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Growing Kale
Planting, Growing, and Harvesting Kale
Planting, Growing, and Harvesting Kale
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Kale is a hardy, cool-season green that is part of the cabbage family. It grows best in the spring and fall and can tolerate fall frosts. Here’s how to grow kale in your garden.
Kale can be used in salads or simply as a garnish. Kale has a number of health benefits, as it is rich in minerals and vitamins A and C.
Planting
When to Plant Kale
- In most areas, you can plant kale at any time, from early spring through early summer, and again from late summer to early fall. However, kale’s growth may be affected by hot temperatures, so it’s recommended to avoid growing it during height of summer.
- If you plant kale late in the summer, you can harvest it from fall until the ground freezes in winter. In fact, kale leaves often have a better flavor after a couple frosts.
Choosing and Preparing a Planting Site
- Plant kale in full sun, in well-draining soil.
- Mix 1-½ cups of 5-10-10 fertilizer per 25 feet of row into the top 3 to 4 inches of soil.
How to Plant Kale
- Plant the seeds ¼ to ½ inch deep into well-drained, light soil.
- After about 2 weeks, thin the seedlings so that they are spaced 8 to 12 inches apart.
Care
How to Grow Kale
- Water the plants regularly, but be sure not to overwater them.
- Mulch the soil heavily after the first hard freeze in the fall; the plants may continue to produce leaves throughout the winter.
Pests/Diseases
Harvest/Storage
How to Harvest Kale
- Kale is ready to harvest when the leaves are about the size of your hand.
- Pick about one fistful of leaves per harvest. Avoid picking the terminal bud (found at the top center of the plant) because this will help to keep the plant productive.
- Kale will continue growing until it’s 20°F. It tastes even sweeter with a touch of frost. (See local frost dates.)
- If you wish to extend your harvest, shield your kale from the cold with row covers. Or, create a makeshift cover with tarps and old blankets propped up by hay bales. Here are a few more season-extending ideas.
- The small, tender leaves can be eaten uncooked and used in salads.
- Cut and cook the larger leaves like spinach, but be sure to remove the tough ribs before cooking.
How to Store Kale
- You can store kale as you would any other leafy green; put the kale in a plastic bag and store it in the refrigerator. It should last about 1 week.
Recommended Varieties
- ‘Vates’, which is a hardy variety and does not yellow in cold weather. It also has curly, blue-green leaves.
- ‘Winterbor’, which resembles the ‘Vates’ variety, but is frost tolerant.
- ‘Red Russian’, which has red, tender leaves and is an early crop.
Wit & Wisdom
- The chill of a moderate frost or light snow improves the flavor of kale.
- Embrace your leafy greens! Learn more about the health benefits of eating greens and about growing other popular salad greens.
Recipes
Cooking Notes
Many people dislike kale because it is so crunchy and dry. It sounds odd, but a great way to make kale more tasty is to massage it!
Kale also makes a great compliment to spinach in a salad (watch this video for great kale salad ideas), and kale chips can be a tasty treat. Find out more about kale and spinach.
Growing Kale
| Botanical Name | Brassica oleracea acephala |
|---|---|
| Plant Type | Vegetable |
| Sun Exposure | Full Sun |
| Soil Type | Loamy |
| Soil pH | Neutral to Slightly Alkaline |
| Bloom Time | |
| Flower Color | |
| Hardiness Zones | |
| Special Features |
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Reader Comments
Leave a Comment
Growing Kale from seed
I live in central France and, at the moment, we are in the middle of a Drought Crisis with daily temperatures in the high 30's/low 40's °C. I have an 18 metre long poly tunnel that I am watering with used bath water as the water table is so low. The tunnel runs, more or less, East to West with the beds going North to South across the tunnel. I mulch my beds with the old straw bedding from the rabbits / hens / ducks and most of the veg seems to be surviving.
The other day I was given a packet of Curly Kale seeds. I've never grown them before so I'm looking for pointers as to (1) when to plant the seeds and (2) how to care for them. Any advice greatly welcome.
Thanks in advance
Jannie
Kale
I live in SoCal and we don’t get frosts at all. Can I ‘simulate’ a frost by either putting the leaves in the freezer or dumping ice to melt around the leaves?
