Kohl Rabi

[oldie]

I don't net them and yesterday watched a cabbage white land on one, have a sniff and fly off. I have had a little bit of flea beetle damage. I have the Azure one and it has been suggested that cabbage whites don't bother so much with red/purple coloured plants.

[Alison]

However you can have too much of a good thing - ended up with tonnes of it last year and got rather fed up so not growing it this year. Interestingly enough the ones I ended up leaving in the ground never did flower but eventually went funny in the cold weather and I pulled them up and put them on the compost heap after the snow.

[Paulieb]

First time growing stuff this year and these are the best of all.

I transplanted 10 without netting, then when I put the cauli in the next row a pigeon came and pecked the lot (hadn't touched them for 2 weeks before). I did leave them in the ground and they've re-grown superbly.

I cook the leaves as spring greens and the main ball peeled then cook the same as a turnip - 2 lots of veg in one plant!!

[northepaul]

How typical!! I thought I would have another go with them, esp if they will overwinter a bit, but you've guessed it, have no seed left....just kale and PSB this winter then.

[scarletrunner]

Amazing taste!prefer them to cabbage or cauli.

[Two_Sheds]

I grew one once ~ it seemed to be made of wood

[gan heather]

So am I the only one who can't grow it properly? The plants grow to a few inches tall, but the bulbs never swell. I've made a few sowings of them and the same thing happens every time. What could I be doing wrong?

[snohare]

If they tend to get woody, doesn't sound like a great idea

I grew one once ~ it seemed to be made of wood

Kohl rabi: the future - of forestry !

The plants grow to a few inches tall, but the bulbs never swell.

I'm guessing that they need a fair bit of nitrogen in the soil, to promote all that growth. I'll find out with mine, they are just at that stage now...

[zazen999]

So am I the only one who can't grow it properly? The plants grow to a few inches tall, but the bulbs never swell. I've made a few sowings of them and the same thing happens every time. What could I be doing wrong?

Dunno....all mine have bulked up. Is the soil nice and solid underneath?

[Shadylane]

Someone gave me a few left over plants so I bunged em in and left em to it. They seem to be doing ok, unlike the caulies. And cabbage. And calabrese. I like the look of the purple ones.

[Helgalush]

Its great for using in soups in place of (or additional to) potatoes for thickening it up. Not sure if the purple ones might turn the soup a funny colour though (Borchst would be ok!).

I might have to give them a go, never tried to grow my own kohl rabi yet. Thanks for the tips.

[scarletrunner]

I grew one once ~ it seemed to be made of wood

Outer skin is wooddy,tasty bit is beneath.

[Piggle]

I grew them last year but Mr Piggle refused to eat them ( he doesn't do tenticles!) - they do look cool though.

[Bren In Pots]

We've had Kohlrabi and spinach gratin for tea and really enjoyed it, the recipes here if anyone else wants to try it. :-

Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall on cooking with Kohlrabi | Life and style | The Guardian

[Gemmalaveen]

I am a massive fan too. I start mine off in modules then transplant to grow-bag planters - they swell perfectly and taste damn fine too