Kale

A great variety of kale to grow is White Russian.  It is by far the best tasting kale, excellent taste, sweet, tender, hardy, tolerates wet soils. Flat, silvery-green leaves with white veins.  Also known as Cavolo Palmizio.  Relatively trouble free to grow. Very good flavor and resistance many insect pests.  Kale is the most nutritious vegetable and is also the most cold hardy!  Stir fry with olive oil and garlic.  Yum!

Kale growing preferences:

Site, soil type:

The soil for kale does not need to be highly fertile.  Low fertility is fine.   Kale prefers cool weather and benefits from partial shade in summer.

Planting requirements:

Can be planted early, as soon as the ground can be worked.

Sow seeds ½ inch deep. 6 inches apart, eventually thinning to 12 inches. Row cover will help warm the soil and seeds for quicker germination.

Nutrition/Fertilizer needs:

It’s a light feeder.  If your soil has no fertility, add a wee bit of organic fertilizer .

Water needs:

Keep soil moist at all times for healthy plants.

Other tips:

All varieties are very frost hardy, but growing varieties with Siberian and Winter in their names may give even more frost tolerance.   Frost brings out sweetness in established fall plantings.

Kale is less troubled by insects and diseases that other brassicas.

Kale is an extremely nutritious green to have in the garden.

 

I have kale recipes here.