Reliable and quick to harvest, kale is easy to grow because cold weather (below 20 degrees) doesn’t bother it. In fact, this super-nutritious vegetable crop not only survives freezing temperatures, it come out of the garden tasting a whole lot better! Plants gain a sweetness from a frost that can’t be matched by anything picked earlier. And yes, here in Montana we’ve dug kale out from under snow to add to our soup pot. It seems the more difficult the growing conditions, the better it tastes.
Kale (Brassica oleracea var. sabellica) is a member of the Brassicaceae family and closely related to broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower. It is a favorite food for healthy eating — found in smoothies, salads and soups — and chock-full of amazing health benefits. A powerful superfood, kale is loaded with vitamin A, vitamin C, and super-loaded with vitamin K, a sometimes overlooked nutrient that may reduce the risk of cancer. It also boasts antioxidant compounds and can help lower cholesterol, which can reduce your risk of heart disease and heart attacks,
Fun Fact: This trendy, leafy-green vegetable is an AMAZING source of carotenoids, which are linked to one’s level of optimism.
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Kale Seeds
One of the hardiest greens you can grow, kale is chock-full of vitamins and minerals.
View allPlanet Natural offers heirloom kale seeds that are non-treated, non-GMO and NOT purchased from Monsanto-owned Seminis. Planting instructions are included with each packet and shipping is FREE!
Quick Guide: Planting, Growing & Harvesting Kale
- Plant seeds in full sun and cool, well-fertilized soil
- Excellent cold-weather crop
- Tastes best after a frost, so plant in early spring or late summer
- New leaves are best for salads, older leaves are fine for soups
- Very few pest and disease problems, but watch for mildew, aphids, flea beetles and cutworms
Site Preparation
Kale grows best in full sun and cool, moist soil that is enriched with organic compost. Before planting, incorporate a legume cover crop or work in 30 pounds of compost per 100 square feet. Kale requires moderate amounts of fertilizer rich in nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium.
Tip: Before you grow your organic garden, grow your soil. Consider adding soil amendments like alfalfa pellets, rock phosphate, greensand, and kelp meal to improve the structure of the soil and provide a slow-release mix of nutrients to plant roots.
How to Plant
Sow kale from seed or nursery stock in late summer for a fall harvest or early spring for summer harvest. Sow seeds 1/2 inch deep, allowing 1 foot between plants and 2 feet between rows. Fertilize with fish and seaweed and kelp extract to encourage more growth.
Mulch around kale plants with a heavy layer of garden compost. This keeps the soil cool, prevents moisture loss, and provides readily available nutrients to the shallow feeder roots.
Harvesting and Storage
Like most winter vegetables, the taste improves after the first frost. In fact, we recommend that you do not harvest kale until after at least one or two hard frosts (see Sweet Season). Pick outer leaves as they develop or harvest the entire plant. Kale matures 50-65 days after direct sowing or 30-40 days after transplanting.
An extremely hardy plant, kale can be harvested as late as December in many areas and will overwinter in warmer locations. If you grow it in a cold frame, you can harvest it almost all year long.
For best flavor, pick in the early morning, rinse and eat fresh, or refrigerate immediately. Store, loosely packed in plastic bags, in the vegetable crisper.
Insect & Disease Problems
Kale does not have many diseases or pest problems. Rotating crops helps to discourage many plant diseases such as downy mildew and black rot. Watch for flea beetles and aphids and protect young plants from cutworms with a collar made from paper cups with the bottoms removed.
Seed Saving Instructions
This biennial will cross-pollinate with all other Brassica oleracea, so isolate by one mile the second year when going to seed. Before a hard frost, carefully dig the plants and pot them in sand. Store plants between 32-40˚F. Plant back out in early spring and allow to bolt. Harvest seed pods when dry and clean by hand.
Recommended Products
Hand Seeder
Use to sow your rows with precision. Works fast with just the click of the thumb.
$6.95Read more
Blood Meal (13-0-0)
Used for years by growers as a powerful, slow release source of nitrogen (13%).
$76.95Read more
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4 Responses to “Kale”
I’ve just put some kale in looking forward to harvesting this veg. Thank you for your helpfull info!
First time growing kale from seed. Seedlings are about a few inches above soil. Do I have to thin out any of the leaves or just leave them alone? Thank you for your response.
Elizabeth – This link may help:
https://www.planetnatural.com/garden-thinning-seeding/
I needed this for a school project, you’re a life saver!