How to Grow Kohlrabis UK
On this page
- Kohlrabi (Brassica oleracea Gongylodes Group)
- When to Plant Kohlrabis in the UK
- Quick Facts
- At a Glance
- Soil & Growing Conditions
- Growth Stages
- Harvest & Storage
- Diseases
- Pests
- Kohlrabi, a Fast Above-Ground Cabbage-Family Globe
- Plan your Kohlrabis planting
- Growing Kohlrabi in another region
- References
- Frequently Asked Questions
In the UK, kohlrabi goes in the ground early March to late July, and is ready to harvest 42–84 days after planting.
Timing is the decision that matters most in the UK: sowing early March, and that same window applies across all 4 regions covered here.
The short answer
- Plant
- Early March to late July
- Ready in
- 42–84 days
- Site
- soil pH 6–6.5
- Biggest risk
- Brassica downy mildew
Core growing advice on this page is checked against named horticultural sources — see References.
Kohlrabi (Brassica oleracea Gongylodes Group)
12 sources cited · Verified
When to Plant Kohlrabis in the UK
When to plant kohlrabis in the UK: in Southern England, sow early March to late July. Find your area in the table below.
Quick Facts
At a Glance
Soil & Growing Conditions
Growth Stages
Harvest & Storage
Diseases
Pests
Kohlrabi, a Fast Above-Ground Cabbage-Family Globe
Plan your Kohlrabis planting
When to sow and plant Kohlrabis depends on your own frost dates. Check the UK vegetable planting calendar. To work out where it fits in your beds, sketch your plot in the free Garden Layout Planner.
Growing Kohlrabi in another region
Sowing dates, frost timing and local advice differ by country. Use the guide for where you garden.
References
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RHS explicitly advises against slug pellets (even organic) due to wildlife harm, and cites RHS's own controlled trial finding no damage reduction from physical barriers (copper tape, bark mulch, eggshell, grit, wool) -- while also noting some other studies have shown copper barriers to repel slugs, a preserved disagreement rather than a silently resolved one. Details Nemaslug (Phasmarhabditis hermaphrodita) biological control including application temperature range and its lack of effect on snails specifically.
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Sow in early spring in small plantings every 2-3 weeks for a continuous supply; plants can be started indoors or under glass for transplanting as soon as the ground is workable, and midsummer sowings are possible alongside late cabbage. Sow 1/4 to 1/2in deep, thinning seedlings to 2-5in apart and transplanting the surplus to fill gaps. Needs fertile soil, adequate moisture and weed control to sustain the rapid growth that gives good quality. HARVEST from about 1in stem diameter and continue to 2-3in: large, older kohlrabi is tough, woody and can be off-flavoured, and stems over 3in develop woody fibres, especially lower down. Pests: imported cabbageworm, cabbage looper, diamondback moth and cabbage maggot; diseases managed by clean seed, good practice and rotation.
12 independent sources are cited for this crop. Where they disagree - soil pH is the clearest case - every figure is preserved rather than averaged into false precision.
Frequently Asked Questions
When should I sow kohlrabi in the UK?
In Southern England, from early March. In Scotland, wait until early March. Treat these as a guide rather than a fixed date — the governing rule is to sow only once frost risk has passed and temperatures are reliably warm enough.
When do I sow kohlrabi?
Sow early March to late July.
How long does kohlrabi take to grow?
Typically 42–84 days, depending on cultivar and growing conditions.
What soil pH does kohlrabi need?
A pH of about 6–6.5. That span reflects genuine variation between the authorities we cite rather than a single agreed figure — the References section lists each source's exact range.
What problems affect kohlrabi?
Our data links 3 diseases and 5 pests to this crop. See the sections above for each one and how to manage it.
Plan next season before the problems start
Most of the advice on this page comes down to timing and spacing — sowing at the right moment, rotating beds, and giving plants enough airflow. The UK Garden Planner lays your plot out month by month so those decisions are already made before the season starts.
Get the UK Garden Planner →Instant PDF download · Written for UK growing conditions
How this guide is put together
The growing data on this page — sowing windows, pests, diseases, soil and site requirements — comes from named horticultural sources, listed in References below, checked against RHS and Met Office guidance. An automated pipeline assembles that verified data into the page you're reading: it selects which facts to lead with and builds the surrounding prose and layout. It does not invent a date, a source or a number — where a verified value for a field isn't available, the page leaves it out rather than guessing. A person reviews and publishes each page; nothing goes live unverified.
Related Problem Guides
Last verified 2026-09-02
Plan Kohlrabis by month
The months this guide gives for sowing or planting, each with the full list of jobs for that month in the UK:
- What to plant in March
- What to plant in April
- What to plant in May
- What to plant in June
- What to plant in July
More from the same group (brassicas & mustards):
Growing advice for your part of the UK
Timing and conditions change a lot inside one country. These guides cover frost dates and growing seasons region by region.
Where To Go From Here
Take this crop from reading into a written plan for your own beds.
Keep going
Plan the next step
Use the printable SoilCommander planner for your region to turn this guide into sowing dates, bed layouts and weekly garden tasks.