When you learn to grow kale in your vegetable garden, you will surely admire its many benefits and never want to stop. This hardy leafy vegetable is easy to plant in spring or fall and is easy to care for if you follow a few simple steps. Additionally, its nutrient density makes it a preferred choice for many health-conscious home gardeners. So use the following instructions and gardening tips to learn how you can plant, care for and harvest this tasty superfood yourself.
It's so easy to grow kale and become your favorite vegetable
Howother leafy vegetablesKale is a robust and resilient plant that can thrive in many climates. You can plant the plants quite early in the spring as long as you protect the young seedlings from strong cold winds with a cover. These will grow steadily for months until the weather gets too warm. You get a second chance to plant kale in the fall, when the cool weather brings out a wonderfully sweet, nutty flavor.
Additionally, the fall season is the best time to grow kale in areas where winter is not too cold. The vegetables can also be in onehomemade cold framegrow further north as the leaves are sweeter when they ripen in cooler weather. In the kitchen, kale can be steamed, fried, or substituted for spinach in omelettes, casseroles, or even quesadillas. It also makes a wonderful addition to smoothies, and tender young leaves make delicious salads.
Kale plants can also be very decorative. They have textured and curly leaves that come in green, purple, and other colors. Additionally, kale has a relatively fast growth rate and can grow from seed to harvest in about three months. Although its growth returns every year, this biennial plant needs two years to complete its growth cycle. It produces leaves in its first year, while seeds and flowers develop in its second growing season. There are many types of kale plants (Brassica oleracea), including Red Russian, Black Kale (Lacinato), and Hanover Salad. However, when caring for different types of kale, the basic rules are almost the same. Just read on to find out more information about it.
Choosing seeds or seedlings and how to plant kale
You can grow kale by sowing seeds directly outdoors or planting seedlings. The exact time to plant kale depends on your climate as well as whether you are starting from seeds or seedlings. However, as a general rule of thumb, you should plant seedlings outdoors in late winter to early spring, as early as 3 or 4 weeks before the last average frost date. Sowing indoors can even start a few weeks earlier. Protect tender young plants with frost protection after cultivation. For a fall harvest, plant kale 6 to 8 weeks before your zone's first average fall frost date. In most places it shouldCultivation in August, or in late summer. However, in temperate winter locations, kale can be planted later in the fall and even into the winter.
Do not sow seeds very deeply in light and well-drained soil. Maintain consistent humidity during germination. When growing your kale indoors, be sure to provide adequate light to avoid large, leggy seedlings. Sowing seeds directly outdoors may result in less rapid and uniform germination. Tiny sprouts are more susceptible to pests even outdoors. When planting seedlings outdoors, it is best to space them approximately 12 to 18 inches apart. As long as they are properly hardened off, the stem of tall seedlings can be buried up to the first leaf base. You should also water well after planting.
How you can grow your kale in the optimal location
Kale thrives in moderately nutrient-rich, cool, consistently moist soil. In addition, your garden soil should be permeable enough. It is best to amend the soil with well-aged compost and/or a balanced natural fertilizer before planting kale. Abundant nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, minerals, organic matter and beneficial microbial activity in the soil contribute to robust kale plants. If you're growing kale in a container, be sure to use one that drains freely.
Kale grows best in full sun to partial shade. Therefore, plan to provide your kale plants with at least 6 to 7 hours of direct sun per day. However, if you are growing kale in the spring with hot summer weather on the horizon, consider a growing location that receives some afternoon shade. This extra protection, along with choosing the right variety, will help your crops survive longer before spreading. On the increasingly dark autumn days, more sunlight helps. Also try to keep kale on the north side of garden beds as it can grow tall quickly and shade smaller, shorter plants.
The right plant care for collards
Kale grows best when you provide it with even to moderate water. So try to keep the soil always moist, but never waterlogged or dried out. The potting soil in pots tends to dry out more quickly than in raised beds or in-ground gardens. Therefore, you may need to water the potted kale more frequently. Additionally, add mulch to the soil surface to help retain moisture and protect the soil and roots from temperature fluctuations. For particularly long-lived kale, apply a fresh top dressing of compost as soon as the plants are 6 months old. This is recommended if you intend to keep the plants a little longer.
Additionally, there are a number of ways you can extend the growing season, whether into the warmer summer months or through the depths of winter. The first step is to select varieties that are best suited to your climate and the season in which you want to grow kale. While established kale plants can tolerate some frost and snow, young seedlings are more sensitive and need protection. Mature kale plants will also appreciate a little extra frost protection for extended cold periods, which can extend their lifespan in the coldest climates.
Enjoy a bountiful harvest after growing your kale
It generally takes two months from the planting date for kale to fully mature, but you can harvest young leaves before a plant is fully grown. Pick larger leaves from the outside of the plant and allow smaller leaves to grow from the center. Additionally, you can harvest kale leaves multiple times from the same stem. The more you harvest, the more new leaves will grow and the taller and larger it will become, so don't hold back. Additionally, kale leaves that remain on the plant become tougher over time. However, always leave at least a handful of leaves behind. The plant needs these to carry out photosynthesis and continue to grow. Also, never cut the whole thing off like a head of lettuce unless you are done with the plant for the season.
Also avoid leaving leaves from the center of thePlant to harvest. New leaves grow from it, called terminal buds. If you cut off the terminal bud, the kale will stop producing new leaves, or instead will produce branched offshoots and only small new leaves. It's best to harvest kale in the morning or whenever the weather is cool and the plants are at their liveliest. Store harvested kale leaves in an unsealed plastic bag to retain moisture. After harvesting, the kale leaves stay fresh in the refrigerator for one to two weeks.
Avoid common mistakes and control pests
Kale is fairly resistant to pests compared to other members of this plant family, but young plants require some protection from birds and insects. Pigeons especially like the delicate leaves of the plants. Covering your plants with netting to prevent bird and insect infestation also prevents butterflies from laying eggs on the leaves. Instead of battling pests, most gardeners pull up old plants and compost them when it's mid to late summer. So, this type of plant can attract insect pests and putrefactive diseases. In addition, kale is susceptible to black rot and clubroot, as well as aphids, cabbage loopers, cabbage worms, caterpillars, flea beetles and snails. The best defense is to monitor plants frequently for signs of eggs or feeding, such as holes in the leaves.
In late summer, the best way to protect young seedlings from these and other pests (such as grasshoppers) is to cover them with a row cover or other lightweight fabric such as wedding netting (tulle). You can then remove the covers in mid-autumn, when pest populations typically decline dramatically. Watch for outbreaks of gray-green cabbage aphids, which often gather in clumps in the folds of curled kale leaves. Treat small problems with insecticidal soap, picking off heavily infested leaves and discarding them.
