GARDENING DISCOVER THE KOHLRABI.

I made a bet with my brother a few years ago that I would successfully grow a plant which was relatively unknown and uncommon. As a result of this wager, I was introduced to the kohlrabi. When I was sowing its seeds some years ago, hardly anyone here in Pakistan knew what a kohlrabi was. I was not very optimistic that the plant could survive in this climate, let alone provide any yield.

Therefore, I was pleasantly surprised when its plant, which was grown in a pot at my home, began to bear fruit. Initially, my family and I were unsure as to what we should do with the plant's harvest. Of course, we later found a few recipes on the internet about how best to consume the kohlrabi. Back then, it was a huge gardening accomplishment for our family. It encouraged us to continue growing many more kohlrabis over the years that followed.

Although most of the plant is edible, the kohlrabi is specifically the stem part of the plant. Kohlrabi is a German word which refers to the German turnip and belongs to the brassicaceae family. Contrary to the lingual meaning of its name, the kohlrabi is not a root vegetable like the turnip. In fact, it is part of the mustard family and is more closely related to the cabbage, broccoli and cauliflower.

Kohlrabi, being one of the cruciferous vegetables, is grown during the spring and fall seasons. In cities with hotter climates, such as Karachi, it may even be grown as a winter crop. The seeds should be sown when the overall temperature is at least 20 degree Celsius or lower.

If you want to test your gardening skills, try growing this unusual and uncommon vegetable

Its seeds are small and round in shape. The seeds should be carefully placed over the soil surface and should then be covered with a thin layer of compost. There should be a spacing of at least one inch between the sown seeds. After careful watering, the pot should be covered and kept aside till germination of the seeds takes place. In favourable conditions, the seeds are likely to germinate within a week or two.

After germination, the closely growing and comparatively weaker seedlings are thinned out and removed. Once three to four true leaves begin to grow during the sapling stage, it is time to shift the plant to a bigger space. Carefully transplant the sapling into a 10-inch size container or in the ground, with a foot's gap on either side.

The plant container should be kept in a position where it is exposed to sunlight from morning till noon. Since...