Have you ever heard of turnip cabbage ? Until a few years ago , produce turnip cabbage never crossed my judgment because I had no estimation what this craw was . Kohlrabi is a member of the kale and clams mob with a flavor like to turnip , and it ’s made a splash on the Fannie Merritt Farmer ’s securities industry scene of late .
I recently go to a friend ’s domicile , and she made kohlrabi chips . Yes , really ! They were these thin slices of baked veggies with a scattering of saltiness . Their crispy grain and sweet , cabbage - like relish made them funnily addict to everyone at her party .
At first , kohlrabi looks a bit foreign . It has a bulb - like bow that slimly resembles a radish , but it grows above the primer coat . If you could get past the peculiar look , Brassica oleracea gongylodes is a tight - growing cool - weather crop that is high in fiber and vitamin C. In under two months , they ’re ready to harvest , so they ’re a great addition if you want to increase your harvest home amount each year .
Kohlrabi Varieties
you’re able to find several varieties of kohlrabi ( Brassica oleracea ) plant . No matter the type , they are all stalwart biennial plant that look like a Brassica rapa develop on lucre root . The stem can be snowy , purple , or green , topped with blue - immature leaf .
Here are a few popular turnip cabbage multifariousness that you might need to grow .
Early Purple Vienna
This mixture of Brassica oleracea gongylodes has endearing parting and looks decorative in your garden . It feature purple skin and sugared , white soma that smack excellent cooked or new . Matures in 60 days .
Early White Vienna
This variety is best if you eat them invigorated . It boast a pale physical body that is tender and lusciously honeyed . White Vienna grows smooth globes with tender centre . Matures in 55 days .
Grand Duke
If you want shockingly gravid kohlrabi , Grand Duke can outgrow many other heirloom breed . It ’s a light gullible variety with sweet , tender pulp . Matures in 50 day .
Planting Kohlrabi
grow turnip cabbage is n’t too much different than grow pelf , turnip , or other nerveless - atmospheric condition crops . They all have exchangeable grease requirements , location preferences , and H2O needs . Let ’s take a look at what you need to know to raise turnip cabbage in your garden beds .
Growing Zones
Kohlrabi grows well in zone 3 - 10 .
Soil Requirements
Like many cool - season crop , kohlrabi is a grueling tributary , so it prefers fertile , well - drain dirt . This crop prefer ground within the 5.5 to 6.8 range of a function . Soil closer to the 6.5 to 6.8 discourages clubroot disease , which is elusive for this crop .
Before planting , figure out aged compost in your garden beds before sowing . Another smart idea is to add atomic number 7 - racy amendments , such as lineage meal and cottonseed meal , to your dirt before plant .
Sun Requirements
Before you plant Brassica oleracea gongylodes , you need to break up the right positioning . This craw requires full sunlight or fond spook at the most . If you found midsummer for a fall crop , some afternoon shade can help oneself keep the seedlings cooler than they would be in full Dominicus .
If you are n’t too sure , watch the location that you prefer in your garden and time how much Lord’s Day it receive . Kohlrabi needs at least six hours of full sun each day , but more is respectable .
The Best Time to Plant Kohlrabi
Kohlrabi is a cool - season crop . That mean you do n’t need to plant it in the summertime . If you live in the North , plant in the spring , the fall , or both . In the South , program for kohlrabi to be a winter harvest , planting in the fall .
You must pay care to temperatures . Kohlrabi favour cool temperatures between 40 ℉ and 75 ℉ . Most varieties take 45 - 60 daylight to get hold of maturity date , and they should reach maturity before the temperature increase much higher than that . So , plan consequently based on your ordinary regional temperature .
Direct Sowing
If you want a leap crop , plant the come out of doors after the danger of a tough Robert Lee Frost pass . If you require a tumble crop , put the germ in the earth in midsummer . Then , plant in the fall for a wintertime crop . Kohlrabi is an fantabulous choice for nightfall gardens !
Planting by Seed
Sow the cum ½ column inch thick and 1 inch aside , or the best that you may do . Once the seedlings sprout and are a few column inch tall , thin out the seedlings 4 inches asunder . you’re able to graft the thin out seedlings to another part of your garden .
Transplanting
Transplant seedling when they have 3 - 4 true leaves . Harden off for a calendar week or two to prevent shock .
Spacing
Many gardener direct sow kohlrabi come outside . Plan for rows to be spaced 12 - 18 in asunder . Brassica oleracea gongylodes seed are flyspeck , so it ’s difficult to space them appropriately at first .
Container Growing
Just because you have a smaller garden area – or a lack of a garden – does n’t have in mind you ca n’t develop kohlrabi . This crop is an splendid selection for container gardens !
ensure to clean a heavy enough container . IT\t needs to be at least 16 inches in diam and 16 inches deep . Fill it with gamey - quality potting soil that moderate nutrient - rich compost .
Caring for Kohlrabi
Now that you are growing kohlrabi in your garden bed , here is what you require to have sex about keeping those plant growing healthy and to their full potentiality .
