Are you hoping to develop sturdy, scrumptious kohlrabi in your backyard however battling with frequent points like pests, soil vitamin, or overcrowding?

I’ve been there too and did some digging (pun meant), solely to search out that companion planting with the proper crops can dramatically enhance kohlrabi’s yield in addition to its taste.

On this article, I’ll share an in depth information on which crops make nice companions for this leafy crop whereas explaining why these pairings work so properly.

So, get your gardening gloves prepared. It’s time to take a look at among the greatest kohlrabi companion crops you possibly can develop—celery, beans, dill, rosemary, and extra. 

Let’s assist you to domesticate a thriving vegetable patch!

Key Takeaways

• Companion planting with the proper crops can vastly profit kohlrabi by deterring pests, bettering soil vitamin, and enhancing taste.
• Some crops which might be nice companions for kohlrabi embody celery, nasturtiums, bean crops, chamomile, dill, chives, rosemary, rhubarb, cucumbers, alliums, and thyme.
• Vegetation to keep away from planting close to kohlrabi are pumpkins, tomatoes, fennel, strawberries, broccoli, and kale.

What’s companion planting?

The essence of companion planting lies in creating partnerships between crops that mutually profit one another. This relationship usually helps deter pests, enhance soil vitamin, and even improve the flavour of some vegatables and fruits.

As an illustration, for those who’re rising leafy crops like kohlrabi alongside nasturtiums or rosemary, anticipate fewer dangerous bugs to disturb your backyard as a result of these crops have pure oils of their leaves, which repel most typical pests.

Some companion crops enhance the well being of the soil, benefiting all crops rising in the identical space. For instance, bean crops are generally known as nitrogen-fixers, enhancing soil circumstances for higher development.

It’s additionally necessary to notice that the proper companions entice useful predatory bugs into your backyard, serving to maintain invasive pests at bay.

The Advantages of Kohlrabi Companion Planting

Companion planting with kohlrabi gives quite a few advantages to your backyard. First, it helps deter pests which might be interested in kohlrabi, akin to slugs, snails, aphids, and cabbage moths.

By planting sure companion crops like nasturtiums or dill close by, you possibly can maintain these pesky bugs away out of your kohlrabi crops.

Secondly, companion crops can improve the flavour of your kohlrabi. For instance, celery and chives have been recognized to enhance the style of kohlrabi when planted collectively. This implies you’ll get much more scrumptious harvests out of your backyard.

Moreover, some companion crops entice useful predatory bugs like ladybugs and parasitic wasps. These bugs assist management invasive bugs that may trigger harm to your kohlrabi crops.

Moreover, sure companion crops assist enhance soil vitamin by fixing nitrogen within the soil or offering natural matter via their fallen leaves. This enhances the general well being of your backyard and promotes higher development for all of your crops.

Total, by training companion planting with kohlrabi, you create a balanced ecosystem through which every plant helps and advantages others in varied methods—from pest deterrence to taste enchancment and soil enhancement.

These benefits contribute to a thriving backyard the place each crop high quality and yields are maximized.

Learn how to Develop Kohlrabi in Your Backyard

Kohlrabi, which is German for ‘turnip cabbage,’ is a crisp, crunchy vegetable wealthy in potassium, iron, calcium, and nutritional vitamins A and C.

The beauty of this unusual-looking, nutrient-filled vegetable is that you could eat the bulb and the leaves! Kohlrabi is a fast-growing crop that’s simple for rookies.

The 11 Finest Kohlrabi Companion Vegetation

Celery, nasturtiums, bean crops, chamomile, dill, chives, rosemary, rhubarb, cucumbers, alliums, and thyme are among the completely different crops that make nice companions for kohlrabi.

1. Celery

Celery is an excellent companion for kohlrabi. Its robust scent confuses pests, making it an important plant to incorporate in your leafy plot whereas rising kohlrabi.

It’s notably efficient in opposition to the white cabbage moth, some of the frequent predators of Brassicas like kohlrabi.

The advantages of celery don’t cease at pest deterrence. Celery, with its sturdy root system and desire for moist soil circumstances, helps enhance soil vitamin in addition to the construction round delicate crops like kohlrabi.

As a bonus, there’s proof that rising celery subsequent to your kohlrabi may even improve the flavour of your crop!

So, for those who’re planning on sowing these crunchy veggies in your backyard quickly, don’t neglect to spare some house for celery crops.

2. Nasturtiums

Nasturtiums add an thrilling contact to your kohlrabi backyard with their vibrant blooms. Moreover being interesting, these companions current a twin benefit for kohlrabi: pest deterrence and soil aeration.

These pure insect repellents draw pests away from our treasured Brassicas, defending them from undesirable infestation whereas bettering the soil’s air circulation.

Gardeners like me discover nasturtiums extraordinarily useful in hardiness zones 9 to 11, the place, identical to kohlrabi, they flourish below full solar or partial shade circumstances.

