Early Variety
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Early White Vienna kohlrabi is a pre-1860 heirloom that produces pale green bulbs with sweet, white flesh just 55 days from seed. Known by its German-inspired nickname "Petra," this variety creates tender, turnip-sized stems that grow above ground and taste sweeter and creamier than cabbage. Hardy across zones 3-10, it thrives in cool weather and actually improves in flavor after light frosts, making it perfect for spring and fall gardens.
Full Sun
Moderate
3-10
12in H x ?in W
Annual
Moderate
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This swift-growing heirloom delivers the unusual combination of cabbage family hardiness with turnip-like sweetness, ready for harvest weeks before Purple Vienna. The entire plant is edible, from the tender bulbs perfect for raw eating or cooking to the large leaves that substitute beautifully for spinach. Its ability to improve in flavor after frost makes it a reliable cool-season staple that gardeners have treasured for over 160 years.
The bulbs shine both raw and cooked, adding crisp sweetness to fresh salads when peeled and sliced thin, or developing rich, creamy textures when baked, blanched, or pickled. The large leaves serve as an excellent spinach substitute in cooking, while the tender stems can be harvested young for the mildest flavor. Many gardeners prize it as a fresh eating vegetable that stores well through winter months.
Start seeds indoors 3-4 weeks before the last frost date, planting 3-4 seeds per cell 1/2 inch deep. Seeds germinate in 3-10 days at temperatures between 45-80°F.
Transplant seedlings when they are 4-6 weeks old and have been properly hardened off, after soil temperatures reach at least 45°F.
Direct sow seeds 1/4 to 1/2 inch deep starting 2 weeks before the last spring frost, or plant in early fall 2-4 weeks before the first autumn frost. Sow every 2-3 weeks for continuous harvest.
Harvest when bulbs reach 2-3 inches in diameter, typically around 55-60 days from planting. Cut at the base with a sharp knife and trim off the leaves before storing. Harvest while young for the best flavor, as bulbs larger than 3 inches become woody, bitter, and unpalatable. The greens can be harvested separately and used like kale or collards.
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“Early White Vienna kohlrabi arrived in America sometime before the Civil War, establishing itself as a reliable cool-weather crop for American gardeners. By 1884, three kohlrabi varieties including this one appeared in the D.M. Ferry Seed Catalog, cementing its place in American seed culture. This pre-1860 heirloom has stood the test of time, proving its worth to generations of gardeners who appreciated both its reliability and the fact that every part of the plant could feed their families.”