Kale is a favorite spring garden plant that performs well into early summer. It can also be planted in the fall where it will yield another successful crop before winter.

Tip: According to the Farmer’s Almanac, Kale will continue growing until its 20°F, and it tastes even sweeter with a touch of frost.

We started our kale indoors about two weeks ago and soon will be transplanting into a garden bed. (The images below are a week into growth.)

Typically you can transplant kale into a garden four to six weeks after starting it indoors. When transplanting to the garden, pick a sunny spot. Kale prefers full sun, though it will tolerate partial shade.

We harvest our kale when the leaves are about the size of our hands. We pick them one by one, starting with the lowest, outermost leaves and working toward the center. This way a few central leaves remain attached and the kale will grow again. We often get several pickings from our kale crops about five to seven days between harvests.

This year I have a variety of seedlings because I love them all.

• Prizm Hybrid from Park Seeds: the earliest producer (40 days) and it continues producing all summer long.

• Black Magic from Park Seeds: big on flavor.

• Dwarf Blue-Curled Vates from Burpee: easy to grow and will last from spring to fall.

• Red Russian from True Leaf Market: sweet and has potential to winter over in a covered bed. 

• Redbor Hybrid Purple from Park: ultimate in flavor.

You can find links to all these seed sites on the main Gardening Zone page.

I highly recommend you try any or all of these flavors and textures in Kale.  They are all sweet and tender and great producers.  I will be transplanting to the bed last week of March or earlier if the nights consistently are above 40 degrees.

“I grow plants for many reasons: to please my eye or to please my soul, to challenge the elements or to challenge my patience, for novelty or for nostalgia, but mostly for the joy in seeing them grow.” — David Hobson, Author & Humorist

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