Grow Kohlrabi in your Home Vegetable Garden

Kohlrabi is cousin to cabbage and broccoli. The best time to grow this great tasting vegetable is in the cooler months in the autumn following plants that can only grow when the temperatures are hot. Here is how you can successfully grow kohlrabi in your home vegetable garden.

It is not recommended that you sow your kohlrabi seeds indoors due to the fact they germinate better in cooler temperatures that are more than likely readily available outdoors during the autumn months. Therefore sow your seeds in your garden no deeper than 1/2" and space them out at least eight inches.

For an optimal growing environment make sure you test the pH level of your soil. Kohlrabi likes the soil to be neutral or as close to neutral as you can get. 6.0 - 7.0 would be ideal.

For an optimal growing environment make sure you test the pH level of your soil. Kohlrabi likes the soil to be neutral or as close to neutral as you can get. 6.0 - 7.0 would be ideal. You can pick up a soil testing kit from Home Depot or Lowes or any garden center for just a few bucks.

Kohlrabi yields best in full sun but there are genetically engineered seeds that can tolerate light shade knowing the days in the autumn months, in regards to sunlight, are shorter. So make sure you plant the seeds where your garden receives ample amounts of sunlight.

Even watering is all you will need for kohlrabi. Keep the soil moist by moderate watering every couple of days. Do not saturate as that could cause root rot.

When the stems are about two inches in diameter you can begin to harvest. Simply pull the entire plant and trim off the leaves and the roots. Kohlrabi will store for well over a month in your refrigerator, so if you harvest the plant and can not get to eating it right away, do not worry, you have plenty of time.

As you can see kohlrabi is not that difficult to grow and harvest. Follow these simple few steps and you will be well on your way to adding a great tasting vegetable to your dinner table compliments of your backyard home vegetable garden.


About the Author
Mike is the author of the book Vegetable Gardening for the Average Person: A Guide to Vegetable Gardening for the Rest of Us, available where gardening books are sold. Sign up for Mike’s vegetable gardening newsletter at his website: AveragePersonGardening.com and he will send you a free pack of vegetable seeds to get your garden started.