Kohlrabi! The Veggie That Looks WEIRD But Tastes AMAZING!
Your AI-Powered Garden Buddy
Start for free and let AI guide your gardening journey!
https://strongecho.com/gardening-app/
Gardening made smarter, easier, and more rewarding. With StrongEcho Garden, you’ll have all the tools you need to grow healthy plants, identify issues, and make your garden thrive.
-----
About StrongEcho
We rent a plot in a greenhouse in the Netherlands, grow foods for ourselves, family, and friends and always make sure we have a nice surplus to share with our community. Learn more: https://strongecho.com/
Like, subscribe, and leave a comment to help us increase our reach so we can teach more people how to grow food for themselves, loved ones, and community.
----
Is it a turnip? A cabbage? A vegetable from outer space?! Nope—it’s kohlrabi!
Kohlrabi is the most underrated, weird-looking, and delicious veggie you can grow. It tastes like sweet, crunchy broccoli stems, but it grows way faster and easier than broccoli!
But here’s the thing—most people mess it up!
❌ Planting too late? Tiny kohlrabi.
❌ Not enough water? Woody, tough kohlrabi.
❌ Bugs chewing it up? Game over.
Don’t worry! By the end of this video, you’ll know exactly how to grow big, juicy, and perfect kohlrabi in your garden. Stick around, because I’ve got a crazy kohlrabi fact at the end that might just blow your mind! 🤯
Chapters:
00:49 Choosing the Right Kohlrabi Variety
01:31 Prepping the Soil for your Kohlrabi
02:07 Planting Kohlrabi Like a Pro
02:50 Watering & Feeding your Kohlrabi
03:29 Protecting Kohlrabi from Pests
04:17 Harvesting Kohlrabi Like a Boss
Step 1: Choosing the Right Kohlrabi Variety.
Did you know kohlrabi comes in different colors and sizes? Picking the right variety is key!
🔥 Fast-Growing & Sweet:
✅ Early Purple Vienna – Purple skin, white inside, sweet and crisp!
✅ Early White Vienna – Greenish-white, classic mild flavor.
🥶 Best for Cold Weather & Bigger Bulbs:
✅ Gigante (Superschmelz) – Giant, stays tender even when huge!
✅ Kossak – Big but still sweet, takes a little longer to grow.
💡 Pro Tip: If you want kohlrabi fast, go for Early Purple or Early White Vienna—they’re ready in 6-8 weeks!
Step 2: Prepping the Soil for your Kohlrabi.
Kohlrabi is like a root veggie that doesn’t grow underground—so the soil needs to be soft and nutrient-rich!
✅ Loose, well-draining soil is a must! If your soil is hard, mix in compost.
✅ pH between 6.0-7.5 (slightly acidic to neutral).
✅ Kohlrabi LOVES nitrogen! Add compost, aged manure, or an organic fertilizer like 10-10-10 before planting.
💡 Secret Tip: Too much nitrogen? You’ll get big leaves but tiny bulbs! Keep it balanced.
Step 3: Planting your Kohlrabi Like a Pro.
🚀 Kohlrabi grows best in cool weather!
Spring planting: 4-6 weeks before the last frost.
Fall planting: 6-8 weeks before the first frost.
✅ Spacing Matters!
Seeds: Plant ¼ inch deep, spaced 2 inches apart.
Seedlings: Thin them to 6-8 inches apart once they grow.
✅ Sunlight Needs:
6+ hours of full sun = fast, healthy growth.
Can tolerate partial shade, but it’ll grow slower.
💡 Pro Tip: Want continuous kohlrabi? Plant new seeds every 2-3 weeks!
Step 4: Watering & Feeding your Kohlrabi.
Kohlrabi hates dry soil! If it dries out, the bulbs get hard and woody.
💦 Watering Tips:
✅ 1-1.5 inches of water per week. Keep the soil evenly moist!
✅ Mulch around the base to lock in moisture & prevent weeds.
🌿 Feeding Your Kohlrabi:
✅ Compost tea or fish emulsion every 2-3 weeks for extra nutrients.
✅ Side-dress with organic fertilizer once the bulbs start forming.
💡 Fun Fact: Kohlrabi is one of the FASTEST-growing brassicas! You’ll see results in just 6 weeks! 🚀
Step 5: Protecting Kohlrabi from Pests.
Bad news: Bugs love kohlrabi as much as you do.
Good news: You can stop them!
🚨 Common Kohlrabi Enemies & How to Beat Them:
🐛 Cabbage Worms & Loopers:
✅ Cover with floating row covers to block butterflies.
✅ Sprinkle diatomaceous earth to keep caterpillars away!
🦠 Aphids:
✅ Spray with neem oil or a DIY soap spray (1 tsp dish soap + 1 quart water).
✅ Plant marigolds or basil nearby—aphids HATE them!
🐌 Slugs & Snails:
✅ Use crushed eggshells or diatomaceous earth around plants.
✅ Try beer traps—yep, slugs love beer! 🍺
💡 Pro Tip: If you see holes in your leaves, act fast before pests take over!
Step 6: Harvesting Kohlrabi Like a Boss!
🎯 Kohlrabi is ready when…
The bulbs are 2-3 inches wide (about the size of a baseball).
Don’t let them get too big—overgrown kohlrabi gets woody and tough!
Final Thought: Crazy Kohlrabi Fact!
Did you know kohlrabi was once used as animal feed? 😳
Yep—before people realized how delicious it was, farmers grew it for cows and pigs! Now, it’s a superfood for humans, too.
👉 Want more fun gardening tips? Subscribe now! Because YOU CAN GROW IT! 🌱🥦
Learn more about how to grow Kohlrabi:
https://strongecho.com/how-grow-kohlrabi/
#kohlrabi #gardeningtips #gardeningideas