Question

While it looks something like the vegetable world’s answer to a sea urchin, kohlrabi is actually a cross between a cabbage and a turnip. It’s an easy, fast-growing crop with edible leaves and a crisp, swollen base that’s tender and mild tasting. The bulbous stems are ready to harvest from 38 to 60 days from sowing, and it’s easy to start them right in the garden. In spring, sow seeds outdoors 4 to 6 weeks before the last frost date. They’re ideal fall crops: Begin sowing seed 8 to 10 weeks before the first fall frost. Space seeds 3”/7.6 cm apart, then thin to 6”/15.2 cm when the plants have a couple of true leaves. To spread out the harvest, plant small batches of seed every week or so in spring as long as the weather remains cool, then begin again in fall. In Zones 9 and 10, plant kohlrabi through the winter months. Reprinted from The Veggie Gardener's Answer Book Copyright 2008 by Barbara W. Ellis, with permission from Storey Publishing. Creative Commons photo credit: Annia316