Kohlrabi

Too dry this summer for kohlrabi, Oct 2018

I like growing new vegetables.  Like the achocha and Aztec broccoli I tried for the first time this year.  Bonus:  I'd also never eaten (or even seen) them before. 

Well, another new vegetable for me was kohlrabi;  this however, I've definitely both seen and eaten before.  I'm not very successful at the usual root vegetables:  carrots, beets, onions, etc;  I thought this one might grow better for me, as it's actually the swollen stem that forms, not the root.

Well, I sowed seed in situ, both in the Brassicas bed--which it belongs to--and the far edge of the Roots bed--which it doesn't, but it was the only place with any room left.  This section is in partial shade and had extra chicken manure seeing as was the chickens' permanent yard two winters ago.  And wouldn't you know it, the one kohlrabi I harvested came from this partially shaded bed.  I speculate that it managed to grow (as did some turnips and beets) because of the combination of manure and shade:  the main beds got full sun and not enough water, where this bed was able to conserve its water for much longer.

I don't know if this counts as a success, though.  I mean, yes it was tasty and a good size, but there was only one!  I think there may be another three or four plants out there still (in both beds) but none have formed a bulb, and I think it's unlikely they will now, in November.

Will I grow this again?  Yes.  I'll try it again next year with hopefully a little more water this time.  The variety is Giganta (I think).  Mine definitely wasn't gigantic, but hopefully I'll improve next year.