Cucurbita maxima and Cucurbita moschata are different species, hence the difficulty in crossing and getting viable seed (though it can happen). Kholrabi and Brussel sprouts (and the other common “cole” crops) are all in the same species, Brassica oleracea, so yes if their blooming times are right and you get pollen from one plant to another they will cross.
Yep, Joe’s got it exactly right! Broccoli, cauliflower, kale, collard greens, cabbage, brussels sprouts, and kohlrabi are all Brassica oleracea, the same species, and they cross easily.
A mild exception: There are some kale varieties that are actually Brassica rapa (a.k.a. broccoli raab and turnip) or Brassica napus (a.k.a. the most cold hardy kale varieties and rutabaga). Those don’t cross with Brassica oleracea easily.
It’s still possible, though: in fact, the whole Brassica napus species is a cross between Brassica oleracea and Brassica rapa.
It shocked me when I first learned that those are all just different varieties of the same species. What an amazing species!
XKCD made me giggle when the comic referenced this recently:
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Probably that will be the limiting factor for me.
Hehe totally.
I think the one kale variety that I planted is still oleracea.
For me is totally different approach I need my plants to have drought/heat tolerance instead of frost one.
Broccolish appleals to me so much. How many plants I need to sow to be able to eat shoots every day?
What will result with crossing kohlrabi with any other brassica oleracea? I got 300 kohlrabi waiting for next year to bloom.
I’m 95% certain that the exceptionally good cross I accidentally ended up with for hot weather greens (with occasional very small heads) is broccoli raab x tatsoi. The mother was definitely raab. I know tatsoi is supposed to be ideal in cold winter conditions, and it never produces more than a runt plant for me in my never frost winters. But the offspring self seeded and is going on 6 months of harvesting leaves a handful at a time without bolting. It was good in August when it was over 100 degrees. It’s good today when it’s down in the 50s at night.
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The green one is raab? I never grown tatsoi but I will put on my list to grow.
I pulled this plant because it was full of beetles, and I realize that that plant has a lot of heads on the top. With that trait you can harvest the heads of the kohlrabi, and still have the plant alive produce more and get seeds from.
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That is super nice.
Wow, I’ve never seen kohlrabi do that before!