Kale & Frost
No. When the PLANT experiences cold weather and/or frost or snow, it responds by adding sugar to its fluids. The sugar acts as an antifreeze to protect the veins, stems and leaves from freezing. WE like it because it makes the leaves sweeter but the plant could care less what we think. Your putting the leaves in the freezer has no effect on the plant because you've already picked the leaves. Dumping ice around the leaves would also have zero effect. It's the roots and stems which are sensing the cold and producing the sugar. IF you were raising Kale indoors or in a greenhouse in water ("Hydroponics"), you could chill the water down to 33 degrees and stimulate the Kale to produce the sugar. But that would be a very elaborate and expensive way just to get sweeter Kale and would hardly be worth it.
Depth of soil
How deep does the soil in the raised bed need to be to grow kale
kale
Soil should be 12 to 18 inches in depth. Till the soil to a depth of 6 to 8 inches
Kale Plant
I have kale plants that have formed a cabbage above ground with roots in the soil and healthy leaves growing on the cabbage like kale leaves.IS THE CABBAGE EDIBLE and how to cook it.
Kale Head
Kale plants don’t typically form heads (the cabbage-like structure that forms in the center of the plant), but since kale is just a type of cabbage, it can happen! The kale head is edible, but I’m not sure how it will taste—it could be bitter or overly tough. Try a piece raw first, and if that’s not very satisfying, try boiling it (here’s a corned beef and cabbage recipe to try). Also, note that kale often tastes a bit better after a frost, so if you’ve got a frost coming soon, wait until afterwards to harvest the plant. Let us know how it turns out!
Is it safe to eat?
There is a tall raised flower bed at the back of my house that was built with a plywood or Particle board type wood wall faced with brick. The wood was sprayed with bug spray and hornet/wasp spray. I was not thinking about this when I got plants but I planted kale and strawberries in the bed. I don’t know if the sprays leached into the soil?? Are they safe to eat? Or are they all just a waste? Will they ever be safe? I am usually pretty picky about my own food and spray choices so I don’t know what to think about this? Any advice? Thank you
risks of plywood/particle board raised beds
Plywood may contain/be treated with copper azole. You can learn more about this here: https://www.extension.iastate.edu/smallfarms/toxicity-concerns-about-rai... Particle board is not mentioned on that page but we would avoid it. As for the bug spray you need to read the can/container; usually there are advisories on such products. Without knowing what chemicals it contains, we would only be guessing. That said, we would propose that you might be able to transplant the kale and berries. Hard to know how far along they are but if you get a new, safe, clean plot ready and get it done and then provide lots of TLC, you might have a harvest after all. We hope this helps.
What is Bolting (Kale)
Hello there,
We moved into our home a year ago and it has a lovely garden. One item is Kale and right they are huge plants and have a lot of flowers on them. From what I am gathering is that they are done? But I am not too sure what Bolting is? I was wondering if I need to cut them down and/or pull them out? They have survived all winter long and their leaves grew all year long. Any advice you can provide will be helpful
bolting kale
Kale is a biennial (2-year) plant, which means that it will produce leaves the first year, and then the next year (or sometimes late the first year), it will form a flower stalk. This stalk eventually forms flowers and then seeds; once the seeds mature, the plant dies shortly after. The act of forming that tall, central flower stalk is called bolting. Sometimes the bolting response in a plant can also be caused by other factors, such as temperature or stress. If your kale plant is bolting, and it is the second year, then the plant will not last much after the seeds form–you may want to pull it up and start over, unless you plan to collect seed (though if the kale is a hybrid, the offspring may not be similar to the parents). Once kale bolts, the leaves take on a stronger flavor, at which point harvesting usually stops. Hope this helps!
kale growth
Hi ,
I am new to gardening and moved into a house with kale already growing. Stem is over 4' height, small and sparse kale leaves between growth spurts and has long shoots with yellow flowers on the top. Stem is so long & heavy, its dragging on the ground or about to.
Do I cut the entire stem off? Do I trim?
Help...please and thanks.
kale has yellow flowers
If this is edible kale, the yellow flowers are a sign that the plant is bolting. If you have not already, cut the stems that you want and save or cook them. You can cut the flowers for a vase or leave them for appearance, but as an annual, the plant is almost done.
