I haven't tried these before - but will this year (2004). "They" say it's easy and fast to grow, fairly tolerant of heat and drought, resistant to pests and club-root. And, better still, versatile and tasty in the kitchen - steamed with the skin on (or boiled?), treated like a turnip, or grated raw into salads for a fresh, nutty crunch. What have I been missing?
Especially interesting, when I haven't yet managed a successful crop of early turnips!
How to
- Does well on a lighter and looser soil, but otherwise as for other brassica.
- Can be sown under cover in February and March for an early crop; transplant after 4-6 weeks, when the plants are no more than 2 inches high, in rows 12 inches apart, with plants spaced at 6 inches (for a crop of smaller, sweeter kohl rabi), to 12 inches (for larger "roots").
- Or sow in drills 12 inches apart, direct in the bed, from April through to July.
- Protect by covering with fleece or enviromesh tunnel.
- Thin the seedlings to about 9-12 inches apart (or 6 inches for "baby" roots).
- Harvest - best done when they are tennis ball size to get the sweet nuttiness.
Growing Calendar - Kohl Rabi
Timings are based on my allotment in Yorkshire; southerners will start earlier, northerners even later!
Fits in Brassica part of rotation.![]()