Variety field guide
What to expect from Early White Vienna Kohlrabi
Early White Vienna is a biennial kohlrabi selection grown for leaves or swollen stems, repeated harvest, cool weather, and seed saving.
Read the complete product descriptionTraits, flavor, garden use, variety notes, and the full catalog record
The quick-maturing kohlrabi for crisp, mild bulbs. ‘Early White Vienna’ forms smooth, pale-green globes above the soil line, with tender, juicy flesh that’s mildly sweet and reminiscent of apple and turnip. Both leaves and bulbs are edible.
About Early White Vienna
Early White Vienna is a biennial selection of kohlrabi, with a rosette habit and an expected height or spread of 13–18 in. It is best suited to leaves or swollen stems, repeated harvest, cool weather, and seed saving. Notable traits include white coloring; harvest outer leaves repeatedly or lift kohlrabi at the intended stem size; mild to robust brassica flavor that improves with careful timing.
Treat Early White Vienna as a named seed line with its own observations, not as a generic stand-in for the entire kohlrabi crop.
History and provenance
Broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, collards, kale, and kohlrabi are distinct crop groups within Brassica oleracea. Generations of selection emphasized different plant organs: flower buds, heads, leaves, side buds, or swollen stems. Their shared species identity is especially important in seed-saving isolation. Kohlrabi Seeds - Early White Vienna belongs to a diverse cultivated plant lineage shaped by regional gardeners, farmers, and seedkeepers over time. Its continued presence in gardens reflects selection for usefulness, beauty, resilience, flavor, or cultural value.
Growing facts
| Scientific name | Brassica oleracea L. Gongylodes Group |
|---|---|
| Life cycle | Biennial |
| Maturity | 50-59 Days |
| Germination | 5-10 Days at 50–65 °F |
| Seed depth | 1/4 in |
| Plant height / spread | 13–18 in |
| Growth habit | Rosette |
| Spacing | 6 in between plants; 18 in between rows |
| Sunlight | Full sun |
| Soil | Loamy; pH 6.0–6.5 |
| Water | Moderate |
| Support | No-Support |
Starting Early White Vienna from seed
Sow 1/4 in deep and keep the seed zone evenly moist. Expect emergence in 5-10 Days when the seed-zone temperature is near 50–65 °F. Germination preparation: Start in clean seed-starting mix when season length requires it, then transplant at a sturdy but not root-bound stage. Light requirement: Cover evenly to 1/4 in. Soaking: None required. Stratification: None required. Scarification: None required.
Planting and care
Plant during spring/Fall and provide full sun. Space plants 6 in apart with 18 in between rows. Use loamy with a pH near 6.0–6.5, and follow a moderate watering plan. Support requirement: No-Support. Frost response: Semi-Hardy. Good container fit with drainage, even moisture, and the listed spacing
Harvest and use
Approximately 50-59 Days, from direct sowing or transplanting to the listed market harvest stage. Weather, soil temperature, and planting method can shift the actual harvest date. Harvest: Harvest outer leaves repeatedly or lift kohlrabi at the intended stem size. Uses: Leaves or swollen stems, repeated harvest, cool weather, and seed saving. Flavor: mild to robust brassica flavor that improves with careful timing. Seed saving: Insect-pollinated Brassica oleracea. Best uses include leaves or swollen stems, repeated harvest, cool weather, and seed saving. Flavor and eating quality: mild to robust brassica flavor that improves with careful timing.
Saving seed
Select several healthy, true-to-type Early White Vienna plants that match the expected rosette habit and overall plant form. Avoid saving seed only from the earliest or largest individual unless that is your deliberate selection goal. Pollination system: Insect-pollinated Brassica oleracea. Crop groups within Brassica oleracea can cross with one another. Separate compatible varieties that may flower together, or use cages, barriers, hand pollination, or another documented control appropriate to the crop. Early White Vienna is a biennial. Seed production may require overwintering, vernalization, or more than one growing season, depending on climate and crop biology. Clean the seed carefully, dry it thoroughly away from direct heat, label the lot with variety and year, and store it cool, dark, and dry. Test germination before an important planting or distribution season.
Common problems
Common concerns: Flea beetles, imported cabbageworm, cabbage loopers, aphids, slugs, root maggots, and clubroot risk where the pathogen is present. Management: Use rotation, insect netting before pests arrive, regular leaf inspection, sanitation, and well-drained soil. Do not plant the same brassica family repeatedly in one bed. Diagnosis note: Similar symptoms can have different causes. Compare plants of the same age, record weather and irrigation, and use local Extension or diagnostic support before applying a control.
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions - Early White Vienna
When is Early White Vienna ready? Use 50-59 Days. Approximately 50-59 Days, from direct sowing or transplanting to the listed market harvest stage. Weather, soil temperature, and planting method can shift the actual harvest date.
How long does germination take? Expect 5-10 Days at about 50–65 °F. Cooler, hotter, crusted, saturated, or dry seedbeds can slow emergence.
How large does it grow? Expect about 13–18 in with a rosette habit. Space plants 6 in apart and rows 18 in apart. Support: No-Support.
Can it grow in a container? Good container fit with drainage, even moisture, and the listed spacing Use a container with drainage and enough volume to maintain the listed spacing and steady moisture.
Can I save seed? Insect-pollinated Brassica oleracea. Keep compatible varieties isolated and allow selected plants to reach full seed maturity.
