How to Grow Kale
Choose a kale variety that best suits your growing climate., Choose a pot or a garden plot., Test your soil., Know when to plant.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Choose a kale variety that best suits your growing climate.
Kale is usually grouped by leaf shape, and although growing times vary between varieties, most kale is ready for harvest between 45 and 75 days after transplanting.
Curly Kale is sweet and mild and is one of the most commonly found kale varieties.
It is characterized by its curly, wrinkled leaves.
Lacinato or Dino Kale also has a wrinkled texture, though its leaves are tall and skinny.
Premier Kale is known for its cold hardiness and its ability to grow quickly.
Siberian Kale is the hardiest variety that (as the name suggests) can withstand harsh temperatures and easily resist pests.
Red Russian Kale has impressive red twisting leaves.
It is similar in its resilience to Siberian kale.
Redbor Kale is a dramatic deep purple and red kale, perfect for adding color to any dish.
Walking Stick Kale has a thick stalk that can grow up to six feet tall.
The stalk can be used as a walking stick, hence the variety name. -
Step 2: Choose a pot or a garden plot.
You will need at least six square inches of growing space per plant regardless of your container type.
Choose an area with full sunshine if you’re planting during the fall, and an area with partial shade if you're planting in the spring.
Avoid low-lying areas and spaces where water tends to collect and/or flood.
If you do not have an area with suitable drainage, you can build a raised garden bed.
Use cedar planks to build your garden bed, as cedar does not rot when it gets wet. , Make sure that you plant your kale in fertile, loamy soil, amended with nitrogen, phosphorus, or potassium if it is low in these nutrients.
Sandy or clay-like soil will hurt the kale's flavor and production ability.
Kale prefers soil with a pH between
5.5 and
6.8.
If the pH level is below
5.5, enrich the soil to make it less acidic.
If the soil pH is above
6.8, mix in granular sulfur to lower the pH level. , If you're starting your seeds or starts indoors, plant them between five and seven weeks before the last frost.
If you're going to start your kale outside, plant the seeds two to four weeks before the last frost or at least 10 weeks before the first frost in the fall.For kale seeds to germinate, the soil temperature just has to be at least 40 °F (4 °C).
Kale seeds sprout most effectively in a soil temperature of 70 °F (21 °C). -
Step 3: Test your soil.
-
Step 4: Know when to plant.
Detailed Guide
Kale is usually grouped by leaf shape, and although growing times vary between varieties, most kale is ready for harvest between 45 and 75 days after transplanting.
Curly Kale is sweet and mild and is one of the most commonly found kale varieties.
It is characterized by its curly, wrinkled leaves.
Lacinato or Dino Kale also has a wrinkled texture, though its leaves are tall and skinny.
Premier Kale is known for its cold hardiness and its ability to grow quickly.
Siberian Kale is the hardiest variety that (as the name suggests) can withstand harsh temperatures and easily resist pests.
Red Russian Kale has impressive red twisting leaves.
It is similar in its resilience to Siberian kale.
Redbor Kale is a dramatic deep purple and red kale, perfect for adding color to any dish.
Walking Stick Kale has a thick stalk that can grow up to six feet tall.
The stalk can be used as a walking stick, hence the variety name.
You will need at least six square inches of growing space per plant regardless of your container type.
Choose an area with full sunshine if you’re planting during the fall, and an area with partial shade if you're planting in the spring.
Avoid low-lying areas and spaces where water tends to collect and/or flood.
If you do not have an area with suitable drainage, you can build a raised garden bed.
Use cedar planks to build your garden bed, as cedar does not rot when it gets wet. , Make sure that you plant your kale in fertile, loamy soil, amended with nitrogen, phosphorus, or potassium if it is low in these nutrients.
Sandy or clay-like soil will hurt the kale's flavor and production ability.
Kale prefers soil with a pH between
5.5 and
6.8.
If the pH level is below
5.5, enrich the soil to make it less acidic.
If the soil pH is above
6.8, mix in granular sulfur to lower the pH level. , If you're starting your seeds or starts indoors, plant them between five and seven weeks before the last frost.
If you're going to start your kale outside, plant the seeds two to four weeks before the last frost or at least 10 weeks before the first frost in the fall.For kale seeds to germinate, the soil temperature just has to be at least 40 °F (4 °C).
Kale seeds sprout most effectively in a soil temperature of 70 °F (21 °C).
About the Author
Marilyn Palmer
Enthusiastic about teaching practical skills techniques through clear, step-by-step guides.
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