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Kohlrabi is ready to harvest when its bulb is 1 to 3 inches in diameter, or about the size of a tennis ball. Do not pick the vegetable in warm weather, as the root becomes woody. Kohlrabi leaves are also edible. Boil them or use them in salads.
How big should kohlrabi be before you pick it?
Unfortunately, many gardeners allow kohlrabi to grow too large before harvesting it. Large, older kohlrabi is tough and woody and it may have an off-flavor. Begin harvesting (pull or cut at ground level) when the first stems are about one inch in diameter. Continue harvest until the stems are 2 to 3 inches in diameter.
Will kohlrabi grow back after harvesting?
Yes, a kohlrabi plant will grow back after harvesting if you leave the bottom part of the stem in the ground. However, it is technically a biannual. That means, it will flower and set seed the second year, rather than producing another edible stem.
Can you eat kohlrabi after it flowers?
The bulb is an extension of the leaves. They are edible and can be delicious if harvested at the right moment. Kohlrabi leaves grown in colder temperatures can be eaten like cabbage.
Should I remove kohlrabi leaves?
The avid home gourmet may well ask, “Are kohlrabi leaves edible?” The answer is a resounding yes. Although the plant is generally grown for the thick bulb, you can also take the smaller leaves that form when the plant is young. Harvesting kohlrabi leaves in early spring is the best time to get flavorful, tender greens.
Why is my kohlrabi flowering?
Kohlrabi is the least hardy of the cabbage like vegetables. Temperatures below 45ºF will cause the plant to flower. Hot weather causes the stem to become woody and tough. Control insects and diseases throughout the year.
What can I do with kohlrabi leaves?
Although the bulb of the plant is the most frequently prepared and eaten portion, the leaves are also entirely edible. Chiffonade them finely and toss them in a vinaigrette, or give them a rough chop and either steam or sauté them, as you would collard greens or kale.
How many times can you harvest kohlrabi?
Planting every two to three weeks ensures a continuous harvest from spring through early summer. For a jump on the season, you can plant kohlrabi in a greenhouse and transplant as soon as the soil can be worked.
Does kohlrabi come back every year?
Kohlrabi is a perennial, cool season vegetable, mostly grown as an annual for its edible stem.
What do kohlrabi leaves look like?
Kohlrabi is a hardy biennial grown as an annual. Kohlrabi has a swollen globe-shaped stem that makes it look like a turnip growing on a cabbage root. Stems can be white, purple, or green and are topped with a rosette of long-stemmed blue-green leaves. Kohlrabi is milder and sweeter than either cabbage or turnip.
Can you trim kohlrabi leaves?
You can trim the leaves from the stem and save them to cook separately. Kohlrabi keeps for 2 to 3 weeks in the fridge. You can peel and slice kohlrabi tubers to eat them raw with dips or in salads, or you can cook them like turnips. The leaves are cooked until just tender, like cabbage or turnip greens.
How big do kohlrabi plants get?
Kohlrabi can grow 6 to 18 inches (15.2 to 45.7 centimeters) tall, 12 to 18 inches (30.5 to 45.7 centimeters) wide, and produce bulbs up to 6 inches (15.2 centimeters) in diameter.
How do you make kohlrabi bulbs?
Kohlrabi grows best when it grows vigorously. While it tolerates partial shade, you are more likely to get bigger bulbs if it’s grown in full sun. As mentioned above, kohlrabi that are planted too close together will shade each other out, preventing the slow growers from reaching their full size.
What does kohlrabi look like?
Kohlrabi is a cruciferous vegetable, just like cabbage, broccoli and kale. This funny-looking vegetable is about the size and shape of an orange, with a bunch of leafy stems sticking out. It has a thick skin that can range from pale green to purplish, though the inside is always a very pale yellow.
Can you eat kohlrabi leaves and stems?
Kohlrabi is one great example: its leaves are super-tasty, especially when cooked in a similar way to cabbage or collard greens; the skin and stalks will most likely be edible, too, unless it’s a particularly mature specimen. Oct 5, 2019.
How long will kohlrabi last?
Kohlrabis keep best in the fridge in your crisper. They are a long-lasting vegetable and will store for up to 3 weeks! The bulbs should remain firm and tender if kept cold.
How do you store kohlrabi after harvest?
If you aren’t going to eat them the day they were harvested, trim the leaves from the stem and then place them in a Ziploc baggie with a damp paper towel in the crisper of your refrigerator. Storing kohlrabi leaves in this manner will keep them fresh and edible for about a week.
Should I prune kohlrabi?
Trimming back the leaves is not necessary to grow kohlrabi. You can cut some young tender leaves to eat raw or cooked as you would kale or other greens.
What can you not plant near kohlrabi?
Practice crop rotation. Avoid planting kohlrabi where you have grown related crops—broccoli, cauliflower, collards, kale, turnip, rutabaga, cabbage, mustard, bok choy, or Brussels sprouts—during the previous four years.
Why are my kohlrabi not forming bulbs?
Why did my kohlrabi not form a bulb? This can happen when plants are spaced too closely together. It can also come from poor growing conditions such as too warm or freezing temperatures, too little water or a nutrient deficiency.
