Kohlrabi

Brassica oleracea var. gongylodes 'Early White Vienna'

vegetable

Early White Vienna is the standard pale-green kohlrabi, a brassica grown for the swollen, bulb-like stem that forms just above the soil, with crisp, sweet flesh tasting somewhere between a mild turnip and a broccoli stem. It matures quickly in 55 to 65 days and is good raw or cooked, at its best when grown fast in cool weather.

☀️

Sun

full sun

💧

Water

Every 2 days

🌾

Harvest

~55 days

📊

Difficulty

easy

🌱

Lifecycle

biennial

Leaves year 1, flowers year 2

↔️

Spacing

4-6 in. apart

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Planting Depth

1/4-1/2 in.

🧪

Soil pH

6.0-7.5

Growing Details

Soil Type

Rich, well-draining

Hardiness Zones

Zones 3 – 10

Grown as an annual. This range is its winter hardiness, but you can grow it for a single season in any zone.

When to Fertilize

At planting, then every 4 weeks

Fertilizer

Balanced 10-10-10

🌱 Growing Guide

Direct sow or transplant in cool weather, aiming for growing temperatures around 65 to 75F, in fertile, moisture-retentive soil. Keep plants steadily watered and never heat- or drought-stressed, since stress and slow growth turn the bulbs tough, woody, and bitter.

Planting Calendar

spring planting

🌱

Start seeds indoors

Feb 25

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Transplant outdoors

Apr 1

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Projected first harvest

May 26

fall planting

🌿

Direct sow

Aug 11

🌾

Projected first harvest

Oct 5

JJan

FFeb

MMar

AApr

MMay

JJun

✅ Plant alongside

Good neighbors that attract beneficial insects or deter pests

Beets: Shares cool-season beds without competing
Onions: Scent helps deter pests
Sweet Alyssum: Draws hoverflies that eat aphids
Nasturtium: Trap crop for aphids

❌ Keep away from

StrawberryTomato

🛡️ Pest & disease prevention

Proactive ways to stop trouble before it starts. Tap a name with an arrow for its full guide

Flea beetles
Row cover seedlings, which are most vulnerable young
Cabbage worms
Handpick, cover, and use Bt if needed
Cabbage root maggot
Use row cover and crop rotation to break the cycle

🌾 Harvest & storage

Harvest when the bulb is 2 to 3 inches across, between a golf ball and a tennis ball; once it grows much past 3 inches it develops woody fibers, so do not wait too long. Cut the bulb at the base and trim the stems.

🥗 Nutrition & benefits

Kohlrabi is low in calories and very high in vitamin C, with good fiber plus potassium, vitamin B6, and the minerals copper and manganese.

For educational and informational purposes only. HomeSown is not medical, health, or other professional advice. Always positively identify any plant before handling or eating it; some plants, and some parts of otherwise-edible plants, are toxic. Consult a qualified professional before consuming or otherwise using any plant, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, taking medication, or have a health condition.