table of contents
- Ideal for mixed culture
- 15 good neighbors for kohlrabi
- Kohlrabi: Good neighbors from A to E.
- from F to O
- from P to Z
- Bad neighbors
- frequently asked Questions
Kohlrabi is a healthy and delicious vegetable that can be easily grown in the home garden and even on the balcony. But which neighbors go well with kohlrabi? In order for the tubers to grow well, you should grow them in a mixed culture with these 15 species.
In a nutshell
- good suitability as a "stopgap" in the vegetable patch
- very good follow-up crop for new potatoes, spinach or lamb's lettuce
- Celery holds Pests remote
- Never plant kohlrabi together with other types of cabbage
- other cruciferous vegetables (Brassicaceae) are also taboo
Ideal for mixed culture
Kohlrabi (Brassica oleracea var. gongylodes) is a cultivated form of the vegetable cabbage, but lighter and faster-growing than its hearty relatives. The bulbs, which are green or blue, depending on the variety, do not need their own bed, but are ideal as catch crops or stopgaps between other crops due to their rapid growth. Plant kohlrabi as a mixed culture between legumes, lettuce, or other neighbors listed in the section below. When planning, make sure that kohlrabi needs less nutrients than the heavy-eating large heads of cabbage. The vegetables, like lettuce, make ends meet.
Tip: Kohlrabi can be sown again and again from early spring to late summer, like this harvest the tubers most of the season. When choosing the variety, pay attention to the information on the optimal sowing date.
15 good neighbors for kohlrabi
Kohlrabi goes particularly well with the following 15 types of vegetables and fruit.
Kohlrabi: Good neighbors from A to E.
French beans (Phaseolus vulgaris)
- also known as garden bean
- numerous varieties in different colors (green, yellow, violet-blue, speckled red)
- very warm, therefore sowing from the beginning of May
- Reseed between June and July
- fertilize little, especially save with nitrogen
Dill (anethum graveolens)
- also known as cucumber herb
- loves full sun and moist soil
- ideal for mixed culture, also with Cucumber
- simply sow a few grains of dill in the bed
- Sow outdoors from April
- especially good with cucumber
- influences the rising of kohlrabi and other vegetable seeds such as carrots
Peas (Pisum sativum)
- popular and healthy legume
- is one of the weak eaters, fertilize little
- Different types for the vegetable patch: sugar peas, marrow peas, peas or peas
- Peas can be sown as early as March
- Harvest possible 60 to 75 days after sowing
Tip: As with all legumes, nodule bacteria settle on the pea roots, which convert and collect nitrogen in the soil. For this reason, pulses may only be fertilized a little.
Strawberries (Fragaria)
- Rose plant with sweet, aromatic fruits
- Garden strawberries come from crosses of American species
- not related to the native wild strawberries
- Differentiation between single and multiple bearing varieties
- Monthly strawberries bloom and fruit until late autumn
- best planting time in August
- ideal neighbors: beans, potatoes
from F to O
Lamb's lettuce (Valerianella locusta)
- also known as rapunzel salad or nut lettuce
- winter salad rich in vitamins and iron
- Sow between August and September
- good neighbors for late kohlrabi varieties (e. B. 'Delicacy white', 'Blauer Speck')
- also well suited as a post-crop
- Protected under spruce branches, harvest possible until spring
Potatoes (Solanum tuberosum)
- Nightshade family (Solanaceae) from South America
- already in culture for more than 2000 years, came to Europe with the Spanish conquerors
- great variety, many valuable old varieties
- old colored varieties such as 'Linzer Rose' or 'Blauer Schwede' are special rarities
- different varieties for early (from March), mid-early and late (from end of April) cultivation
- Planting time depends on the spring weather (at least seven degrees Celsius soil temperature)
Lettuce (Lactuca sativa var.)
- numerous varieties for summer and autumn sowing
- Sow spring varieties between March and April
- Ready to harvest within five to seven weeks
- Plant in a place that is as full of sun as possible
- do not plant together with parsley
- red-brown varieties “shoot” less quickly and are less susceptible to aphids
Leek (Allium porrum)
- also known as leek or winter leek
- contains sulphurous, essential oils
- Thrives best in rich, deep soils
- Sow from March / April in the cold frame
- Ideal as a second crop in the early potato bed until the beginning of August
- Also goes well as an onion plant with kohlrabi
from P to Z
Peppermint (Mentha × piperita)
- numerous different types and varieties
- in the garden mostly cultivated form of noble mint planted
- ideal for light shade and damp floors
- grows heavily, therefore attach root barriers or cultivate in pots
- Main harvest in June, can be dried well
Tip: Planted next to kohlrabi and other types of cabbage (e.g. B. with a plant pot sunk into the ground), peppermint keeps the cabbage white butterfly from laying eggs. Also next to carrots, lettuce and tomatoes the herb grows very well.