As an added bonus, we will take pleasure in their edible flowers and leaves on our plates together with a scrumptious kohlrabi dish! 

3. Bean Vegetation

Bean crops are glorious companions for kohlrabi as a result of they’ve the flexibility to repair nitrogen within the soil. This implies they may also help enhance the well being of your kohlrabi crop by offering them with important vitamins.

Bean crops additionally entice pollinating bugs like ladybugs and bees, that are nice to your kohlrabi (and different crops).

These bugs additionally provide safety from invasive pests, notably those that prefer to feast in your greens, serving to maintain your kohlrabi crops protected and wholesome all through their development cycle.

Don’t give bean crops a miss when planning your vegetable backyard! Companion planting with bean crops will assist enhance the expansion and productiveness of your kohlrabi crops and lots of different greens too.

4. Chamomile

Chamomile serves as a pure pest deterrent and likewise prevents fungi and micro organism from attacking kohlrabi crops. Chamomile additionally repels aphids—critters that like to eat kohlrabi leaves—and different crops in your veggie backyard. 

Chamomile additionally releases sure chemical compounds into the soil, serving to your kohlrabi develop quicker and extra bountifully whereas boosting their taste compounds too!

It’s simple to see why this aromatic herb is extremely advisable as a companion plant for kohlrabi in your backyard. Chamomile crops additionally produce pleasant little flowers, including a pop of prettiness to your backyard house. 

5. Dill

If you wish to entice pollinators like bees and butterflies to your backyard, benefitting your kohlrabi and different greens, dill must be in your companion planting listing.

Dill additionally lures predatory ladybugs to its neighborhood, defending your kohlrabi from these invasive pests that like to eat its bountiful leaves. 

Plus, when grown collectively, dill enhances the flavour of your kohlrabi. With dill as a companion plant, you’re including some tasty variety to your vegetable backyard.

It’s positively value contemplating planting dill alongside your kohlrabi crops!

6. Chives

Chives buddy up properly with kohlrabi, attracting bees, which ensures that the kohlrabi will get correct pollination for wholesome development and ample harvests.

Chives even have the additional advantage of deterring deer from munching in your kohlrabi crops, retaining them protected from hurt and from being trampled.

Like chamomile, chives may even improve the flavour of kohlrabi, making it even tastier if you harvest it. The plus facet?

You possibly can add chives to your favourite German turnip meal! These non-competitive herbs are glorious companions within the backyard and might present a number of advantages to your crop of kohlrabi.

Plus, chives are simple to develop and take care of, making them a welcome boost to any vegetable patch!

7. Rosemary

Rosemary is a wonderful companion plant, not only for kohlrabi however for a lot of crops in your backyard. It has the flexibility to repel pests akin to snails, slugs, aphids, moths, and beetles that may hurt and munch in your kohlrabi and different crops in your backyard.

By planting rosemary close to your kohlrabi crops, you possibly can shield them from dangerous bugs that generally assault them.

The scent of rosemary alone is efficient in deterring these pests, making it a precious addition to your backyard—and it helps that you just’ll discover the scent nice too!  

8. Rhubarb

Rhubarb is among the greatest companion crops for kohlrabi in your backyard, serving as a pure deterrent in opposition to cabbage worms and whiteflies. These pests love kohlrabi crops—and lots of different greens!

Moreover, rhubarb offers much-needed shade for the tender, rising kohlrabi crops, serving to them thrive in sizzling climate circumstances.

Younger crops are delicate to warmth, particularly kohlrabi, so the shade supplied by rhubarb generally is a lifesaver!

Rhubarb is thought to encourage profitable kohlrabi development and is extremely advisable as a companion plant for this Brassica crop.

9. Cucumbers

Cucumbers are one other crunchy vegetable which might be glorious companions for kohlrabi. Cucumbers present shade for the heat-sensitive kohlrabi crops, they usually additionally assist management backyard pests like ants, mites, and moths.

By rising cucumbers alongside kohlrabi, you possibly can create a thriving backyard with safety from pests—and these greens take pleasure in an analogous soil composition, making it simpler to take care of them as a part of the identical patch. 

10. Alliums

Alliums, akin to onions and garlic, are glorious companion crops for kohlrabi. These crops have robust scents that confuse and deter backyard pests, making them a pure pest deterrent to your kohlrabi crop.

Along with retaining pests at bay, alliums may also entice useful bugs like pollinators and predatory wasps. These useful bugs will shield your kohlrabi from invasive pests, guaranteeing a wholesome harvest.

Chives and garlic are particularly advisable as companions for kohlrabi. With the added advantages of pest prevention and useful insect attraction, including alliums to your backyard is a great alternative when rising kohlrabi.

11. Thyme

Thyme repels bugs like cabbage worms and works properly with rosemary to maintain pests away out of your kohlrabi crops. Thyme additionally helps stop fungi and micro organism from attacking kohlrabi, guaranteeing more healthy crops.

Moreover, when grown with kohlrabi, thyme can deter pests, present much-needed shade, and improve soil vitamin.

