Kohlrabi is one of those vegetables I grew because I never grew it before. Every year I try to challenge myself to grow some new-to-my-garden crop. About 15 years ago that crop was a no-name variety of kohlrabi. I met with some success, but not enough to put it in my rotation. In fact, I documented the experience in Just Veggies at the time—read about it HERE.

This year I plan to give kohlrabi a go once again. And that’s because there’s a new award-winning variety available. It’s called Konstance, and it recently received the All-America Selections Edible Award for 2025. I’ve written about the AAS Awards here before but just as a reminder, these awards are given to varieties that have been tested in trial gardens throughout the U.S. and Canada to determine how they rate compared to similar varieties already on the market. Konstance came out on top and ranked as a National Winner. Not too shabby!

Konstance Kohlrabi’s Winning Attributes

My summer of growing kohlrabi resulted in a small harvest of smaller-than-a-tennis ball-sized light-green bulbs. Konstance promises to change that for me.

• First, it’s a purple variety with improved skin texture. The coloration extends up through its leaf margins, with the leaves themselves being a purply green. The flesh is white as in other kohlrabi varieties, but the smooth purple skin and coordinated leaves are quite attractive and a bonus in a sea of other green brassicas.
• Second, the bulb is way bigger than that of the variety I grew years ago. This bulb is anywhere from 3-in. to 5-in. in diameter, and it wowed the AAS trial garden judges by producing crack-resistant bulbs having peppery and crunchy flesh. And apparently its leaves are quite flavorful when roasted and sauteed. I love a crop that gives you two ways to eat it!

Several of the judges commented that Konstance had a long-lasting eating quality. In other words, if you harvest it and don’t get around to eating it right away, it’ll last quite a while before its crispness turns into something unpalatable.

How to Grow Konstance Kohlrabi

Kohlrabi is a cool-season crop, so you can grow it in both spring and fall. Sow seeds of Konstance directly into the garden about 4-6 weeks before your average last frost date. If you want to extend the harvest—i.e., have a constant supply of kohlrabi over several weeks—sow another set of seeds every two weeks. Sow seeds about ½-inch deep. When seedlings have several sets of true leaves, thin your row so seedlings are about 8 in. apart.

Tip! Want to grow in containers? You can sow three seeds per large (12-in. wide) container. Or, plant on transplant her container.

Once seedlings are settled in, feed with your favorite complete fertilizer and keep the soil moist. The kohlrabi bulbs should be ready to harvest in about 50 days from the date you sowed seeds.

For a fall harvest, sow seeds about 4-6 weeks before the average first frost. Mind the moisture when sowing, since summer’s heat will still be around.

Thanks, All-America Selections, for the use of the photo!