Growing knol-khol
Brassica oleracea var. gongylodes · also called ganth gobhi, monj (Kashmiri)A cool season cole crop grown for its swollen, tender stem, cooked or pickled along with its leaves. A biennial grown as an annual, it is one of the main kitchen vegetables of Kashmir.
South interior: Bengaluru, Mysuru, interior Tamil Nadu
At a glance
Knol-khol in the South interior
Cool season crop, suited to the higher plateau
No published guide covers this for the South interior, so this is an AI suggestion. Check it with local advice before you rely on it.About two and a half to three and a half months from nursery sowing to harvest.
No published guide covers this for the South interior, so this is an AI suggestion. Check it with local advice before you rely on it.September to mid-November
No published guide covers this for the South interior, so this is an AI suggestion. Check it with local advice before you rely on it.45 to 60 days after sowing
No published guide covers this for the South interior, so this is an AI suggestion. Check it with local advice before you rely on it.
Across India
When to sow it
Twelve growing regions, January to December. Your region comes first.
- Sow
- Nursery
- Transplant
- Harvest
- Under cover
- Today
Compare all 12 regionsShow fewer regions
See the dates as a table
| Region | Sow | Nursery | Transplant | Harvest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| South interior | September to mid-November | October to mid-December | December to February | |
| Temperate Himalaya | March to mid-AprilJuly | Mid-April to mid-MayAugust | June to JulyOctober to November | |
| Cold desert | Under cover: April, under polythene | MayUnder cover: Mid-October, in a polyhouse | July to early September | |
| Sub-tropical foothills | Last week of August, sown direct | Mid-SeptemberMid-OctoberMid-FebruaryLast week of March | Mid-OctoberSecond week of DecemberLast week of MarchMid-April | |
| North-west plains | September | October | December to January | |
| Gangetic plains | Late August to September | September to October | Late November to January | |
| North-east hills and valleys | September to mid-October | October to mid-November | December to mid-February | |
| Arid west | Mid-September to October | Mid-October to November | Late December to mid-February | |
| Central plateau | Mid-September to October | Mid-October to November | December to January | |
| Deccan plateau | October | November | Late December to mid-February | |
| West coast | October to mid-November | November to mid-December | January to mid-February | |
| East coast | October to mid-November | November to mid-December | January to mid-February |
From seed to harvest
One season, day by day
Days from sowing
Before sowing
Field preparation
Well rotted farmyard manure or compost
20 tonnes per hectare
Mix it into the soil while preparing the land.
About a month after transplanting
Vermicompost
about 100 g per plant
Spread it around the plants and earth up lightly.
No published guide covers this for the South interior, so this is an AI suggestion. Check it with local advice before you rely on it.
Day 0
Sow
Day 45 to 60
First picking
No published guide covers this for the South interior, so this is an AI suggestion. Check it with local advice before you rely on it.
Day 75 to 100
Last picking
No published guide covers this for the South interior, so this is an AI suggestion. Check it with local advice before you rely on it.
Before sowing
Well rotted farmyard manure or compost
20 tonnes per hectare · Mix it into the soil while preparing the land. · Field preparation
VermicompostNo published guide covers this for the South interior, so this is an AI suggestion. Check it with local advice before you rely on it.
about 100 g per plant · Spread it around the plants and earth up lightly. · About a month after transplanting
Day 0
Sow
Day 5 to 8
Seeds come up1,3Part of this comes from the sources cited. The rest is an AI suggestion.
Day 45 to 60
First pickingNo published guide covers this for the South interior, so this is an AI suggestion. Check it with local advice before you rely on it.
Day 75 to 100
Last pickingNo published guide covers this for the South interior, so this is an AI suggestion. Check it with local advice before you rely on it.
Water every 7 to 10 days, more at knob swelling.No published guide covers this for the South interior, so this is an AI suggestion. Check it with local advice before you rely on it.
What it needs
Soil, sun and warmth
Soil pH1
Grows on most soils if they are fertile. Light sandy or sandy loam soils suit an early crop; clay loam and silty soils, which hold more moisture, suit a late crop.
