Kohl Rabi White Vienna Seeds

Brassica oleracea var. gongylodes

White Vienna is a classic heirloom Kohl Rabi producing smooth, rounded, pale green swollen stems with crisp white flesh. Tender, mild and pleasantly sweet, it is an excellent traditional variety for both raw and cooked dishes.

Despite often being described as a root vegetable, the rounded edible “bulb” of kohl rabi is actually a swollen stem that develops above ground. White Vienna has a delicate brassica flavour, somewhere between cabbage, broccoli stem and turnip, with a particularly crisp texture when harvested young.

The swollen stems are best harvested at around 5–7 cm across while the flesh is at its sweetest and most tender. Peel and slice for salads, grate into slaws, serve raw as crunchy vegetable sticks, or roast, steam, sauté or boil like turnip. The young leaves are also edible and can be cooked like kale or other leafy brassicas.

Kohl rabi is a relatively recent development amongst the cultivated brassicas, selected specifically for its enlarged edible stem. White Vienna is an old European variety valued for its smooth skin, reliable growth and fine eating quality.

Plants grow quickly in rich, fertile, well-drained soil with consistent moisture. Steady, uninterrupted growth is important for producing succulent stems and preventing them from becoming tough or woody.

Seed count: approximately 250–350 seeds/g
Approximately 120 seeds per packet

When to Plant (Australia)

Tropics: Autumn to winter
Subtropics: Autumn to spring
Mild climates: Spring to late summer and autumn
Cold climates: Spring to late summer

Planting / Sowing

Sow approximately 5–10 mm deep directly into prepared soil or raise in trays for transplanting. Keep consistently moist during germination.

Space plants approximately 20–30 cm apart in full sun with rich, well-drained soil. Keep plants well watered to encourage rapid, uninterrupted growth and tender stems.

Harvest when the swollen stems reach approximately 5–7 cm across and are still smooth and tender. Avoid leaving them too long, as older stems can become tougher and more fibrous. Young leaves can also be harvested sparingly throughout growth.

If saving seed, White Vienna can cross-pollinate with other Brassica oleracea crops flowering at the same time, including other kohl rabi, kale, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower and Brussels sprouts, so adequate isolation is required to maintain the variety true to type.

Maturity: approximately 50–65 days.

Due to quarantine restrictions, TAS has an 800g limit per each seed variety and WA has a 10,000 seeds limit per variety.