The swollen stems of kohl rabi look as if they've just landed from outer space, but this architectural vegetable is a real delicacy. The purple-flushed globe has a taste similar to the sweet, crunchy heart of a broccoli stem, and can be eaten as a crisp raw ingredient in salads or cooked like turnips.
Growing instructions:
Sow direct into fertile soil in shallow drills in spring. Thin seedlings to 15cm apart and protect from slugs. Alternatively, grow in containers, sowing direct and allowing four plants to a 35cm pot. Kohlrabi is quick to mature, taking as little as 10 weeks from seed to harvest: cut when the swollen stems reach tennis ball sized. Sow a few plants every three weeks to ensure a continuous harvest right through till late autumn.
Eventual height:
0.45m
Eventual spread:
0.4m
Soil:
Moderately fertile, moist, well-drained soil