The mix of thyme and rosemary can work wonders in repelling snails, slugs, aphids, moths, and beetles which may in any other case feast in your kohlrabi crops.

One other profit of getting thyme in your backyard is that it attracts useful bugs like predatory ladybugs that assist shield the kohlrabi from invasive pests.

Vegetation to Keep away from Planting with Kohlrabi

Keep away from planting pumpkins, tomatoes, fennel, strawberries, broccoli, and kale alongside kohlrabi resulting from their incompatible development patterns and the potential for pest and illness points.

1. Pumpkins

Pumpkins are not advisable as companion crops for kohlrabi. Whereas each belong to the Cucurbitaceae household, planting pumpkins close to kohlrabi can result in overcrowding and competitors for soil vitamins.

Moreover, pumpkins are likely to unfold out and block daylight, which might negatively affect the expansion of kohlrabi. It’s best to keep away from planting them collectively in your backyard to make sure optimum rising circumstances and harvests for each crops.

2. Tomatoes

Planting tomatoes close to your kohlrabi can have detrimental results on each crops. Tomatoes are inclined to pests like whiteflies and aphids, which might simply unfold to close by kohlrabi crops.

Moreover, each tomatoes and kohlrabi require comparable soil circumstances and vitamins, resulting in competitors for sources.

To make sure wholesome development and forestall pest infestations, it’s greatest to maintain these two crops separate in your vegetable backyard.

3. Fennel

Fennel just isn’t a advisable companion plant for kohlrabi. Rising fennel alongside kohlrabi can result in competitors for sources and have detrimental results on the expansion of each crops.

It’s greatest to keep away from planting these two collectively in your backyard to make sure optimum development and well being for each crops.

4. Strawberries

Strawberries and kohlrabi will compete for house, daylight, and vitamins within the soil. This competitors can negatively have an effect on the expansion of each crops.

To make sure optimum development for each strawberries and kohlrabi, it’s best to separate them in numerous areas of your backyard or contemplate planting them at completely different instances in the course of the rising season.

By doing so, you’ll give every plant sufficient house to thrive and maximize their yields.

5. Broccoli and Kale

These two leafy greens are unhealthy kohlrabi companion crops. It is because these crops can compete for sources, akin to soil vitamins and daylight.

Planting them shut collectively could result in overcrowding and will hinder the expansion of all three greens. It’s greatest to present every plant sufficient house to thrive and keep away from any detrimental results on their development.

So, for those who’re planning a kohlrabi-filled plot, it’s sensible to maintain broccoli and kale in a separate space of your backyard.

Remaining Ideas

Selecting the best companion crops to your kohlrabi can vastly profit your backyard.

By planting celery, nasturtiums, bean crops, chamomile, and different suitable crops alongside your kohlrabi, you possibly can deter pests, enhance soil vitamin, and improve the flavour of your harvests.

So don’t hesitate to experiment with completely different combos and create a thriving backyard stuffed with wholesome and scrumptious crops. Pleased gardening!

FAQs About Companion Vegetation For Kohlrabi

How late are you able to plant kohlrabi?

You possibly can plant kohlrabi as a late-season crop as much as about 6-8 weeks earlier than the primary anticipated frost date.

What number of kohlrabi do you get per plant?

Every kohlrabi plant often produces one bulbous stem, which might range in measurement however sometimes yields a single harvestable kohlrabi.

What number of kohlrabi ought to I plant?

The variety of kohlrabi crops will depend on elements like your loved ones’s consumption, accessible backyard house, and desired yield.

A basic guideline is to house them about 6-8 inches aside in rows 12-18 inches aside.

Can I develop kohlrabi with none companion crops?

Sure, you possibly can definitely develop kohlrabi with out companion crops. Nonetheless, incorporating suitable companions can improve the general well being and productiveness of your backyard whereas lowering the necessity for chemical pesticides or fertilizers.

Can kohlrabi be grown with different greens?

Sure, kohlrabi may be grown with a wide range of different greens akin to turnips, Brussels sprouts, celery, and chives.

How can I maintain pests away from my kohlrabi crops?

To maintain pests away out of your kohlrabi crops, you possibly can introduce companion crops that repel pests, use natural pest management strategies, and often examine your crops for indicators of pest harm.

Can kohlrabi be grown from seed?

Sure, kohlrabi may be grown from seed. It’s comparatively simple to develop from seed, and you can begin them indoors previous to planting them in your backyard.

What are the several types of kohlrabi?

The several types of kohlrabi embody inexperienced kohlrabi, purple kohlrabi, white kohlrabi, and hybrid varieties.

How far aside ought to I plant my kohlrabi crops?

It is suggested to plant kohlrabi crops about 12 inches aside to permit sufficient house for them to develop. Overcrowding can result in stunted development.

Can I develop kohlrabi in containers?

Sure, you possibly can develop kohlrabi in containers so long as the container is deep sufficient to accommodate the basis system and has correct drainage.