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terri_horswill

"Multiple kohlrabi (5) on one plant stem?".

Terri Horswill
7 years ago

I have a question on kohlrabi plants? I have a few planted around other plants, cabbage, and lettuce. Some plants grew as a Brussels sprout looking type, some with a thick hard long stem that flowered yellow flowers. Two kohlrabi plants have 4-5 growing up along the stem. There are about 4-5 full kohlrabi on this plant on both sides of the stems alternating sides? Does anyone know what kind of plant does this or why it has done this? Terri

Comments (36)

  • Terri Horswill
    Original Author
    7 years ago

  • Donna R
    7 years ago

    WOW !! I would absolutely try to get this to go to seed and save seed from that plant! No idea why..looks like some bizzare mutation...but I know, I for one would be very happy to have seed from that plant for a future breeding project!

  • Terri Horswill
    Original Author
    7 years ago

    It looks pretty cool and it would be great to grow 5 per one plant! How do I get seeds? Donna would you know?

  • Donna R
    7 years ago

    You will have to leave it in the ground over winter, and it should naturally flower next year. What zone are you in? You would also need to isolate it or net it to keep it from breeding with broccoli, kale, all of the Brassicas.

  • Terri Horswill
    Original Author
    7 years ago

    Zone 5b, these are next to another plant like this. Also another tall unknown yellow flowering one. This plant had yellow flowers to start out. I planted, what I thought were kohlrabi plants. 2 are cabbage? two look like Brussel spouts kinda and these 2 like this. one is like this one, but a hard oblong thick stem that produced 2 kohlrabi on it also. Thank you for helping me with this. Do I pick the kohlrabi first, then leave it over winter?

  • Terri Horswill
    Original Author
    7 years ago

  • Terri Horswill
    Original Author
    7 years ago

    all of the kohlrabi seeds I planted looked the same. then I transplanted the plants to my flower garden that has lava rock.

  • Donna R
    7 years ago

    All of the flowering Brassicas will cross with your kohlrabi..so it's best to tent it when it flowers(next year). I would go ahead and cut the kohlrabi off of it when they're ready. You might try to winter then over in a bucket of damp sand in a cool, dark place...then replant in spring for flowers, and seed. As for the mother plant, leave it till you get a good frost, then mulch it with a good 6" of mulch..then cross your fingers till spring!

    What variety of kohlrabi did you plant and where did you get the seeds?

    Terri Horswill thanked Donna R
  • theforgottenone1013 (SE MI zone 5b/6a)
    7 years ago

    You are gonna have to mulch it deeply. In my experience just trying to overwinter them as-is is a gamble. You lose most while some overwinter. A deep layer of mulch provides protection and increases winter survivability. Cover up all those bulbs on the stalk. And no, do not harvest anything off the plant.

    Also, it is best not to let any other brassicas flower nearby. Much easier than trying to isolate it.

    Rodney

    P.S. Kohlrabi plants get huge in their second year. Plan accordingly.

    Terri Horswill thanked theforgottenone1013 (SE MI zone 5b/6a)
  • Donna R
    7 years ago

    forgotten...why not harvest the bulbs and try to store them to replant? I am thinking they'll rot above ground in zone 5b ???

    Terri Horswill thanked Donna R
  • Donna R
    7 years ago

    I store my kohlrabi over the winter in buckets of damp sand, when I want to replant for seed the next year. In this climate, anything above ground will freeze solid, then rot.

    Terri Horswill thanked Donna R
  • Terri Horswill
    Original Author
    7 years ago

    Donna, This is white Vienna kohlrabi seeds heirloom. I think to store your bulbs, you have a root attached? Do you pull the whole plant and store? I cannot do that, it has 5 separate bulbs coming on the side of the stem. The whole plant has one root, stem. So, theforgottenone1013 to take the bulbs off, I would have to cut it from the side. Since this would possibly harm the plant/stem, I leave all 5 on the plant? But what is the bulbs and leaves going to do? Wont the new growth come from the roots? The bulbs rot over winter? LOL I have two like in the picture, and 1 that has two bulbs coming out side of stem, that stem is fat oblong. I have these in a flower bed with landscape fabric and lava rock. I used to have few tomatoes in this bed. It is close to the house in good cover. I had tomatoes regrow in this spot the following year on its own. It might be a good spot to overwinter these with additional cover. I found two more of these type growing in my other veggie garden. same seeds. These two are a bit less organized on the stems. they have 3 and 4 bulbs each but growing more lower around the main stem.


  • Donna R
    7 years ago

    No...you do not need the roots...just a bucket of damp(not wet) sand, and a very cool (less than 55 F is best) spot. You are so lucky...you may have something really special on your hands !!!!!!

  • Terri Horswill
    Original Author
    7 years ago

    The second picture on here is the same seed pack. That is how it grew. I do not know what that is either.

  • Terri Horswill
    Original Author
    7 years ago

    To cut the bulbs off, it is not the same as if one was cut from the root? lol I am thinking it is like a Brussel sprout how it is attached on the side. where are the seeds if it does flower? because ther others have flowered and one, it was growing like this and it had long flowers coming from it early on. That one plant, I cut the top off that was flowering on long stem shoots out of it. Then that plant has 2 bulbs on it with the fat oblong stem. Maybe it flowered in its first year, and when I cut it not knowing why my kohlrabi was doing this, it grew more bulbs? I never had it two years in a row before so I did not even know kohlrabi grew two years if you left it?

