How to Grow Kohlrabi

Use these instructions on how to grow kohlrabi to add this novel vegetable to your garden this summer.

How to Grow Kohlrabi

One of my favorite ways to use kohlrabi is in a stir-fry. It is what I use to replace cabbage in mine because I think it has more flavor. Growing kohlrabi can be done in any zone with only a few modifications and it is a great fall harvest to have. Here are some tips for growing kohlrabi from seed to harvest.

How to Grow Kohlrabi from Seed

You can start kohlrabi seeds indoors or out, but it is preferable for you to start them directly sown. If you live in a very cold region without a long growing season, you may choose to start your seeds indoors about 3 weeks before the last frost if your soil is too hard to work.

To start kohlrabi seeds indoors, you will need a seed starting tray, seed starting mix and a warm sunny spot. Place 2 seeds into each section of your tray and water. You will see seeds germinate in about a week and a half.

To sow directly outside, prepare your soil with some compost and plant seeds about 10 inches apart. Water and keep moist until germination and throughout the growing season.

For more information on how to grow kohlrabi from seed, check out this post.

How to Transplant Kohlrabi Seedlings

Before transplanting your kohlrabi seedlings, make sure you acclimate them in a process called hardening off. This is a process of getting them used to the outdoors by placing them outside for longer periods of time until they are staying out overnight.

To transplant your seedlings, prepare the soil with lots of fertilizer and nutrient-rich compost. You will also want to space them apart by about 10 inches. Use care when transplanting kohlrabi plants.

For more information on transplanting kohlrabi seedlings, check out this post.

Kohlrabi And Pests

One of the pests you may encounter are cabbage worms, but luckily they aren’t as attracted to kohlrabi as the other plants in the same family. To get rid of them it’s easiest to get rid of the eggs when you see them. If you miss the eggs, you can manually remove them from your plants. They look like green caterpillars and are easy to spot. You can prevent them by using row covers.

You can also mix a soap mixture and wash your leaves with it when they appear. This is as easy as mixing dish soap with a little water and spraying it. You will want to especially pay attention to the underside of the leaves.

How to Harvest Kohlrabi

The good thing about kohlrabi is you can literally see when it is ready as the bulb grows above ground. Look for the bulb at the bottom of the plant to get at least 3-4 inches across (at minimum) and simply pull from the ground.

You can store kohlrabi in the fridge and you can actually eat the leaves as well as they are quite nutritious. I recommend breaking down the plant by bulbs and then storing the leaves separately for ease of storage.

For More Information on How to Grow Kohlrabi

How to Grow Kohlrabi from Seed

How to Transplant Kohlrabi Seedlings