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Growing Kale
Planting, Growing, and Harvesting Kale
Planting, Growing, and Harvesting Kale
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Kale is a cold-hardy vegetable that can be planted in early spring or autumn. Cool weather brings out the sweet, nutty flavor of this highly nutritious green. Dive into our Kale Growing guide for information on planting, growing, and harvesting this hard-working beauty.
Kale is a member of the cabbage family. Small plants can be set out very early in the spring (3 to 5 weeks before the last frost!). But kale’s glory is the autumn season in many regions as long as winter temperatures do not dip below the teens. Kale tastes better when the leaves mature in cold weather.
Kale is versatile in the garden, growing in traditional beds or raised beds and containers. It’s also versatile in the kitchen and a nutritious addition to salads, stir fries, omelettes, casseroles, and other dishes.
Planting
When to Plant Kale
- In early spring, kale can be set out in the garden 3 to 5 weeks before the last frost. However, if the temperatures can dip below the 20s, it’s best to have floating row covers on hand; you can cover them on cool nights.
- In the fall, kale can be planted 6 to 8 weeks before the first frost for fall and winter harvests. In zones 8, 9, and 10, kale can be planted throughout the fall.
- 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
- Kale does best in full sun but tolerates partial shade.
- The soil pH should be 6.5 to 6.8 to discourage disease. (Test your pH with a kit from your Cooperative Extension office or garden store)
- Based on the soil test, amend your soil with nitrogen-rich compost or blood meal. (If you didn’t test your soil, mix in a few inches of compost).
- Soil needs to drain well and also be enriched for tender leaves. When planting, add fertilizer (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
- If you’re planting seeds, sow 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.
- If you’re setting out plants (which is more common), plant them at the depth at which they are growing in the container. Space 18 to 24 inches apart.
- After planting, water plants well.
Check out this video to learn how to grow kale.
Care
How to Grow Kale
- It’s important to keep kale well watered and fed. Water 1 to 1.5 inches of water each week.
- Regularly feed kale with a continuous-release plant food.
- Mulch the soil to keep down the weeds and keep kale cool as kale won’t grow in hot weather.
- Mulch the soil again heavily after the first hard freeze in the fall; the plants may continue to produce leaves throughout the winter.
Pests/Diseases
- Cabbageworms are a common pest. Chewed holes are the sign of the green cabbage worm.
- Flea beetles
- Cabbage Aphids are easily solved with a spray of insecticidal soap but keep your eye out for these tiny bugs which will be clustered between the leaves.
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. Start harvesting the oldest leaves firt from the lowest section of the plant. (Discard any yellowed or torn leaves.)
- 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 loose plastic produce 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.
- Kale has a number of health benefits, as it is rich in minerals and vitamins A and C.
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.
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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
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Remove the kale from the
Remove the kale from the planter and see if you can gently pull the roots apart without breaking them. If you can then it's better to replant the individual plants in bigger pots or in the garden. If you can't pull them apart then we suggest that you transplant them all together into a large container with fresh soil or dig a large whole and plant them in the garden.
Thanks, will try this! :)
Thanks, will try this! :)
Does anyone know if you can
Does anyone know if you can pickle kale seed pods? I know you can do it with radish pods quite successfully, but I let a handful of my kale plants go to flower so the bees had something to eat and now I have a bunch of seed pods... curious as to how they would taste and wonder if there is any reason I shouldn't try...
my kale is has a tall flower
my kale is has a tall flower coming out at the top. my brocolli does too. do i cut and start over can igather seeds somehow
Kale will grow a long seed
Kale will grow a long seed pod near the flowers - the seeds don't live in the flower itself. Wait until the pods have grown to their fullest size and started to dry - then you can snip them, split the pod and find the seeds inside. These can be replanted.
Can I start my kale in a pot
Can I start my kale in a pot when it is very little and then transplant it in my garden when it is bigger.
Kale should transplant
Kale should transplant successfully, yes.
Hello! Sirs/Ma'mes Can I get
Hello!
Sirs/Ma'mes
Can I get seeds to plant kale in India. I am resident of Udaipur, Raasthan, India, where winter is very pleasant and sometimes temperature reaches to 4-5 degree centigrade (Low) but during summer it can reach at high of 44-45 degrees.
How much kale per sq.
How much kale per sq. Foot?
Thanks.
