrients. And it is precisely this property that makes the vegetable a great choice for mixed cultivation in the garden.
Mixed culture in the garden is about combining plants with similar needs in terms of water and nutrient supply. As already mentioned, kohlrabi, as a medium feeder, does not need as many nutrients and can therefore easily be grown with heavy or weak feeders. However, kohlrabi requires a lot of water and if the soil is dry the tubers will burst.
Beetroot
If you want to enjoy a generous harvest, it is best to combine plants with the same needs. Beetroot is one of the best neighbors for kohlrabi, supporting the growth of the cabbage plant. To thrive, kohlrabi needs significant amounts of calcium, which is not the case with beetroot and for this very reason the plants get along very well with each other.
Spinach and salads
Spinach and other types of lettuce such as leaf lettuce are also good neighbors for kohlrabi and get along well. The two vegetables have very similar growing conditions - they prefer moist soil and thrive best in a sunny to partially shaded location. Spinach repels pests such as flea beetles from mixed crops. Similar to kohlrabi, spinach can be harvested in just 6 to 8 weeks, allowing for multiple harvests per year. However, kohlrabi and spinach do not have the same nutrient requirements and should therefore be fertilized accordingly. While kohlrabi needs more phosphorus, kohlrabi needs more nitrogen.
Potatoes are good neighbors for kohlrabi
Like eggplants, tomatoes and peppers, potatoes belong to the nightshade family and are also good neighbors for kohlrabi. Potatoes like it bright and sunny and the soil should be well-drained and light to medium-heavy. Potatoes are heavy feeders and are best combined with vegetables that have lower nutrient requirements. So you can easily plant kohlrabi and potatoes next to each other in your mixed culture.
Cucumbers
Cucumbers have a permanent place in many vegetable gardens and can be easily combined with many different companion plants in mixed culture. In the garden it is definitely worth planting kohlrabi and cucumbers together. Cucumbers provide plenty of shade and thereby protect the cabbage plant from drying out - ideal when our harvest begins to suffer at its peak. Cucumbers also fight various pests such as mites or ants from the garden.
Celery and tuber stalks are popular vegetable plants and also very good neighbors for kohlrabi. Celery can improve the flavor of your crop, and many gardeners grow the two plants side by side for this reason alone. The two vegetables complement each other perfectly without competing for nutrients. During the growing season, celery also keeps away pests such as the cabbage moth.
Beans
Beans go just as well with kohlrabi and the two plants complement each other perfectly. Similar to kohlrabi, beans grow best in a sunny to partially shaded location and feel most comfortable in loose, medium-heavy soil. In addition, bush beans and kohlrabi have different nutritional needs, which logically reduces competition.
