Practical
Plants

Brassica oleracea gongylodes

Kohl Rabi

a biennial member of the Brassica genus in the family Brassicaceae.

No photo available

Taxonomy and growth

Life cycle
biennial
Growth rate
vigorous
Height
0.45 m
Fertility
Self fertile, Bees, Self
Flower type
hermaphrodite
Pollinators
Bees, Self

Uses

Edible uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Leaves - cooked[2]. 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[8]. 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[9][1][2]. A nutritional analysis is available[8].

Plant part
Leaves
Plant part
Stem

Medicinal uses

Historical medicinal uses. These records describe reported uses. They do not establish safety or effectiveness. Ask a qualified health professional before using any plant medicinally.

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

The leaf is digestive and tonic[8].

Product or use
Digestive
Product or use
Tonic

Environment

Range
A cultivated form of B. oleracea, not known in the wild.
Habitat
Not known in the wild.
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
light shade
Water
moderate
Hardiness
Zone 5+
Soil textures
sandy, loamy, clay, heavy clay
Soil pH
acid, neutral, alkaline
Drainage
well drained
Tolerances
high wind, maritime exposure, drought
Wind
Yes
Maritime
Yes
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
tolerant

Propagation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Seed - sow April to August in situ. Earlier sowings can be made under cloches.

Cultivation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Succeeds in full sun in a well-drained fertile preferably alkaline soil[6]. Succeeds in any reasonable soil, though it is best not grown in an acid soil[3][9]. Tolerates a pH in the range 4.5 to 7.5. Prefers some shade and plenty of moisture in the growing season[5][10]. Established plants are drought tolerant but the best stems are formed when the plant does not go short of moisture[5][10]. Succeeds in maritime gardens[6]. 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[6]. It grows best at a temperature between 18 and 25°c[6]. 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[6]. 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[6]. Very fast growing, the stems of some cultivars can be harvested 6 - 8 weeks after sowing[9]. 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[6]. Grows well with onions, beet and aromatic herbs which seem to reduce insect predations[4][5][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[4][5][7].

References

  1. Brooklyn Botanic Garden Oriental Herbs and Vegetables, Vol 39 No. 2. Brooklyn Botanic Garden 1986-00-00

    ↩

  2. Brouk. B. Plants Consumed by Man. Academic Press 1975-00-00 ISBN 0-12-136450-x

    ↩1↩2

  3. Simons. New Vegetable Growers Handbook. Penguin 1977-00-00 ISBN 0-14-046-050-0

    ↩

  4. Philbrick H. and Gregg R. B. Companion Plants. Watkins 1979-00-00

    ↩1↩2

  5. Riotte. L. Companion Planting for Successful Gardening. Garden Way, Vermont, USA. 1978-00-00 ISBN 0-88266-064-0

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4

  6. Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5↩6↩7

  7. Allardice.P. A - Z of Companion Planting. Cassell Publishers Ltd. 1993-00-00 ISBN 0-304-34324-2

    ↩1↩2↩3

  8. Duke. J. A. and Ayensu. E. S. Medicinal Plants of China Reference Publications, Inc. 1985-00-00 ISBN 0-917256-20-4

    ↩1↩2↩3

  9. Organ. J. Rare Vegetables for Garden and Table. Faber 1960-00-00

    ↩1↩2↩3

  10. Thompson. B. The Gardener's Assistant. Blackie and Son. 1878-00-00

    ↩1↩2

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