Jesus Christ loves YOU, kaleisgood
I'd just plant one per square
I'd just plant one per square foot, maybe two if you are disciplined. Kale can get huge.
The rest of my kale garden
The rest of my kale garden froze pretty harshly...can I still harvest and cook it?
Mild frosts tend to improve
Mild frosts tend to improve the flavor of kale but a hard freeze is likely to chill the life out of it. You might look for a few good leaves under the top ones, Diane, but from what you've described, we would not expect much, if anything, to harvest and cook.
In future, pick in advance of a hard freeze, steam to wilt, and pack to put into the freezer for use in soups and stews through the year.
My plants were great all
My plants were great all spring,summer and fall.Prior to reading your blog this morning I pulled all my plants.Should i replant the plants or just move forward to replanting new plants this spring. I guess I'm asking would these plants survive a harsh winter and re-flower this coming spring.I live in the northeast near Philadelphia.
Don't bother to replant the
Don't bother to replant the kale, Ron. It's an annual and would not restart. Hopefully you pulled any "good" leaves and saved them to eat in whatever way you like best.
Next year, grow them again—but in a different place; remember to rotate for best results!
I'm still a new gardener, but
I'm still a new gardener, but finishing my first serious season, and I feel like I'm raising more questions than vegetables... The lacinato kale I planted in an 8" deep raised bed (SFG method) last spring is still going well, having survived several barrages of various bugs/worms. The plants look like trees now, with "trunks" where the lower leaves have been harvested, and new leaves continuing to come out the tops. Can it continue through the fall, maybe even into the winter, or would it be better to start another crop? If better to start with new plants now, in late August, should I plant them in a different location? And if so, is there a particularly good fall crop to follow in this space after brassicas? Thanks!
Hi Ellen, Sounds like you
Hi Ellen,
Sounds like you have a wonderful kale crop. If the plants are healthy and growing new leaves there is no need to start new plants. The plants you have are well established and will continue to grow into the winter months.
I think i accidently grew
I think i accidently grew kale with kale seeds and the stems are purple and the leaves are green i dont know if its a weed or kale
Hi Ethan, There are so many
Hi Ethan, There are so many varieties of kale that any of us might get confused! Some kale has purple stems (such as Redbor Kale). Here's an interesting page that shows pictures of different kale varieties if that helps! http://ecolocalizer.com/2012/0...
What can I use to deter pests
What can I use to deter pests chewing small holes in the kale leaves?!
The Diamondback moth larva
The Diamondback moth larva makes small holes in kale leaves. Cabbage worms can also be a problem.B.t. insecticide will control all the cabbage caterpillars.
this comment section is/and
this comment section is/and has been so helpful.
many of my questions are answered before i ask.
thank you.
We are glad you find the
We are glad you find the information helpful, Gerard. Good luck in the garden!
Hi. I grew purple kale this
Hi.
I grew purple kale this year in 15" pots from seedlings picked up at the local nursery. The plants did great until I harvested for the first time. I left a few good leaves on each plant and they've pretty much all wilted and died. The ones with a few robust green leaves still on them only have about an inch of root left. Can these be brought back to life? How? Thx.
My purple kale in squamish BC
My purple kale in squamish BC has done amazing all winter. now with flowers opening up in top will those flower buds act as seeds? I cut down the stalks but left the stem and roots with a few little growths. I tryed planting the flower buds as seeds. will I have any luck with any of these trials?
Hi Nigel, Flowers are the
Hi Nigel,
Flowers are the first step on the way to seeds. The bees need to pollinate the flowers for them to be able to form seeds. I wouldn't bother planting the flowers. The stem and roots may produce something--it depends upon a number of things.
I had some insect on my kale
I had some insect on my kale last year, all over
Do not know what the were bit ugly and
I pulled out my kale plants. Any recommendation
how to get rid of insects on kale. A
There are a variety of
There are a variety of insects that love kale. See the pests mentioned above to identify.
By mid-summer, my kale was
By mid-summer, my kale was wormy & bitter. I cut it down to about 6" tall & removed any remaining leaves. It leafed out again & I had a nice fall crop. Dispose of the leaves (& worms). Don't try to compose them.
Good guidance. Can kale grow
Good guidance. Can kale grow indoors without direct sunlight?
Hi Ratna, I've never tried
Hi Ratna,
I've never tried it myself, but you might be able to grow it under grow lights.
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