Fresh kohlrabi from your own garden are a delight. Cultivation begins with sowing directly into the bed or growing in pots or trays. Seeds for white or blue kohlrabi varieties are available from garden centers or online. Depending on the variety, one bag contains seeds for 80 to 100 plants.
When and how is kohlrabi sowed?
Kohlrabi can be sown directly in the bed from the end of March to mid-June or on the windowsill from February. Seeds are sown in 0.5-1 cm deep grooves (bed) or cultivation containers (window sill) and lightly covered with soil. Germination occurs within a week at temperatures above 16 °C.
Sowing directly into the bed
From the end of March to mid-June you can sow kohlrabi directly into the vegetable patch. It starts with early varieties like “Lanro”, which are insensitive to cold.
Kohlrabi thrive in medium-heavy, nutrient-rich soil in a sunny, not too dry location. Compost is dug into the bed in autumn to enrich nutrients.
The kohlrabi seed is sown thinly in 0.5 to 1 cm deep grooves and only lightly covered with soil. At temperatures above 16 °C the seeds germinate after about a week.
Once the seed has sprouted, you have to prick out the young plants regularly. Only then will the tubers have enough space to develop splendidly. A distance of at least 15 cm between the kohlrabi plants and approx. 30 cm between the rows is ideal.
Prefer kohlrabi
It's quite easy to grow kohlrabi plants on the bright, warm windowsill from February onwards. You need:
- growing pots or
- Bowls or
- clean yogurt cups and
- growing soil
The seeds are sown thinly in the containers, lightly covered with soil and kept moist. If the cultivation temperature is between 12 - 15 °C, the first peaks will appear after a week.
If all the seeds develop, you have to prick out here too. The young plants can move to the garden bed when they have developed 3 - 4 leaves.
Tips & Tricks
The cold frame and the unheated greenhouse are also suitable for growing kohlrabi. Advantages: The glazing serves as heat storage and the seedlings are protected from pest damage.
