Kohlrabi

Back to Hawaii 064

Kohlrabi is in the family of brassicas which includes cabbages, brocolli, cauliflower, kale, collard greens and brussel sprouts. The word kohlrabi is a German word meaning cabbage and turnip. I guess its because it look like a turnip but tastes like a cabbage.

I decided to plant Kohlrabi because I was curious about the taste plus I was intrigued by it’s appearance. The bulbous part look like it could be the root but it is growing on top of the soil instead of under not like the turnips.

I might say I was successful and was able to taste Kohlrabi for the first time in my life and I liked it. I like it so much I just started some seeds ready for fall planting. Kohlrabi likes cool weather so I waited till September at least to make sure it will grow without any problems.

I started by preparing the soil. I put some topsoil and cactus mix soil for good drainage and turn the soil with a spade fork till I’m satisfied the bed is well incorporated.

Water regularly to ensure the swollen stem will not split and harvest when it is about the size of a tennis ball. They become tough and fibrous if you let it grow bigger. The leaves can be cooked just like collards and kale.

Similar Posts

  • Upo

    Upo or Long gourd (Lagenaria Siceraria) belongs to the family of cucurbits.  The gourd had been used primarily as a water container.  There are different shapes and sizes to choose from.  Cucuzzi is an Italian long gourd that also belongs to the same family.  Some are long and gnarly that they call it snake gourd. …

  • Amaranth/Kulitis

    Amaranth – Kulitis ( Amaranthus) is considered a very nutritious leaf vegetable in the Philippines.  The flowers are also edible and when the seeds are formed, the seeds are ground to make a healthy type of flour or eaten like a breakfast cereal.  The seeds of the amaranth is a good source of protein.  The…

  • Female Pumpkin Flower

    I just wanted to show how the female pumpkin flower would look like. I had males flower last time I posted and now I am seeing more than one female flowers. I tried to hand pollinate one of the female flower and see how it will react. The flower closed already and now I’m waiting…

  • Bittermelon/Ampalaya

    The bittermelon plant in my garden really took off so fast because of the recent rains that we had. I actually had been gathering the fruits as well as the leaves which we use in soups like mung bean soup and chicken tinola which locals call Chicken Paraya. I have done a little research on…

  • Togi/Wild root starch

    Togi is a root vegetable that most Filipinos eat as a form of starch much like eating taro or sweet potato. Believe it or not I could not find any reference for this tuber called “togi” in the Philippines even in the Wikipedia so I will not have an English name for it. Anyway, it…

  • Cucumber/Poona Kheera

    Cucumber or pipino as we call it in the Philippines is my favorite salad vegetable. I also make pickle out of it. But I really don’t have luck in growing cucumbers. Last month, a friend of mine gave me some seeds which he said came from Sri Lanka. I immediately planted it and see how…