Brassica oleracea gongylodes
| Brassica oleracea | |
| Light: |   |
| Moisture: |  |
| Hardiness: | 5 |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Self Pollinated | |
| Life Cycle: | Biennial |
| Height: | 1' |
| Speed: | Fast |
| Blooms: | Late Spring-Late Summer |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Medicinal Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
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Brassica oleracea gongylodes (common name: kohl rabi)
Propagation: Seed - sow April to August in situ. Earlier sowings can be made under cloches.
Cultivation: Succeeds in full sun in a well-drained fertile preferably alkaline soil[1]. Succeeds in any reasonable soil, though it is best not grown in an acid soil[2][3]. Tolerates a pH in the range 4.5 to 7.5. Prefers some shade and plenty of moisture in the growing season[4][5]. Established plants are drought tolerant but the best stems are formed when the plant does not go short of moisture[4][5]. Succeeds in maritime gardens[1].
Very winter hardy, kohl rabi withstands severe frosts and so can be left in the ground all winter in most areas and be harvested as required. The young growing plant, however, is sensitive to low temperatures and a week at 10°c will cause the plants to bolt[1]. It grows best at a temperature between 18 and 25°c[1].
Kohl rabi is often cultivated for its edible swollen stem which can be available almost all year round from successional sowings. There are several named varieties and stem colour can range from white to green and purple[1]. Green forms are faster to mature and so more suitable for early sowings, the purple forms are hardier and later to mature, they are used mainly for winter crops[1]. Very fast growing, the stems of some cultivars can be harvested 6 - 8 weeks after sowing[3]. The plant is more tolerant of drought and high temperatures than turnips, which it resembles in flavour, and so it is often grown as a substitute for that species[1].
Grows well with onions, beet and aromatic herbs which seem to reduce insect predations[6][4][7]. Plants also grow well with cucumbers, the roots of each species occupying different levels in the soil[7]. Grows badly with strawberries, runner beans and tomatoes[6][4][7].
Range: A cultivated form of B. oleracea, not known in the wild.
Habitat: Not known in the wild.
Edibility: Leaves - cooked[8]. Used as a vegetable, though the quality is not as good as cabbage. The young leaves can also be added to salads, though some people find them difficult to digest. A nutritional analysis is available[9].
Stem - raw or cooked. The plant produces a swollen stem just above ground level, and this is often used as a root vegetable[K]. It has a mild cabbage flavour, when finely grated it makes a good addition to mixed salads and, when cooked, is an excellent vegetable[K]. It is best eaten whilst fairly small and tender, between golf ball and tennis ball size. It becomes coarse with age[3][10][8]. A nutritional analysis is available[9].
Medicinal: The leaf is digestive and tonic[9].
Pollinators: Bees, self
Habit: Biennial
Soil: Can grow in light, medium, and heavy soils.
Drainage: Prefers well drained soil.
Wind: Tolerates maritime wind exposure
Seed Ripens: Mid Summer-Early Fall
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Heavy Clay: Grows in heavy-clay soils.
Also Known As: B. caulorapa. Pasq.
Links
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ Simons, Arthur. New Vegetable Growers Handbook. Penguin, 1977.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Organ, John. Rare Vegetables for Garden and Table. Faber, 1960.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Riotte, Louise. Carrots Love Tomatoes. Garden Way, 1978.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Thompson, Robert. The Gardener's Assistant. Blackie and Son, 1878.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Philbrick, Helen and Richard Gregg. Companion Plants. Watkins, 1979.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Allardice, Pamela. A-Z of Companion Planting. Cassell Publishers, 1993.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Brouk, Bohuslav. Plants Consumed by Man. Academic Press, 1975.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 Duke, James and Edward Ayensu. Medicinal Plants of China. Reference Publications, 1985.
- ↑ Brooklyn Botanic Garden. Oriental Herbs and Vegetables, Vol 39 No. 2. Brooklyn Botanic Garden, 1986.