Kohlrabi-questions

[Itoero]

I have kohlrabi Superschmelz seeds.
I'm planning to sow them indoors in the beginning of februari.
When they have one good leaf, I will place them in their pots in the greenhouse.
After a couple weeks, I will plant them in open ground in the greenhouse.

Is that a good plan?
Does Superschmelz kohlrabi tolerates the heat of summermonths?

I live in Belgium, it normally doesn't freerze after March.

[pepperhead212]

I have tried countless kohlrabi varieties, including superschmelz, and I always start mine (along with Asian greens, in small, 72/flat pots about 3 weeks before transplanting outdoors, about 3 weeks before last frost date. How cold does it get in your greenhouse? Kohlrabi is cold resistant, but not nearly as much so as some of the Asian greens I grow for the entire winter, covered in about a 4' high hoophouse. However, when I tried it (started inOct.) it didn't die - it just didn't grow bulbs the entire winter, until early march, when the bulbs started growing! You'll have to experiment, and see if they take off initially, or wait until the temp. gets higher, but they should be OK.

I'm not sure how the Supershmelz will do in heat, but I wasn't very impressed with it in general, as it was the smallest and slowest of 4 varieties I grew, the only time I tried it. Kolibri hybrid (purple) is my favorite, and the one I compare all new ones against, and Express forcer hybrid the best green variety I have found. And Grand duke is probably the best OP variety I have found - a little slower than the hybrids, but still gets to 4" or so, w/o getting woody or spongy.

The only kohlrabi I have grown into the hot summer is the Kossack. It got to about 5 inches by about the time others were harvested, in about 6 weeks. But it took about another 6 weeks to get to full size, around Aug. 1, when the greens were starting to get brown.

[Bobberman]

I like the hybrids since the seeds are cheap and small I get more uniform bulbs with the hybrids! Fertilizer makes a difference since you want to grow the root use more potassium after a few weeks.

[rainbowgardener]

I have never grown kohlrabi, but I start a ton of stuff from seed. I would say in general you want your seedlings to get a little bigger than "one good leaf" or one pair of true leaves before transplanting into pots or moving to less sheltered location.

[pepperhead212]

I have never grown kohlrabi, but I start a ton of stuff from seed. I would say in general you want your seedlings to get a little bigger than "one good leaf" or one pair of true leaves before transplanting into pots or moving to less sheltered location.

I agree, rainbow, and the 3 weeks my brassicas spend in the pots is usually plenty of time to get a good number of leaves, and a good root system, as well. Those 72/flat pots are usually filled with roots in that time, and I wouldn't go much longer! These are the only things I transplant that quickly after planting, but they really take off, so it never seems to bother them. I may harden them off a little, by putting the flats on my back porch a couple days early, but again, they are hardy, and not much affects them.

One thing that I do with these, and all those other greens I plant in the spring (and fall) is to cover them with a length of Agribon fabric, not so much to keep bugs off, or to warm them (though it probably does this a little), but to keep rabbits off! They will disappear overnight, if left uncovered. And rabbits seem to really like kohlrabi, I found out the hard way, before I started covering, when all of my kohlrabi were gone, and only a few of the other greens had been chewed.

[imafan26]

I have never tried kohlrabi. What does it taste like and how do you use it?

[Itoero]

In my greenhouse it get's as cold as outside.
I just found a youtube in which someone is harvesting big Superschmelz kohlrabi, while it's morning and already 27°C.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?x-yt-ts=1 ... detailpage
So I let them grow indoors for 3 weeks before placing them in the greenhouse.

I've never tried it either.

[pepperhead212]

I have never tried kohlrabi. What does it taste like and how do you use it?

To me, it tastes like a cross of broccoli stems and turnips. It is cooked in many ways; it can be braised, like turnips, but I use it more often in stir-fries, sliced or julienned, or raw, in salads. It has a mild flavor, but is very crispy, and I often use it in place of water chestnuts of bamboo shoots, for the crunchy aspect. I have also used it many times in SE Asian salads in place of green papaya - it has a different flavor, of course, but it makes an absolutely delicious som tum.

[pepperhead212]

Itoero,

While looking at some photos in a file from winter 2010, I found a photo of superschmelz I had growing in the cold:
https://s24.photobucket.com/user/pepperh ... ort=2&o=17

I think as long as kohlrabi gets the bulb growing before it gets too cold, it's OK. Just doesn't seem to do much when it's in the cold from day one, at least when I have grown it.

[Bobberman]

I make cole slaw with it and its very good! I also eat it like radish raw with salt!

[jal_ut]

I have been planting seed directly in the outside garden. Early, at the same time as carrots, spinach, radish etc. They do fine here.

[applestar]

Rabbits AND groundHOGS! Only things missing/eaten in the bed were kohlrabi.