Wilting kohlrabi

[skiingjeff]

This is the first time we're trying kohlrabi in the garden. It was started indoors, hardened for two weeks, and then planted in the garden. It was doing great for the last 3 weeks but now the leaves are wilting.

We got a lot of rain yesterday so they are not missing water. The only other thing we did was mulch around them. Do they have a problem with wood mulch? It was a hot day today but the cauliflower and broccoli are doing just fine.

I pulled one out of the ground to see if anything was attacking the roots - nothing. I don't see anything on the leaves either.

Any thoughts?

Thanks!

[digitS']

. . . I pulled one out of the ground to see if anything was attacking the roots - nothing. I don't see anything on the leaves either.

Any thoughts?

Thanks!

That would have been my thought, Jeff.

I have kohlrabi in the garden, started about the same as yours. This will be about 5th year for growing it. I don't have any problems with wilting. Don't have the wood mulch out there. Mulch can absorb a lot of water - could it be keeping the rain from their roots?

Steve

[skiingjeff]

Steve, I think we figured it out. I believe they are suffering from heat exhaustion

We've had temps in the upper 80's the last two days. The kohlrabi are beautiful in the AM after a cooler night in the 60's and then by mid-day they are wilting in the heat of the sun even though the ground is moist. Also once I put the one we picked in a cold water bath, it perked right up!

So this afternoon we put up a shade shelter for them to see if that helps them. If this unusually hot weather continues any longer we're going to have to shelter the cauliflower and broccoli as well.

Then, of course, this evening we got one heck of a storm so it will be interesting to see if the shelter is standing come tomorrow morning.

How big do you let your kohlrabi get before harvesting it? I understand that the smaller golf ball size ones are considered the best tasting and if it gets to be tennis ball size it can be tough and have a different taste.

[jal_ut]

When to harvest? I believe it is important to look at the size of the individual florets in the head, not so much the size of the head.

Depending on variety and how fertile the soil is and water availability, the size of the head can vary considerably, not a good indicator of prime eating quality.

The size of the individual florets is a good indicator. You want them before they start to open up, but pick it too small and you have lost production. A little trial and error and you will figure out at what size you like them.

I like to also eat a good portion of the stalk below the florets.

[digitS']

. . . How big do you let your kohlrabi get before harvesting it? I understand that the smaller golf ball size ones are considered the best tasting and if it gets to be tennis ball size it can be tough and have a different taste.

I think James is talking about another "kohl" - broccolI. Or, cauliflower . . ?

Here, the kohlrabi can have real problems with splitting because of soil moisture problems - that's too late!

What I've noticed is that kohlrabi goes from round to elongated . . . take it into the kitchen before that happens. Other than those ideas, it as James has said.

Steve

[skiingjeff]

Thanks for the info about harvesting. We picked them the other day and good thing we did. Most were OK but a couple had these small white worms eating at them.

The worms were short and had what looked to be a black spot on them - eyes? Haven't had time to look up the worm yet but picking them saved one that was being eaten anyway.

We'll need to treat the area so they don't move onto other things though