  • Terri Horswill
    Original Author
    7 years ago

    Donna, I went to look at my kohlrabi plants. They have flowers on then with seed pods already. I am thinking early on....I noticed the plants flowering. I did not know what the plants were as I thought I planted kohlrabi and some wrong seeds were in the batch. I did cut the flower tops off those two kohlrabi plants that have 5 kohlrabi bulbs on the stem. Maybe it grows more kohlrabi along the stem,


    after you cut of tops from flowering? The others that I did not cut have seeds on them and 2-3 bulbs each.

  • Donna R
    7 years ago

    Yes..but didn't you say that you had other Brassicas blooming, too? If you do, then the chance that you'll get true seed is slim.

  • Terri Horswill
    Original Author
    7 years ago

    I planted all the same seeds. I do have two cabbage plants in this bed too. That plant is not flowering? The other plants beside the 2 in here that are producing multiple on the stems and one also has a few lower on it not as uniform. The long tall stem that is flowering next to these, is what I thought was a Brussel sprout? But now it has yellow flowers and pods on it still long scraggly stem and has two bulbs growing on side of this stem but they are small, like just starting? I have been basically guessing on what these are. It is on a flower bed I have not used in a few years, so I put these in it. My other gardens are far from this site, this spot has a large tree in-between the gardens and this spot. Do I pull those cabbage plants?

  • Terri Horswill
    Original Author
    7 years ago

    in the second picture on here, it shows one plant. That one plant has 3 long stems shoots from it, which have pods on also. It has 2 bulbs near the base of this plant.


  • Donna R
    7 years ago

    No..the cabbage is fine as long as it's not flowering. You do need to figure out if the plant you thought was a brussel sprout really is a kohrabi, or what it is.

  • Terri Horswill
    Original Author
    7 years ago

    This is that flowering one with pods. The 4 long stem shoots are on this plant. This plant base has 2 small bulbs growing, starting at the base and looks like another is starting. What do you think this plant is? I came in same pack of seeds.

  • Terri Horswill
    Original Author
    7 years ago

    I have never planted any Brussel sprouts, broccoli, or cauliflower here before. nor did I plant cabbage. These cabbage were in the seeds pack. Wisconsin summer has been very hot and humid this year. I have just started my other two gardens this year. I have not had a garden in ten years here.

  • Donna R
    7 years ago

    That's great for seed saving, then! Do you plan to save seed?

  • Terri Horswill
    Original Author
    7 years ago

    Yes, I am going to save the seeds. I have two more of these in the other garden that has multiple kohlrabi on. I hope they flower as well. This will be interesting to try to grow next year!

  • Donna R
    7 years ago

    Would you be interested in selling or sharing some of your seed?


  • Terri Horswill
    Original Author
    7 years ago

    Donna, sure I would share them with you. You have been kind to answer the questions I had. I have not saved seeds before, but I watched a few videos. I let them dry on the plant first?

  • Donna R
    7 years ago

    Great! Thanks so much! You'll get thousands of seeds..they are prolific little buggers!

    Yes, let them dry on the plant, but at the point where they start turning color, it's best to bag the seedheads, because they will start dropping/blowing all over the place. Use a brown paper bag if it's not going to rain, if it is, use a lightweight fabric, even cheesecloth...just put it over the top and use a piece of string or clothespins to secure the bottom.

    I didn't bag my kale one year, spent the entire next summer pulling up baby kale..I could not believe how many plants those seeds started!

  • Terri Horswill
    Original Author
    7 years ago

    ok I will cover them, I have a lot of tulle? would that work I can sew it into a lightweight bag to get airflow but yet contain them. I will keep you updated! Thank you!

  • Donna R
    7 years ago

    Tulle should work just fine. Good Luck!

  • Donna R
    7 years ago

    Did you get any seeds from your plants? How did they do?

  • Mokinu
    4 years ago
    last modified: 4 years ago

    My Early Purple Vienna kohlrabi doesn't look like that, but on its second year (this year) it grew two bulbs at the top of each branch. Every plant is doing it, too (I have a bunch of plants in one spot because I overseeded before the transplant and didn't thin them or anything). It seems it'll grow more branches out of each new bulb. I pruned it down to the new bulbs so it would grow fresh greens for the fall (I use it for greens, and I eat the flower stalks, which are very tasty before the summer heat makes them and the leaves tougher). It doesn't show any signs of dying. So, we'll see if it proves to be perennial! I haven't harvested any of the bulbs, and I don't intend to this year.

  • HU-159037045
    3 years ago

    Terri do you still have the seeds from your Kohlrabi plant? I would like to purchase some.

  • floral_uk z.8/9 SW UK
    3 years ago

    To me the multiple kohl rabi and the pictures of the distorted flowering stems look like fasciation and, as such, it is unlikely to be transmitted via seed.

  • HU-159037045
    3 years ago

    I had this variety about 5 years ago. I don’t think I saved any seeds. And the seed company that I purchased from went out of business recentl.

  • Mokinu
    3 years ago

    I'm honestly more interested in the leaves and the newly bloomed flower buds than the bulbs. Do you know how delicious they are? I prefer them to collards and kale. My plant is still alive, working on another year. The old bulbs get woody.