Bulb is woody, fibrous, and tough

Harvested too late or grown in heat and drought. Pick bulbs at 2–3 in diameter and keep soil evenly moist.

Plant bolts to flower without forming a bulb

Cold snap after transplanting or summer heat. Transplant after hard frost passes and grow in cool spring or fall windows.

Flea beetles. Use row cover early and keep plants well watered to outgrow damage.

Clubroot fungus in the soil. Rotate brassicas, improve drainage, and raise soil pH toward 7.0 with lime.

Gardening

The alien-looking brassica that forms a crisp, sweet bulb above the soil. Quick to mature and best eaten while young and tender.

The free tool tailors timing to your climate and lets you save this plant.

Sun

Full sun

Hardiness zones

Zones 3–11

Spacing

4–6 in apart in rows 12 in apart.

Soil

Rich, well-draining soil with steady moisture and plenty of compost; pH 6.0–7.5.

Watering

Even, consistent moisture of about 1 in/week; uneven watering makes bulbs woody and prone to cracking.

Plant / sow (typical)

Mar – Apr

Harvest (typical)

May – Jun

Starting

Sow seed directly 1/4 in deep, or start indoors 4–6 weeks before transplanting; sow again in late summer for a fall crop.

Companions

Good with Beet, Onion, Cucumber. Keep apart from Tomato, Pole bean, Strawberry.

Bulb is woody, fibrous, and tough. Harvested too late or grown in heat and drought. Pick bulbs at 2–3 in diameter and keep soil evenly moist.
Plant bolts to flower without forming a bulb. Cold snap after transplanting or summer heat. Transplant after hard frost passes and grow in cool spring or fall windows.
Tiny holes peppering the leaves. Flea beetles. Use row cover early and keep plants well watered to outgrow damage.
Stunted plants with swollen, distorted roots. Clubroot fungus in the soil. Rotate brassicas, improve drainage, and raise soil pH toward 7.0 with lime.