Kohlrabi
Cultivated and praised for its virtues since ancient times, kohlrabi, from the Brassicaceae family (formerly Cruciferae), is a somewhat forgotten variety of cabbage. However, this plant, with a fleshy bulge at the base of its leaves, lends itself perfectly to fine and tasty cooking: reminiscent of hazelnuts when harvested early and eaten raw, kohlrabi can also be cooked very well in soup, purée or simply pan-fried. There are about twenty varieties (white, pale green, purple) including Blanc de Vienne, Dyna or Superschmelz. They are all extremely easy to grow.
From March to June, you can sow directly in your garden at a depth of 1-2 cm. In cold regions or to get a head start on the calendar, sow your plants in a greenhouse. Transplant the plants in the garden as soon as they have 5-6 leaves or 5 weeks. Please plant them every 30 cm or so in soil that should be kept moist, previously enriched with manure or mature compost and choose an exposure between sun and half-shade.
In case of sowing in the ground, remember to thin out to 30 cm as soon as the plants are sufficiently robust. After that, beyond additional watering in case of low rainfall, you just have to watch your cabbages grow! Harvesting takes place two or three months after emergence. In the spring, they are picked tender, as big as apples, and in the fall, even bigger.
Kohlrabi
- Type : Vegetables
- Subtype : Leafy vegetables
- Botanical family : Brassicaceae (cruciferous)
Characteristics
- Exposure : Sun
- Hardiness : Frost resistant
- Easy to grow, but requires regular maintenance (difficulty : 2/3)
Sowing & planting
- Sowing depth : 0.5 cm
- Plant spacing : 20 cm
- Row spacing : 30 cm
- Emergence time : 8 days
- Emergence temperature : 12 °C
- From sowing to harvesting : 150 days
- Seed storage : 5 years