Tips for Harvesting Homegrown Kohlrabi

24.02.2024 - 16:34 / gardenerspath.com / Heather Buckner

How And When to Harvest Kohlrabi

Kohlrabi is a cole family plant with large, juicy bulbs that form above ground, emerging from a central stalk.

Gaining in popularity, these crispy bulbs are easy to grow, and are delicious both raw and cooked.

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How do you know when they are ready to pick? Read on to learn how to harvest, store, and prepare homegrown kohlrabi.

When kohlrabi first emerges in the garden, it looks much like a young kale plant. As plants mature, the bright purple or green stems swell into round fleshy bulbs of the same color, with leaves growing outward on all sides.

As you are waiting for these bulbs to grow large enough for harvest, you can pick and eat the young leaves.

Foliage can be harvested starting around six weeks after planting. Just be sure to leave some leaves on each plant to provide energy needed for the bulbs to form.

You can learn more about harvesting and eating the leaves here.

Kohlrabi doesn’t change color when it’s ripe, nor is there a noticeable difference in texture.

Therefore, harvest timing is based entirely on the size of the swollen stems. The number of days to maturity on your seed packet can help to provide a rough estimate.

These bulbs should be ready to harvest once they have reached one to three inches in diameter, about 60 days or so from planting, depending on the variety.

Try to pick them during this time frame when they are still young and small.

Though giant bulbs may look enticing, except in rare cases with specific jumbo cultivars, they tend to become woody and tough when left in the garden too long.

This fast-growing plant is very