How to Grow Kohlrabi Micro Greens or Baby Greens Indoors

Kohlrabi, or German turnip, is usually grown for its edible bulbous stem base, but it can also be grown indoors as micro greens (or slightly larger baby greens), even in winter and fall. Kohlrabi micro greens — if you don't already know — refer to young kohlrabi seedlings that are harvested just a few weeks after sowing when they are around 1 to 2 inches tall. Kohlrabi micro greens are easy to grow indoors in containers, and they can be used to add flavor, texture, and visual appeal to mixed salads. Although green kohlrabi varieties produce equally delicious microgreen crops, the Purple Vienna variety is preferred by many indoor gardeners. Purple Vienna yields medium to dark green leaves with stems that range from whitish purple to medium purple in color. To grow your first crop of kohlrabi microgreens (or baby greens) indoors, follow these steps:

Step 1. First, buy kohlrabi seeds. Opt for certified organic seeds. Purple Vienna is a good variety to be grown as a micro or baby green indoors, but you can also go for a green kohlrabi variety.

Step 2. Soak the kohlrabi seeds of your choice in a clean bowl filled with cool water for up to 24 hours. Soaking kohlrabi seeds before planting will hasten germination.

Step 3. Pour nutrient-rich potting soil into a container with drainage holes. Fill it up to half an inch of the rim of the container. Scatter pre-soaked kohlrabi seeds evenly over the entire soil surface. If you see any seed clusters, use a fork to spread them out. Finally, sprinkle a little moist soil on top of the sown seeds.

Step 4. After you've sown the seeds in the container filled with moist soil, it's time to find a sunny spot that you can dedicate to your indoor kohlrabi micro green garden. A south-facing windowsill is a good option. The great thing about kohlrabi is that it is not very demanding in terms of temperature, and the seeds will germinate in soil that is anywhere between 50 and 85 °F (or 10 and 30 °C).

Step 5. Keeping the soil moist is crucial if you want your kohlrabi to yield a good micro green crop. Giving the germinating kohlrabi seeds or emerging kohlrabi microgreens (or baby greens) too much water may cause them to become water-logged. On the other hand, a lack of water may cause your plants to dry out. One way to ensure your microgreens get enough, but not too much, water is to use a spray bottle and a drip tray. Mist the soil evenly and thoroughly whenever it feels slightly dry, and let any extra water leak into the drip tray through the drainage holes in the bottom of the container.

Step 6. Your kohlrabi microgreens are ready to eat within 7 to 10 days from sowing or when they reach about 2 inches in height. If you prefer larger "baby greens", wait a few more days until the greens have reached a size that you like. To harvest your kohlrabi micro or baby green crop, cut the seedlings off just above the soil surface. Kohlrabi microgreens don't store well, so it's best to serve and eat them right away. The attractive kohlrabi micro greens are commonly used to add texture, flavor, and visual appeal to salads.

Step 7. Once you've eaten your first crop of kohlrabi micro greens, start a new kohlrabi microgreen crop. Or, try growing other microgreens and baby greens. Some of the easiest microgreens and other edible seedlings to grow indoors include broccoli microgreens, daikon microgreens, garden cress, bok choy (pak choi) microgreens, and baby tatsoi greens.