Young plants: how much frost does kohlrabi tolerate?

Young kohlrabi plants are not completely frost-resistant. In order for you not to die, you must give you sufficient protection. This article tells you how much frost kohlrabi young plants tolerate.

Early kohlrabi and frost

Early kohlrabi varieties (Brassica oleracea var. gongylodes) are much more frost-resistant than the late varieties and can therefore move outdoors after germination . They even need a cooler temperature after germination, otherwise they will spoil, making them useless in the long run. This has a negative effect on the formation of the nodules. However, it must not be too cold, otherwise the frost will damage the young kohlrabi plants.

You can find out what temperature the young specimens can withstand in the following acclimatization instructions:

  • After germination, keep young plants in a cooler place
  • Minimum temperature of 12°C required
  • 12°C to 16°C is ideal
  • get young plants used to outside temperatures from the end of March to the beginning of April
  • Daily temperatures of 8°C necessary
  • bring back in the evening
  • Plant outdoors in mid-April
  • Nighttime temperatures must now be at least 5°C
  • young kohlrabi cannot withstand temperatures below 5°C
  • Cover young kohlrabi plants with garden fleece to protect against frost
Tip: You don’t have to worry about short temperature changes. The kohlrabi plants can withstand this for a certain period of time without any problems.

Frost tolerance of late kohlrabi varieties

If you have decided on late kohlrabi varieties, you have to reckon with extremely frost-sensitive young plants. The late varieties, which were mainly selected for the autumn harvest , are sown much later for this reason. This will prevent the seedlings from suffering from frost damage. Continuous night-time temperatures of at least 12°C are necessary for this. The following is an overview of varieties whose young kohlrabi plants do not tolerate frost:

  • Blaril
  • Kossak
  • Superschmelz
  • White Viennese
Note: Problems caused by frost on the young plants cause the characteristic heartlessness in which they ‘shoot into the weed’. This significantly limits the formation of edible tubers.

frequently asked Questions

Kohlrabi is a biennial plant that is frost-resistant down to -5°C. If you want to use the flowers or have forgotten to harvest the tubers, the adult specimens can remain in the bed. Cooler temperatures call for winter protection. To do this, cover Brassica oleracea var. gongylodes with a layer of straw, brushwood or compost.

When you can harvest the tubers depends on the variety. You can harvest and use early varieties after eight to twelve weeks. If the varieties are late, the ripening period is extended to 15 to 20 weeks. You can also use the diameter of the tuber as a guide if this is specified in the description of the variety. On average, it is eight to twelve centimeters for the majority of available varieties, with exceptions such as ‘Super Schmelz’.

Be sure to prick out the young kohlrabi plants before planting them out. In this way, you prevent unnecessarily cultivating specimens that are too weak or have already fallen. When pricking out, only select the strongest specimens so that you can look forward to delicious tubers after harvesting. Also check the roots of the young plants. Remove dried, rotten, or glassy roots.

Kira Bellingham

I'm a homes writer and editor with more than 20 years' experience in publishing. I have worked across many titles, including Ideal Home and, of course, Homes & Gardens. My day job is as Chief Group Sub Editor across the homes and interiors titles in the group. This has given me broad experience in interiors advice on just about every subject. I'm obsessed with interiors and delighted to be part of the Homes & Gardens team.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Back to top