SunlightNo published guide covers this for the South interior, so this is an AI suggestion. Check it with local advice before you rely on it.
At least 6 hours a day
Full sun in an open spot. In shade the stems swell slowly and stay small.
Temperature1,3Part of this comes from the sources cited. The rest is an AI suggestion.
Grows best at 15 to 25 °C
Takes hard frost.
Monthly temperatures for the South interior aren't in the library yet.
Water and feeding
WateringNo published guide covers this for the South interior, so this is an AI suggestion. Check it with local advice before you rely on it.
Water right after transplanting, then keep the soil evenly moist. A dry spell checks growth and makes the knobs woody.
WeedingNo published guide covers this for the South interior, so this is an AI suggestion. Check it with local advice before you rely on it.
Hoe shallowly two or three times in the first month after transplanting, since the roots stay near the surface.
| When | What | How much | How |
|---|---|---|---|
| Field preparation | Well rotted farmyard manure or compost | 20 tonnes per hectare | Mix it into the soil while preparing the land. |
| About a month after transplanting | Vermicompost | about 100 g per plant | Spread it around the plants and earth up lightly. |
Varieties and yield
150 to 200 quintals a hectare
Yields vary with the plot, the seed and the season.
Good neighbours1
Pests and diseasesNo published guide covers this for the South interior, so this is an AI suggestion. Check it with local advice before you rely on it.
Organic and cultural controls only.
Diamondback moth (Plutella xylostella)
Signs
Small green caterpillars make windows and holes in the leaves.
What to do
- Spray neem seed kernel extract 5%.
- Pick off caterpillars in small plots.
Prevention
- Grow a row of mustard every 20 to 25 rows as a trap crop.
Cabbage aphid
Signs
Grey waxy colonies under the leaves; leaves curl.
What to do
- Wash colonies off with a strong jet of water.
- Spray neem seed kernel extract 5%.
Prevention
- Conserve ladybird beetles and hoverflies.
Cutworm
Signs
Young plants cut at the base overnight.
What to do
- Search the soil around cut plants in the morning and destroy the caterpillars.
Prevention
- Plough before planting and keep the field free of weeds.
Black rot
Signs
V-shaped yellow patches at the leaf edges with black veins.
What to do
- Pull out and destroy infected plants.
Prevention
- Use seed from healthy plants and soak it in hot water at 50 °C for 30 minutes.
- Rotate with crops outside the cabbage family.
Damping off
Signs
Seedlings collapse at the soil line in the nursery.
Prevention
- Raise the nursery on raised, well drained beds and avoid overwatering.
- Transplant only healthy seedlings.
Seed and the season's end
Saving seed1
Leave only healthy knobs that are true to type in the field for seed, and keep the seed crop 1,600 m from other knol-khol and other cole crops. Make sure insect pollinators are about at flowering.
When the seed is ready
Flowers appear 30 to 35 days after the chosen knobs are replanted, then pods set. Cut the branches as the pods ripen.
Cleaning the seed
Stack the cut branches to dry for 4 to 5 days, then turn them upside down and leave them 4 to 5 days more before threshing.
After the last pickingNo published guide covers this for the South interior, so this is an AI suggestion. Check it with local advice before you rely on it.
Clear the stumps and roots after harvest and compost healthy leaves. Do not follow with another cabbage family crop on the same land.
Destroy diseased plant remains after harvest.
Rotation
SKUAST-Jammu advises rotating cole crops with paddy against stalk rot.
Sources
Where this comes from
Our team has checked this guide against the sources at the end of the page.Reviewed by our team on 13 November 2026.
These published guides are the sources. Where none of them covers a detail for this region, the page shows an AI suggestion and labels it.
- Package of Practices for Vegetable Crops 2020 (Knol-khol; insect-pest and disease management in cole crops; preface)Directorate of Extension, Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Jammu (SKUAST-Jammu)Read the source
- Production Technology of Vegetables and Flowers (VSF-231), Part I: Vegetable production (Knol khol; diseases and insect-pests of cole crops)CSK Himachal Pradesh Krishi Vishvavidyalaya, Palampur (Department of Vegetable Science and Floriculture)Read the source
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