Whether in soups, as a side dish or in a salad - kohlrabi refines almost every dish with its nutty taste. Best of all, you can already bring in the first harvest in early summer.
Kohlrabi is a typical German vegetable, as we eat a lot of it and very little in other countries. The vegetable plant is so he althy. And also very tasty. With the sweet and nutty note, the vegetables go well with fish and meat. It also refines soups and stews.
And best of all: Kohlrabi is easy to grow. It is characterized, for example, by a short growth time of eight to twelve weeks after planting. If you prefer your kohlrabi from February, you can already bring in the first harvest in early summer. You just have to be careful when cultivating the seedlings and it will work.
How to properly prepare the kohlrabi
Step 1 - Sow the kohlrabi:
The right time to sow kohlrabi is mid-February. To do this, put some potting soil in small pots that are four to five centimeters in diameter. Then sprinkle some kohlrabi seeds in the pot and put another thin layer of soil on top. Lightly press down the soil and use a spray bottle to moisten the seeds.
Now all you have to do is cover the pots with cling film and place them in a sunny spot, such as a windowsill. Make sure that the ambient temperature is neither too high nor too low. 15 to 16 degrees are ideal. Also, keep the seeds and the seedlings visible after 10 days to 2 weeks constantly moist without completely soaking the soil. It works with the spray bottle without any problems.
Step 2 - prick the kohlrabi:
After about four weeks, at least two more leaves should be visible in addition to the two cotyledons. Now the time has come to prick out the kohlrabi, i.e. to separate the seedlings and replant them separately. Do this as follows:
❶ Gently pull the seedlings out of the ground with a pricking stick.
❷ Discard any sickly looking plants.
❸ Shorten theRoot a little to encourage stronger growth.
❹ Lower the roots of each seedling into the hole in the soil of the plant pot.
❺ Gently press the earth.
❻ Make sure the leaves are not touching the ground.
Tip:If you have a greenhouse in your garden, you can also grow kohlrabi there. Kohlrabi can also be preferred in the cold frame. Reading tip: Planting vegetables in the greenhouse - crop rotation is important.
Step 3 - plant kohlrabi outdoors:
Now give the young kohlrabi plants some time to develop in a protected environment. At the end of April, the time has come to put your kohlrabi in the bed. If you have a rather sandy subsoil in the garden, it is advisable to enrich the soil with compost. Maintain a row spacing of 30 centimeters and plant spacing within the row of 25 centimetres.