Super healthy, nutrient-rich and with a mild, slightly sweet taste - it's not for nothing that kohlrabi is one of the most popular regional vegetables. The crunchy vegetables can also be prepared in a variety of ways - as a raw vegetable they refine our salads and when cooked they are ideal for a light and nutritious meal. More and more people are enjoying growing their own fruit and vegetables. Whether tomatoes, cucumbers, strawberries, etc. - everything tastes much better from your own garden. Would you like to plant kohlrabi this year, but don't know what you should pay attention to? How big should the distance be and which plants are good neighbors for kohlrabi? Just read on and follow oursGrowing tipsto enjoy the delicious vegetables!
What are the most popular kohlrabi varieties?
Kohlrabi (Brassica oleracea var. Gondylodes L.) belongs to the cabbage family along with cauliflower, white cabbage and kale. If you want to plant your own kohlrabi, you can choose from many different varieties. The most common plants in this country are those with white and light green coals, which taste somewhat milder compared to the purple-colored varieties. The kohlrabi varieties fundamentally differ in terms of how long they are cultivated and when they are grown. While early varieties are ready to harvest after around 11-12 weeks, late varieties take between 16 and 30 weeks to harvest. The white varieties “Lanro”, “Blaro” and the classic “Azur Star” are ideal for spring sowing. Popular kohlrabi varieties for summer and autumn are “Superschmalz”, “Delikatess weiss” and “Blue Speck”.
When to plant kohlrabi?
Due to its short cultivation time, kohlrabi is one of the very fast-growing vegetables. When you plant kohlrabi depends primarily on whether you prefer the plant yourself or would rather use seedlings from a dealer.
This is how you can prefer kohlrabi
If you decide to prefer one, the end of February would be the optimal time to do so. To grow kohlrabi, it is best to use pots with a diameter of around 5 centimeters and fill them with nutrient-poor potting soil. Place the seeds about one centimeter deep and always keep the soil moist. To ensure that the seeds germinate successfully, place the pots in a warm and bright location. A warm greenhouse or windowsill provides the perfect conditions for growing kohlrabi. Also make sure that the temperature is between 15 and 20 degrees. As soon as the first cotyledons have grown, you should place the seedlings in a cooler place with a temperature of at least 12 degrees.
Planting kohlrabi: pay attention to the distance
You can put the grown plants in the raised bed at the end of April. When planting kohlrabi, the first thing you should do is maintain the distance. In order to produce beautiful tubers, the vegetable needs enough space between the individual plants. Depending on the variety, the distance should be between 20 and 30 centimeters. For larger varieties, a distance of 40 to 50 centimeters is considered optimal. If the kohlrabi grow too large and are too close together, you may need to transplant them. In addition to the distance, you should also pay attention to the correct depth when planting kohlrabi. Do not plant the tubers too deeply in the soil, otherwise the tubers will not develop at all or they could quickly form mold. However, a bit of tact is required because if you place the plant too flat, it can tip over.
Choose the right location and prepare the soil
As with all other plants, the location also plays a crucial role in kohlrabi. In order not to impair and promote the growth of the tubers, it is best to choose a partially shaded to sunny place in the garden. Before you plant kohlrabi, you should of course first make sure that you have the optimal soil conditions for cultivation.
The vegetables are medium feeders with a short retention time and therefore have no special demands on the soil. But in order for the kohlrabi to thrive better, it is important that they have sufficient nutrients available. The soil must therefore be rich in hummus. For cultivation in spring or summer, you should prepare the bed in autumn and enrich the soil with compost. To encourage tuber growth, allow the whole thing to rest along the way.The optimal pH value of the soilshould be between 5.6 and 6.8.
Care for kohlrabi properly
If you want to enjoy a generous harvest, you should care for your kohlrabi properly even after planting. The most important rule is: watering! To prevent the tubers from becoming woody or cracking, the vegetables need water every day in summer. Even at the beginning of cultivation, you should make sure that the soil is always moist.
To prevent the soil from drying out or the tubers from bursting, you can add some mulch to the soil. This ensures that the temperature and humidity underneath remain constant.Also remove the weedsregularly and keep an eye out for any bugs and pests.
When to harvest kohlrabi?
You're probably wondering when you could harvest kohlrabi. Depending on the variety, kohlrabi are ready to harvest around eight to twelve weeks after sowing. Blue varieties usually take a little longer than white kohlrabi. However, the vegetable tastes best when the tubers are not fully grown. For the ultimate enjoyment, it is best to harvest the vegetables at this stage.
And here's a little tip as a guide - once the tubers have become about the size of a tennis ball, then they can be harvested. But don't wait too long, otherwise the vegetables will quickly become woody. Since the stalk is quite long and hard, it is best to take secateurs or a sharp knife and cut just below the tuber.
Planting kohlrabi: Which plants are good neighbors for kohlrabi?
Would you like to plant kohlrabi, but are not sure whether and with which plants it will get along well? Mixed cropping in the garden is very trendy this year and is an excellent option to promote the growth and health of plants. The best neighbors for kohlrabi include beans, peas, cucumbers, potatoes, lettuce, spinach and tomatoes. Other plants that do not promote its growth, but do not harm it either, are strawberries, garlic, carrots and zucchini.