Water Needs
call up that kohlrabi is consider a cool - weather crop , and most of those type of plants involve moist soil . So , keep the soil evenly moist for firm growth . If your plants go without water for too long , they ’ll become woody . take aim to give your plant 1 - 1.5 inches of weewee each hebdomad or more .
Fertilizing
If you apply compost before plant , you typically do n’t need to employ too much fertilizer . you could add 3 - 4 quarts per 100 sq foot of an constituent all - purpose 5 - 5 - 5 fertilizer before seed or transplanting . That ’s about all these industrial plant want . You also can side - dress kohlrabi with of age compost at midseason for a encouragement of nutrients .
Mulching
mulch around your plants is an excellent idea because it help to keep the soil moist and reduce filth temperature . you may mulch around the plants with compost , fine background leaf , or basis barque . Mulching also has the added welfare of reducing sess , and everyone likes fewer weeds in their garden .
Companion Plants for Kohlrabi
Luckily , you have plenty of options for awing fellow plants for kohlrabi ! It ’s not hard to obtain a few selections that you in all probability already have going into your garden . Here are a few of the top pick :
More significantly , call up not to plant kohlrabi with pole bean , strawberries , capsicum pepper plant , or tomatoes .
Common Pests & Diseases
A variety of pestis and disease can attack kohlrabi , so taking particular charge can keep your crop . Here are a few pesky creatures and diseases to watch out for each year .
Cabbage Loopers
This pest causes large or small fix in leaves . They ’re cat that are pale gullible with a snowy line flow down either side of their body . The louse can overwinter as pupa in junk .
Usually , you may keep cabbage looper in check by introducing natural enemies to your garden . You also can turn over - pickaxe larvae off of the plants . If you want to use an coating , try applyingBacillus thuringiensis , which is an organic control method that kills younger larva .
Cabbage Aphid
Cabbage aphid are , as the name implies , a character of aphid that targets brassicas . They are gray - green with a white waxy surface . A serious infestation can stunt the growth of your turnip cabbage . They also spread disease .
Unlike other aphids , you ca n’t blast these off of plant . Their waxy coating proects them . utilize an insecticidal max instead .
Cutworms
Another vulgar cuss is cutworms which love to prune the stems of youthful graft and seedlings at the soil line of descent . They prey on a range of plant , such as bean , boodle , carrots , kohlrabi , and tomatoes .
Remove all plant residue from the dirt after crop or await at least two weeks before planting . you’re able to also make a plastic or foil collar to meet around the plant stems that pass over the bottom 3 inches . check that to hand - pick larvae after dark , and spread diatomaceous globe around the al-Qa’ida of the plants .
Clubroot
If you notice stunted plants with yellow leaves that droop during the solar day , you might have clubroot . This disease also have distorted root and gall formation , and it can hold up in the soil for up to 10 years . Clubroot spreads by the apparent motion of contaminated soil .
Eliminatingclubrootis hard if not unsufferable . Applying lime to the territory can reduce the spreadhead of the fungus and industrial plant only license seeds . invalidate field grow transplants !
Downy Mildew
Another common disease is downy mildew , which can cause unorthodox yellowed spell on folio that finally rick light brown . You might also detect downy gray maturation on the underside of the leaves . It ’s a disease that prefers cool , dampish consideration .
To get rid of downy mildew , remove all of the crop detritus after crop and be sure to splay with non - brassica class members . Sometimes , the software of an appropriate antimycotic agent can be helpful .
Powdery Mildew
Powdery mold is a fungal disease that is spread via wind and piss from rain , irrigation , or high humidity . Young plant are most susceptible . You ’ll first find powdery white spot on plants and subsequently you ’ll see buds and growing tips become disfigured .
Destroy seriously infected works and spray remain plants with a good fungicide .
Harvesting and Storing Kohlrabi
The honest time to reap Brassica oleracea gongylodes is when the electric light are 2 - 3 inches in diam , about 45 - 60 day after planting . You want the foliage to be young and lovesome . Luckily , harvest kohlrabi is unbelievably mere . All you have to do is cut them from the base of the flora .
Once reap , kohlrabi stores well in the icebox for 2 - 3 weeks , or you could keep it in a coolheaded , moist home for 1 - 2 calendar month . You also can suspend kohlrabi !
Even though this might be a young crop for you to cook , you ’ll ascertain plenty of shipway to practice it in recipes . you’re able to eat the stems invigorated or rip up them in salads . Shred up the stems and put them in chicken ado - youngster or sautee as a side dish . The top of turnip cabbage are edible as well . you could practice them as salad greens or fudge them as a substitute for spinach .
Final Thoughtson Growing Kohlrabi
Growing kohlrabi might not be the first thing that comes to mind when planning your garden , but it deserve a to be . With its fast - growing nature and unparalleled aspect , gardeners everywhere are adding this plant to their bed in grow numbers . Make certain you add a few rows as well !
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