Kohlrabi (Early White Vienna)

📖 About This Plant

Kohlrabi (Early White Vienna) is one of the most underappreciated vegetables in the Western garden — a mild, crisp brassica that tastes like a cross between broccoli stem and apple, eaten raw or cooked, and ready to harvest in just 45–55 days from transplant. Early White Vienna is the classic pale-green globe selection, producing tennis-ball-sized swollen stems that bulge above the soil on thin stalks with upward-reaching leaves. The flesh is sweet, mildly peppery, and extraordinarily crisp — much closer in texture and flavor to water chestnut or jicama than to its brassica relatives. It can be sliced thin and eaten raw like radish, roasted until caramelized and tender, grated into slaws, used in stir-fries, or hollowed out and stuffed. Kohlrabi stores exceptionally well refrigerated and holds its crunch for 2–3 weeks after harvest.

📊 Quick Facts

📅 When to Plant in Your Area

🌱 Care Tips

Kohlrabi is a cool-season crop that thrives in the same conditions as cabbage and broccoli. Start transplants indoors 3–4 weeks before last frost, or direct sow 2 weeks before last frost. For a fall crop (which produces the sweetest bulbs), direct sow 8 weeks before first frost. Space plants or thin seedlings to 6 inches apart — crowded kohlrabi produces elongated, tough bulbs. Kohlrabi grows fast and needs consistent moisture; irregular watering causes cracking and tough, fibrous texture. Feed with a balanced fertilizer at planting. The key to success: harvest at exactly the right size. For Early White Vienna, harvest when the swollen stem reaches 2–3 inches in diameter — roughly the size of a tennis ball. Left longer, the skin toughens and the flesh becomes woody and strongly flavored. Fortunately, a kohlrabi left in the garden simply signals the plant to divert energy to seed production; there is no bitter or toxic stage, just declining quality. Kohlrabi has excellent pest resistance for a brassica — cabbage worms are the main concern; apply Bt spray or use row cover as a preventive. After harvesting the bulb, chop the leaves and stems and add to compost; they break down faster than most brassica waste.

🤝 Companion Plants

These plants grow well alongside Kohlrabi:

🌿 Related Vegetable

More vegetable that grow in similar conditions:

❓ Frequently Asked Questions