Konan Hybrid Kohlrabi Seeds

Days to Maturity: 50 from direct sow

All-America Selections (AAS) Winner 2016

Such an improvement over older varieties, Konan Hybrid is destined to bring kohlrabi into the garden (or onto the patio) of American gardeners everywhere! It is so compact that you can grow it in containers, and it boasts a very smooth texture and pleasingly sweet flavor. And insects leave this plant alone, so you can enjoy the flavorful tops as well as the rich, nutritious bulbs.

Named a national All-America Selection, Konan earns its honors with every plant. It is upright but quite compact, reaching 16 inches high with very bushy tops and a smooth, rounded 4- to 6-inch bulb belowground. Harvest the leaves continuously for delectable flavor packed with vitamins; they re-grow quickly, and with minimal problems from insects, are easier than ever to enjoy. The bulbs are pale green, very uniform, and smooth, easy to cut up for cooked dishes and deliciously crisp and sweet for raw snacking.

Best of all, you can grow Konan in containers as well as the vegetable patch. It is upright and compact, never sprawling, so you can pop a single plant into a 10-inch or even an 8-inch patio container and harvest the bulb less than 3 months later. This is a cool-season crop, growing readily in spring and fall, as well as winter in warm climates. Easy and delicious.

If you are new to growing kohlrabi, you aren't alone! It has yet to become a mainstay vegetable in this country, although it is an integral part of the diet in many parts of Europe. Kohlrabi means "turnip cabbage", and this expresses the versatile nature of the vegetable: it is great cooked or raw, with a complex and pleasing flavor. Kohlrabi bulbs are rich in Vitamin C and potassium, and the leaves may be picked young or allowed to mature for use in soups and stews. High in calcium, iron, and potassium, they are a great source of nutritious flavor your family will love.

To grow Konan, direct-sow the seeds in early spring for late-spring harvest, or in midsummer for fall harvest. (You can also begin them indoors; crop time for Konan is about 42 days from transplanting the seedlings.) Space the plants about 8 inches apart in full sun or light (dappled) shade.