Kohl Rabi - to manure or not?

[Primrose]

I grew a few plants last year for the first time and was disappointed by how few of them actually developed a bulb. As I'm growing more of them this year I wonder whether the ground in which they grow should have been manured or not and whether this contributed to my relative failure last year. My germination rate this year has also been quite low. Do regular growers of this vegetable have successful crops?

[Chantal]

Mine have been rubbish for the past two years.

The first year they were next to the fennel and the apparently HATE fennel (why?) so failed to develop at all.

Last year they didn't do much, I had two bulb up, the rest only bulbed up over winter and are all woody. They did get overshadowed by the chard and the radicchio though so that could be my problem.

Having just looked it up, this is what's said

"It is hardy and is not frost tender. It is in flower from May to August, and the seeds ripen from July to September. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Bees. The plant is self-fertile.

The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils, requires well-drained soil and can grow in heavy clay soil. The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It requires moist soil and can tolerate drought. The plant can tolerate maritime exposure."

It's in the cabbage family so maybe it prefers very firm ground too.

Of the two that grew, I tried to feed one to Tim who said it was horrible so I'm not bothering again. For the odd one that I'm likely to want I'll buy one.

[GaGa]

Hi folks,
keep on persevering PLEASE! Maybe you've just been unlucky with the variety or seed supplier?

I think Kohl Rabi is ace - I find it to be one of those amazingly easy crops like chard, which is very underrated.

First time I grew them, I used Organic plug plants from Delfland nurseries. Since then I've grown my own from seed - Kings seeds. 100% germination in normal everday multipurpose compost, in the unheated greenhouse. Currently out in the ground, they're doing fine, taking a little slug damage to the leaves, but nothing more. I grow the green ones, rather than the red ones. They seem to cope with heavy shade (under an artichoke), semi-shade (young sycamore tree) or full on sunny exposure (south facing no shade).

I treat them like a Brassica - firm soil, like Chantal says, no extra manure, and following the peas/beans from last year's rotation. They do go woody and horrible if they're left until winter. My soil is heavy clay, but has been dug over and composted for a few years, so is tending more towards medium now. In last year's drought, I left a couple unwatered, and they too were dry and woody, but the well watered ones were lovely and crisp and moist - just like a Chinese water chestnut - even after a week in the fridge. This year, I'll make sure they get sufficient water. They don't need flooding, just not allowed to dry completely.

I find it makes a great Coleslaw, instead of cabbage (Kohlslaw maybe?), or used instead of spuds in a garlic/cream Dauphinoise stylee.

Hope you have better luck!
Gaga

[Chantal]

OK, I'm convinced, thanks GaGa. I'll try again; I have the seed.

I've not tried it raw but have eaten it boiled and sliced in a white sauce which was delicious.

What about you Primrose?

[Primrose]

Thanks both for your input. I also think a really fresh kohl rabi is absolutely delicious raw in coleslaw or salads which is why I want to grow them as they're quite difficult (and expensive) to buy in the shops and they have a really delicate flavour and crunchiness which goes well in stir fries too. I've sown a batch of green skinned ones, about 50% of which have germinated and are 2 - 3" high, and have now sown a second batch of red skinned, which I've never tasted before. I'll try and keep them well watered and keep my fingers crossed.

[Chantal]

Primrose, would you believe I've just been out for lunch and went into the local fruit and veg shop. Just inside the door was a basket piled up with really cheap green kohl rabi! I've never seen them outside of the big supermarkets before.

I'll still have a go at growing some more though.

[Primrose]

Chantal - what a pity you can't fax me down a dozen !! My very last one (which is now rather woody) is currently languishing in my fridge's veggie tray. The last time I saw them on sale in Waitrose you nearly needed a second mortage to buy them. (Yes, I know Waitrose is expensive!)

[Monika]

Shop-bought kohlrabi, however expensive, are not a patch on fresh, home-grown ones. I agree, please perservere. Purple Delicacy and Lanro are good varieties.

[Beryl]

I didn't know they don't like Fennel.
Mine are growing next to the fennel and doing very well - about the size of golf balls at the moment.
Beryl.

[Tigger]

I can grow it like a weed! Wherever I plant it, the ultimate crop is wonderful!

[Johnboy]

I prefer mine Sliced and steamed and a nice white sauce over the top!
Have never had any problems germinating or growing them and rate them very high on the veg list.
I have grown both green and purple and the last ones I grew were Delicacy Purple from King's Seeds and were super. This variety matures a little later than the norm and has a lot more taste than the white/green varieties.
JB.

[GaGa]

Hi Johnboy,

in terms of taste and green or purple varieties, I'd always thought it was the other way round! (ie. I thought the Green ones were more tasty)

Do you find in general, it's the purple ones that taste best then? Or is it just that particular variety?

Maybe I've been growing Greenies all this time in error!

[Johnboy]

Hi GaGa,
I find that the purple ones have a maybe not better taste but the ones that suit my taste. I have grown the green ones and to me they have always seemed somewhat bland. In truth I think it is purely a personal thing. I really enjoyed the Delicacy Purple and Kings also sell Delicacy White and one called Superschmelz which is reputed to grow up to 8KG.
Dear god I eat then at tennis ball size and that must be as big as a football! I doubt to my liking.
JB.

[Mike Vogel]

I've also had little joy from the Kohl Rabi, but GaGa will be pleased to know that I do still persevere because I do like this vegetable.

I sow them in toilet-roll inners filled with Jones' horse-manure compost in the unheated greenhouse and plant them out when they are about 3 inches high. Ditto swedes. This year I germinated one K-R and just this morning I found my 2-inch high seedling chopped off at the base of the stem by a pesky snail. I germinated a lot of swedes, but they just stayed germinated and didn't grow.

I don't think I'm doing this quite right.

But I do have 2 K-R plants growing vigorously in a large flowerpot. The compost in that is spent compost 5 inches deep resting on home-made vegetable compost made last summer. Carrots are growing in the spent compost and pink fir-apple spuds from below. My prognosis is that only the latter will ultimately thrive, but the carrots are the only ones that I've managed to germinate this year.

As for green and purple, I thought the green ones were sown earlier for summer use and the purple were a later variety.

I wish you all joy

mike

[GaGa]

Well that settles it then,
I'm growing Green Kohl Rabi now, which I guess is an early crop, and I'm off to the garden centre for some purple ones to sow ASAP for a later crop. Thanks all!