Kale flowers
Hi! My kale is starting to flower, am I supposed to pull the flowers off like for basil or broccoli?
flowering kale
If this is edible kale, it’s a sign that the plant is bolting. If you have not already, harvest any leaves that you want and save or cook them. Pulling the flowers is not likely to halt the bolting process—a sign that it is too warm for the plant to produce leaves. You can cut the flowers for a vase or leave them for appearance, but as an annual, the plant is almost done.
For a second crop this year, set out new plants in the late summer/fall. Kale like cool weather.
Kale Harvest
Hello, for how long can I keep harvesting the bottom leaves?
how long to harvest?
You can harvest the leaves as long as the taste is appealing. After the plant bolts (sends up flowers) the leaves may become bitter.
Kale plant
I purchased a kale plant and it was growing; however, can I plant it outdoors (I live in MN) and will it survive the winter,or should I just toss it and purchase a plant or seeds next spring?
kale
Kale can take a light frost. In fact, kale is best in the fall after exposed to a few light frosts. However, it won’t survive freezes outside so it’s best to pick the leaves. You can always blanch and freeze to store over the winter. Plant new seeds in the spring.
Hi I'm new in agric fuel and
Hi I'm new in agric fuel and i would like to get more info on how to grow kales the procedure from the start to harvest I'm from Mombasa Kenya with very hot temperature and sandy soil as well kindly advice
Growing kale: types, soil, insect control
I'm in Jamaica W.I. and starting to grow kale but lack information about safe growing procedures relative to; type of kale/climate, soil type and protection from insect infestation and fertilization. HELP!?
storing kale by drying.
i have found that by harvesting kale leaves during their productive season, it is possible to dry the leaves gently, not in direct sun, until brittle. then simply crush the leaves which automatically eliminates the need to remove the hard ribs, as they just remain in your hand. store in cool, dry place for use throughout winter. very practical and avoids waste of healthy surplus leaves.
Storing Kale by Drying.
My question: after drying and crushing Kale, what is a suggestion of a "cool dry place" for winter storage? I live in a small house (no room for storage) in WV with 2 non climate controlled sheds.
Thank you.
Kale Growing Period
I'm new to gardening.Came across Kale planet in internet and trying to grow kale in a POT at home.2 pots.I see that now kale has started growing however it took almost 90 days to see this growing and still the leaves are not fully grown, i assume it is still in growing state.
Does it take this much time to grow or i missed something here.I'm interested in growing this more often hence would like to know the growing cycle and time that takes for harvesting.
Please note i have not used any fertiliser here.
Regards/KK
Kale Growth
Kale usually takes about 65 to 80 days from seed to harvest, but that depends on variety, conditions, etc. Plants sometimes slow their growth if they are stressed, such as temperatures too hot or cold, not enough water, pests or diseases, or crowded roots (for container-grown). Make sure your plants have enough room in their pots, and that they are getting the right amount of light, water, and nutrients. It sounds like you can start harvesting the outer leaves now for cooking, but allow the inner ones to keep growing (sometimes people harvest a few baby leaves for salad, but be careful not to pick the growing innermost section). Depending on your climate, they can produce for several months, and over winter in Zones 7 to 9. If you live in a cold climate, you’ll need to provide winter protection to extend the season.
Asking Help to get Kale Plant seeds
I want to cultivate Kale Plant in my Farm and need seeds for it. would you please help ( How)to get the seed for Kale. In UK or UAE.
my address
P.O.Box:77726
AlRamlah
Sharjah
United Arab Emirates
want the seeds of kale plant
i want to cultivate kale plant in my orchard and need seeds for it. kindly help me to get the
seeds of kale plants
Need kale seeds to start planting
Need contacts of suppliers who will or has exported agricultural seedlings to Jamaica
Growing kale seeds
If I bought 150 kale seeds and planted and reaped it, how much kale would I have?
Kale harvest
A lot. Seriously though, some of the seeds that you plant may not come up, other seedlings/plants may be subject to disease/insects or weather or cultural conditions that would either reduce their productivity or kill them. Also, it would depend on whether you harvested the whole plant, bunches, or individual leaves, and how those leaves were harvested (if you harvest the lower leaves, it will produce more leaves up top). However, basic average yield in a home garden for a 10-foot row, at 8- to 12-inch spacing, is about 4 to 8 pounds. Sources recommend about 4 to 5 plants per person. Hope this helps!
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