Kohlrabi is a healthy and tasty vegetable that can easily be 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 culture for new potatoes, spinach or lamb's lettuce
- Celery keeps pests away
- Never plant kohlrabi together with other types of cabbage
- other cruciferous plants (Brassicaceae) are also taboo
Ideal for mixed culture
Kohlrabi (Brassica oleracea var. gongylodes) is a cultivated form of cabbage, but lighter and faster-growing than its hearty relatives. Depending on the variety, the green or blue tubers do not need their own bed, but due to their rapid growth they are ideal as catch crops or as a stopgap between other crops. Plant kohlrabi as a mixed crop between legumes, lettuce, or other neighbors listed in the section below. When planning, make sure that kohlrabi needs fewer nutrients than the large heads of cabbage, which consume a lot. The vegetables, like lettuce, make ends meet as a medium eater.
Tip: Kohlrabi can be sown again and again from early spring to late summer, so you can harvest the bulbs throughout most of the season. When choosing a variety, pay attention to the information on the optimal sowing date.
Kohlrabi grows particularly well next to the right neighbors.
15 good neighbors for kohlrabi
Kohlrabi goes particularly well with the following 15 types of fruit and vegetables.
Kohlrabi: good neighbors from A to E
French beans (Phaseolus vulgaris)
- also called garden bean
- numerous varieties in different colors (green, yellow, violet-blue, red speckled)
- needs a lot of warmth, so sow from the beginning of May
- Overseeding between June and July
- fertilize little, especially with nitrogen save
Dill (Anethum graveolens)
- also known as cucumber herb
- loves full sun and moist soil
- ideal for mixed cultivation, also with cucumbers
- just sow a few grains of dill in the bed
- Sow outdoors from April
- especially good with cucumbers
- influences the emergence of kohlrabi and other vegetable seeds such as carrots
Peas (Pisum sativum)
- popular and healthy legume
- belongs to the weak eaters, fertilize little
- different types for the vegetable bed: sugar peas, wrinkled peas, split peas or shell peas
- Pale 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, legumes should only be fertilized a little.
Strawberries (Fragaria)
- Rose plant with sweet, aromatic fruits
- Garden strawberries are a cross between American species
- not related to the native wild strawberries
- Differentiation between once-bearing and multiple-bearing varieties
- Monthly strawberries bloom and bear 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 nutmeg salad
- Winter salad rich in vitamins and iron
- Sow between August and September
- good neighbors for late kohlrabi varieties (e.g. 'Delicacy white', 'Blue Bacon')
- also suitable as a post-culture
- Protected under spruce branches Harvest possible until spring
Potatoes (Solanum tuberosum)
- Solanaceae from South America
- in culture for more than 2000 years, came to Europe with the Spanish conquerors
- great diversity of varieties, many valuable old varieties
- old colored varieties such as 'Linzer Rose' or 'Blauer Schwede', special rarities
- different varieties for early (from March), mid-early and late (from the end of April) cultivation
- Planting time dependent on spring weather (soil temperature at least seven degrees Celsius)
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 spot with as much 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 leeks or winter leeks
- contains sulphurous, essential oils
- thrives best in nutrient-rich, deep soil
- Sow from March/April in the cold frame
- until the beginning of August ideal as a follow-up crop in the early potato bed
- also goes well as an onion with kohlrabi
from P to Z
Peppermint (Mentha × piperita)
- many different types and varieties
- planted in the garden mostly cultivar spearmint
- ideal for light shade and moist soil
- rampant, so install 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. in a plant pot sunk into the ground), peppermint prevents the cabbage white butterfly from laying eggs. The herb also grows very well next to carrots, lettuce and tomatoes.
Radish (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
- Planting distance approx. five centimetres, row spacing approx. 20 centimetres
- Spring and summer varieties with different sowing dates
- good neighbors: beans, peas, carrots, lettuce, spinach and tomatoes
Radish (Raphanus)
- numerous varieties
- Medium feeder, 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 draw
- Fertilization only with compost, high soil moisture
- Sow outdoors from April
- harvest in autumn
- Storage in wet sand
Celery (Apium graveolens)
- Umbelliferous plant with large, aromatic tubers
- ideal for nutritious, moist soils
- sensitive to cold, so do not plant until mid-May
- prefer from February on the windowsill
- Harvest before the first frost from October to November
Tip: Celery is a particularly suitable plant neighbor for kohlrabi and other types of cabbage, as its strong smell deters typical cabbage pests such as cabbage whites or whiteflies.
Spinach (Spinacia oleracea)
- can be sown in spring (March/April) or in autumn (August/September).
- ready to harvest just 50 days after sowing
- sensitive to nitrogen fertilization
- therefore only prepare the bed with compost and stone flour
- drives away pests (e.g. flea beetles) from mixed cultures
- do not cultivate with chard or beetroot
Tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum)
- Solanum from South America
- Aztec term "Tumatl" gave them the well-known name
- also known as love apples or apples of paradise
- thousands of different varieties
- grow indoors if possible to avoid late blight
- bad neighbors: fennel and potatoes
Bad neighbors
Of course, where there are good neighbors, there are also bad neighbors. You should therefore never plant kohlrabi with the following two vegetables.
Cabbage (Brassica)
In the case of mixed cultures, the rule always applies that plants from the same family may not be planted together or 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 culture 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 bulb. It is therefore better to plant onions together with carrots, strawberries, cucumbers, lettuce, chicory salads, dill or savory.
frequently asked Questions
What planting distance should be kept with kohlrabi?Kohlrabi develops quite large and broad 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 centimetres. Late summer or autumn varieties, on the other hand, need more space. You should plant them on 30 x 40 centimeters. Giant varieties such as 'Gigant' or 'Super Schmelz' then need even more space to grow - their tubers can weigh up to eight kilograms.
What is the best way to use kohlrabi in crop rotation?Mixed culture not only means that different types of vegetables are planted at the same time, but also that previous 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. On the other hand, new potatoes, spinach, peas and beans are very suitable as a pre-culture for kohlrabi. Lamb's lettuce, on the other hand, can be planted well after the kohlrabi harvest.
Why should you plant kohlrabi in mixed culture?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 if the cabbage smell is masked with intense scents such as celery or mint. Peas, beans, spinach and potatoes, on the other hand, enrich the soil with nutrients so that the kohlrabi can grow all the better in it.