Description
Botanical name
Brassica oleracea var. acephala
Family
Brassicaceae
Spacing
One plant per square foot. Very tall and wide. Back row only, lest it shade out other smaller plants.
Depth
Plant seeds 6 mm (¼”) deep. Do not pack down soil to make it easier for sprouts to reach the light.
Requirements
Best in full sun, but can handle a bit of shade. pH around 6-6.5.
Germination
Seeds will sprout in 7-14 days.
Pests
Pest and disease resistant, but can be susceptible to cabbage moth caterpillars. Check your plants regularly and remove any green caterpillars. They like the underside of leaves.
Timing
Kale is a very hardy vegetable. Plant it as early as possible, first week of April. Best to direct sow, but you can get an early start indoors a couple of weeks earlier. For an early fall crop, seed should be planted in late July.
Growing
Kale grows like crazy. Just plant it and let it go! It is frost hardy, and actually becomes sweeter in cold weather.
Harvest
55 days
Season
Cool, annual
