Kohlrabi is a high yielding vegetable and easy to grow in the garden. However, cruciferous vegetables tend to shoot prematurely if care is flawed. The location also plays an important role in healthy growth.
Despite the beautiful flowers, gardeners' hearts are not happy when the kohlrabi shoots
How kohlrabi grows
This vegetable grows as a biennial plant that develops a thickened tuber the year it is grown. In the following season, a branched inflorescence develops, on which pods form. The plant is harvested in the first growing season.
Negative Influencing Factors
If the environmental conditions are not right, shooting will occur. If cold periods suddenly occur after planting, the plants are suggested that winter is imminent. This cold stimulus causes rapid flower development. Plants that are planted too tightly compete for light, causing them to shoot up and develop buds faster too. Other factors are over-fertilization and irregularities in the water supply.
consider claims
Kohlrabi thrives in deep soil that is rich in nutrients and can store water. Even soil moisture is important for a lush and healthy harvest. Mulch the bed to prevent excessive water evaporation. The vegetable prefers sunny locations.
Avoid stunted growth
Kohlrabi is more prone to shooting if you grow young plants yourself from seeds. This shows how important the optimal environmental conditions are in the early growth phase. During the growing season, cruciferous plants value an even supply of water and nutrients. Nettle manure and horn meal are ideal fertilizers.
You can do this:
- Cultivate seedlings in a bright place at 14 to 18 degrees
- avoid direct sunlight
- Plant young plants when the thermometer permanently rises above ten degrees
- keep a minimum distance of 30 centimeters in the bed
- Water evenly during growth
- better fertilize several times in low concentrations than once in high doses
How to harvest properly
Kohlrabi has a long planting season. The harvest period extends from April to October and depends on the selected variety and the cultivation date. There are usually six to twelve weeks between planting and harvesting. Breeds with large bulbs require more time to develop than small-bulb cultivars.
When the tubers are ripe
With the exception of large bulbous specimens, such as those produced by the 'Super Schmelz' variety, the sprout bulbs are ready to harvest once they have reached the size of a tennis ball. The plants have brightly colored and healthy leaves that shine in rich green or violet. The earlier you harvest, the more tender the vegetables will taste. At this stage, it lends itself well to raw food dishes. The crop yields increase in the course of the further growth phase. However, the tissue takes on a firm consistency and becomes increasingly lignified.
tips
Cut off the tuberous, thickened shoots just above ground level. This allows the roots to overwinter and sprout again next year.