Kohlrabi

2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38

Kohlrabi (Latin Brassica oleracea var.gongyoides) - vegetable culture; biennial plant of the Cabbage family. The homeland of kohlrabi is the Mediterranean. The plant has been cultivated since the days of Ancient Rome.

Characteristics of culture

Kohlrabi is a herbaceous plant with a height of 30-110 cm, which in the first year of life forms a short compacted stem with an oval, rounded, flat-round or ovoid stem of pale green, green or purple color.

The leaves are lyre-shaped, outstretched, bluish-green in color. The flowers are small, creamy, yellow or white, appear in the second year of life. The fruit is a pod.

Growing conditions

Kohlrabi is a thermophilic plant, it treats well sunny and protected areas from cold winds. Soils are preferable light, moderately moist, loamy, with a rich mineral composition and a neutral reaction. Kohlrabi is demanding for the presence of macro and microelements in the soil, including boron, molybdenum and copper. The best predecessors are green manures, onions, cucumbers, potatoes, grains and legumes.

It is not advisable to plant kohlrabi after plants of the Cruciferous family (cabbage, turnip, turnip, radish, etc.), as well as tomatoes and beets. The culture has a negative attitude towards thickening and shade, such conditions significantly reduce the quality of stem crops, plants are more often affected by various viral and fungal diseases. The optimum growing temperature is 18-20C.

Growing seedlings and planting in open ground

Kohlrabi is grown in seedlings. The seeds are treated before sowing: first in hot water (50C), then in cold water, after which they are placed in a weak solution of potassium permanganate. Kohlrabi is sown in the first decade of March in special seedling containers filled with a soil substrate consisting of turf, sand and peat (1: 1: 1). It is not recommended to use old earth and humus for mixing.

Immediately after sowing, the soil substrate is watered, covered with plastic wrap or glass, and placed in a room with an air temperature of 20-22C. With the emergence of seedlings, the temperature is reduced to 9-10C, and after a week the seedling boxes are transferred to well-lit windowsills and the temperature is maintained at 16-18C.

The picking of kohlrabi seedlings into separate pots (measuring 6 * 6 cm or 8 * 8 cm) is carried out with the appearance of one or two true leaves on the seedlings. In the phase of three true leaves, the seedlings are fed with complex mineral fertilizers. Planting seedlings in open ground is carried out in late May - early June. A couple of weeks before the intended planting, the seedlings are treated with a solution of urea and potassium sulfate, and are also hardened, gradually accustoming them to sunlight and wind.

The plot for kohlrabi is prepared in the fall, the soil is dug to a depth of 20-25 cm, humus, superphosphate, wood ash and urea are added. In the spring, the ridges are loosened, shallow holes are dug and filled with water. The seedlings are buried to the first true leaf, sprinkled with soil and tamped. Immediately after planting, young plants are shaded, and after a couple of weeks they spud and feed the mullein with a liquid solution. To avoid damage to the culture by pests and diseases, the plants are powdered with wood ash.

Care

Kohlrabi favors irrigation. Watering is carried out once every 2-3 days, with prolonged drought, the volume of water is increased. With insufficient moisture, tasteless stems form in plants. The culture needs regular weeding, loosening and feeding.

One of the most important tasks in kohlrabi care is pest and disease control. Most often, the culture is affected by black leg, keel, mucous bacteriosis and downy mildew. The most common pests are cruciferous fleas, snails, cabbage flies, aphids and slugs. As a preventive measure, experienced gardeners advise treating kohlrabi with infusions of garlic, wormwood and other approved biological products.