When to Plant Kohlrabi in Brisbane, Subtropical Guide
That soil figure is read off our own weather station in South East Queensland at 21:55 yesterday, not a model.
What this month normally looks like in Subtropical
In October the Subtropical zone normally runs 27°C by day and 15°C overnight, with about 77 mm of rain over 7 wet days. The coldest October night on record across the zone was -0.2°C, so a late frost is not out of the question. Averages 1991 to 2026, 33 postcodes, SILO.
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This Kohlrabi guide is written for the Subtropical zone, which takes in Brisbane, the Gold Coast and the Sunshine Coast. Somewhere else? Your postcode picks the right one.
Not your zone? Cairns Sydney Melbourne Canberra Alice Springs Perth
Also handy: will it frost this week? and what grows in shade.
- Planting window
- Mar to Aug
- Days to harvest
- 55 days
- Sun
- Full sun to part shade
- Water
- Regular
- Spacing
- 20 cm apart
- Soil pH
- 6.5–7.5
Kohlrabi is technically not a root vegetable. The edible part is a swollen stem that forms above ground.
Published · By GardenBuddy.au
Planting dates, current conditions and prices on this page update daily.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Planting Calendar for Subtropical
- Jan -
- Feb -
- Mar S/D
- Apr S/T/D
- May S/T/D
- Jun S/T/D
- Jul T/D
- Aug T/D
- Sep -
- Oct -
- Nov -
- Dec -
S = Seed Tray T = Transplant D = Direct Sow
Want a nudge when it is sowing time?
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How to Grow Kohlrabi in Subtropical Australia
- Soil
- Rich, well-drained soil with plenty of organic matter. Prefers neutral to slightly alkaline soil. Dig in compost and well-rotted manure before planting. Add lime to acidic soils (critical for preventing clubroot).
- Salt
- Moderately sensitive. Copes with a little salt, but the harvest drops on salty bore water.
- pH Range
- 6.5-7.5
- Sunlight
- Full sun (6+ hours). Tolerates light shade, especially in warmer zones where afternoon shade prevents bolting.
- Spacing
- 20cm apart, 35cm between rows
- Watering
- Consistent, even moisture throughout growth. Water deeply 2-3 times per week. Inconsistent watering causes the stem bulb to become woody and split. Drip irrigation preferred.
- Good companions
- Nasturtium, Lettuce, Onion, Cucumber, Dill
- Keep away from
- Climbing Beans, Fennel, Strawberry, Tomato
- Grow before it
- Legumes (Beans - Dwarf, Peas, Broad Beans)
- Grow after it
- Fruiting crops (Tomato, Capsicum, Zucchini)
Give the bed 3 turns before brassicas go back in. The cabbage family is hungry for nitrogen and shares club root and other soil diseases.
Subtropical Growing Tips for Kohlrabi
Recommended Varieties
- White Vienna
- Purple Vienna
- Kolibri F1
Key Challenges
- Bolting in warm weather
- Cabbage white butterfly year-round
- Humidity-driven diseases
Pro Tips
- SEQ gardeners: autumn-winter is your window, February to July
- Succession sow every 2-3 weeks for continuous harvest
- Purple Vienna is more heat-tolerant than White Vienna
Pests and problems for Kohlrabi in Subtropical
- Diamondback Moth Watch
- Cabbage White Butterfly Watch
- Downy Mildew Good spacing. Avoid overhead watering. Morning watering so foliage dries. Crop rotation. Watch
- Common Garden Snail Watch
- Slugs Watch
- Clubroot Lime soil to pH 7.0-7.2 before planting brassicas. Ensure drainage. Crop rotation (7+ years in infected soil). Do not move soil from... Watch
Harvesting Kohlrabi
When ready: Stem bulb is 6-8cm diameter (tennis ball size) for standard varieties. Bulb should feel firm and smooth. Harvest promptly. Overgrown bulbs (>10cm for standard varieties) become woody and fibrous. Exception: Superschmelz stays tender up to 20cm.
How to harvest: Cut stem just below the bulb with a sharp knife, or pull the entire plant. Trim off leaves (save for cooking, they are edible). Trim the root.
Storing and preserving kohlrabi
How to keep it
- Refrigerator Storage. Remove leaves (store separately). Place unwashed bulbs in a perforated plastic bag in the crisper drawer. Keeps well refrigerated. Keeps: 2-4 weeks refrigerated.
- Freezing. Peel and dice into 2cm cubes. Blanch 2 minutes. Ice bath. Drain, tray freeze, then bag. Keeps: 12 months frozen.
- Dehydrating. Peel and slice thinly (3mm). Blanch 1 minute. Spread on dehydrator trays. Dry at 55C for 6-10 hours until crisp. Keeps: 12 months in airtight container.
- Lacto-Fermentation (Sauerkraut-Style). Peel and grate or shred kohlrabi. Toss with 2% salt by weight. Pack tightly into jar, pressing down until brine covers shreds. Add optional caraway seeds or chilli. Ferment at room temperature 5-7 days. Refrigerate. Keeps: 3-6 months refrigerated.
- Pickling. Peel and cut into sticks or thin slices. Pack into sterilised jars with dill and mustard seeds. Pour over hot brine (1 cup vinegar, 1 cup water, 2 tbsp sugar, 1 tbsp salt). Seal and water bath 10 minutes. Keeps: 12 months sealed.
What kohlrabi costs in the shops right now, retailer by retailer, updated daily.
What members get
- Soil and weather from your nearest station
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- Price history and price alerts
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- Full salt and canning detail
Common Questions About Kohlrabi
When do you plant kohlrabi in Australia?
It depends on your climate zone, not the calendar month alone. Planting months by zone:
- Tropical (Cairns): Mar to Aug
- Subtropical (Brisbane): Mar to Aug
- Warm Temperate (Sydney): Feb to Jun, Aug to Nov
- Cool Temperate (Melbourne): Jan to Apr, Aug to Dec
- Cold / Highland (Canberra): Jan to Apr, Aug to Dec
- Arid / Semi-Arid (Alice Springs): Feb to Jun
- Mediterranean (Perth): Feb to Oct
Can you grow kohlrabi all year round in Brisbane?
No. In the Subtropical zone the planting months are Mar to Aug. Outside that window it either bolts, sulks or gets cut down by the weather.
When should I plant Kohlrabi in Brisbane?
Sow from March to August. Autumn and winter are the prime growing season. Spring sowings bolt in October heat.
What soil temperature do Kohlrabi need?
Kohlrabi germinate best when soil temperature is between 10°C and 30°C.
How do I know when Kohlrabi are ready to harvest?
Stem bulb is 6-8cm diameter (tennis ball size) for standard varieties. Bulb should feel firm and smooth. Harvest promptly. Overgrown bulbs (>10cm for standard varieties) become woody and fibrous. Exception: Superschmelz stays tender up to 20cm.
What are the best Kohlrabi varieties for Brisbane?
Recommended varieties for the Subtropical zone include: White Vienna, Purple Vienna, Kolibri F1.
What grows well with Kohlrabi?
Good companion plants for Kohlrabi include: Nasturtium, Lettuce, Onion, Cucumber, Dill.
Are kohlrabi salt tolerant?
Only a little. Kohlrabi are moderately sensitive to salt, so the harvest drops on salty bore water. Mix salty water with rainwater, and mulch the bed.
Which zone am I in?
Type your postcode into the box near the top of the page and it tells you, and links this crop in your own zone if it differs. Or look it up on the grow zone map. This page is the Subtropical zone, Brisbane is its reference city.