Radishes (Raphanus sativus var. sativus)
- closely related to radish
- form balls or cones, depending on the variety
- do not sow too densely, otherwise no balls will form
- Plant distance approx. five centimeters, row spacing approx. 20 centimeters
- Spring and summer varieties with different sowing dates
- good neighbors: beans, peas, carrots, lettuce, spinach and tomatoes
Radish (raphanus)
- numerous varieties
- Medium eater, compost fertilization perfectly adequate
- ensure even moisture
- Sow spring varieties from March, summer varieties from May
- Sow black winter radish from the beginning of July
- Summer radish 'Minowase Summer Cross' forms particularly large tubers
Beetroot (Beta vulgaris subsp.)
- also known as beetroot
- Root vegetables with red, yellow or white tubers
- undemanding and easy to pull
- Fertilize only with compost, high soil moisture
- Sow outdoors from April
- Harvest in autumn
- Storage in damp sand
Celery (Apium graveolens)
- Umbelliferae with large, spicy tubers
- ideal for nutritious, moist soils
- Sensitive to cold, therefore do not plant out until mid-May
- prefer on the windowsill from February
- Harvest before the first frost from October to November
Tip: Celery is a particularly suitable plant neighbor to kohlrabi and other types of cabbage, as its pungent smell deters typical cabbage pests such as cabbage white flies or whitefly.
Spinach (Spinacia oleracea)
- can be sown in spring (March / April) as well as in autumn (August / September)
- Ready for harvest just 50 days after sowing
- sensitive to nitrogen fertilization
- therefore only prepare the bed with compost and rock flour
- drives away pests (e. B. Earth flea) from mixed cultures
- do not cultivate with Swiss chard or beetroot
Tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum)
- Nightshade family from South America
- Aztec name "Tumatl" gave them their familiar name
- also known as candy apples or paradise apples
- thousands of different varieties
- If possible, grow under a roof to avoid late blight
- bad neighbors: fennel and potatoes
Bad neighbors
Where there are good neighbors, there are of course no lack of bad neighbors. You should therefore never plant kohlrabi together with the following two vegetables.
Cabbage (Brassica)
In the case of mixed crops, the rule always applies that plants from the same family do not share or may be planted one after the other - this leads to poor growth and promotes diseases and pest infestation. Like all types of cabbage, kohlrabi belongs to the cruciferous family (Brassicaceae), which is why a mixed and subsequent crop with red and white cabbage, savoy cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli etc. is taboo.
Onions (Allium cepa)
Onions are also bad neighbors for kohlrabi, as their essential oils affect the growth and health of the vegetable tuber. It is therefore better to plant onions together with carrots, strawberries, cucumbers, lettuce, chicory salads, dill or savory.
frequently asked Questions
Kohlrabi develops quite large and wide leaves, which is why you should give it as much space as possible. Early varieties such as 'Lanro' and 'Azur-Star' are ideally placed on an area of 25 x 30 centimeters. Late summer resp. Autumn varieties, on the other hand, need more space. You should plant these at 30 x 40 centimeters. Giant breeds such as 'Gigant' or 'Superschmelz' then need even more space to grow - their tubers can weigh up to eight kilograms.
Mixed culture not only means that different types of vegetables are placed in the bed at the same time, but also that preliminary and subsequent crops are carefully planned. Kohlrabi itself is not very suitable as a preculture because all parts of the plant are harvested and therefore no nutrients remain in the soil. As a preculture for kohlrabi, however, new potatoes, spinach, peas and beans are very suitable. Lamb's lettuce, on the other hand, is easy to plant after the kohlrabi harvest.
Like all cabbage plants, kohlrabi is often attacked by pests - such as the caterpillars of the cabbage white butterfly, which then feed on its leaves. A colorful mixed culture ensures that the voracious animals stay away. This works particularly well when the smell of cabbage has an intense smell of celery or mint is covered. Peas, beans, spinach and potatoes in turn enrich the soil with nutrients, so that the kohlrabi can grow all the better in it.
