<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Brassica napus <\/em>var pabularia<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Introduction<\/strong>: As you might guess from the name, this plant originated in\nNortheastern Europe and neighboring Asia. It is an entirely different species\nfrom Scotch kale, but is often grouped together with it. This is understandable\nas they are both called kale, are both Brassicas and are grown and used in the\nsame ways. However they differ in that most Siberian kales aren\u2019t as hardy,\nthey have thinner leaves and they taste better in warm weather.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I think Siberian kale is a better food plant than Scotch Kale. It\nis milder in flavor and so tender in texture that it is sometimes used raw in\nsalads. It is a fantastic home garden crop plant, very hardy, nutritious, tasty\nand easy to grow. I can\u2019t praise it enough.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In Britain this species is known as rape kale, which is a good\nname because it is actually a type of rape (B. napus<\/em>) and more closely\nrelated to rutabaga than to Scotch kale. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Nutritional content<\/strong>: This plant is rich in all of the nutrients you would expect to\nfind in the Brassicas. These include vitamins A, C and K, chlorophyll,\nmanganese, copper and several important antioxidants. The red colored types are\nparticularly valuable because the red color comes from beneficial carotenoids. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Crop\nvalue<\/strong>: This plant is a staple\nwinter green vegetable in my garden. I have planted it in late spring (if you\nplant it too early it will bolt almost immediately) and it has fed us through\nthe summer, fall, winter (in our mild winters it doesn\u2019t even slow down) and\ninto early spring. It then bolts and produces an abundance of nutritious and\ntasty flower buds that can be used like broccoli (if they are infested with\naphids, blast them off with a jet of water). Eventually the flowers open and go\non to produce a lot of seed (often several ounces per plant). This can be used\nfor sprouting, micro-greens and to grow future crops. <\/p>\n\n\n\n This species is good to eat at any time, though it is at its best\nin cool weather, when the leaves become sweeter in flavor. It is also most\nuseful at that time, when fewer\nother leafy crops are available. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Soil<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n pH 6.0 – 7.5<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Kale is more tolerant of poor soil than other Brassicas, but the\nmost palatable leaves are produced by rapid uninterrupted growth. For this the\nsoil must be rich, well-drained and moisture retentive with lots of organic\nmatter. Of course with a winter crop, drainage is usually more of a concern\nthan water retention. If the soil is too wet in winter the roots may rot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Soil preparation<\/strong>: Kale likes\norganic matter, so amend the soil by digging in 2\u02dd of compost or aged manure.\nIt also likes a neutral pH, so add lime to raise the pH if necessary. Its\nnutritional requirements are similar to those of cabbage, in that it needs a\nsignificant amount of phosphorus and potassium, but not a lot of nitrogen. If\nyour soil isn\u2019t very fertile you may also want to add some fertilizer mix.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Planning<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Where<\/strong>: Winter kale will be growing in the coldest part of the year, so\nshould be planted in the warmest, sunniest, most sheltered part of the garden. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Kale is one of the most shade tolerant garden vegetables, though\nit won\u2019t be quite as productive as when in full sun. In warmer weather it is\nusually happier in light shade. If this is from a deciduous tree, it will\nmostly disappear in winter, which is ideal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Crop rotation<\/strong>: Kale should not be planted where another Brassica has grown in\nthe past 3 years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Spring<\/strong>: Kale can be planted in spring for harvesting in early summer. It\nis started indoors 6 weeks before the last frost date and planted out 2 weeks\nbefore the last frost date. If you plant too early the plants can be vernalized\nand may bolt soon after planting out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Kale will actually grow right through the summer, but doesn\u2019t\ntaste very good in warm weather. It really needs cool weather to make it tender and sweet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Fall<\/strong>: As I already mentioned kale is most useful as a fall crop,\nplanted in mid-summer, at least 2 – 3 months before the first fall frost date.\nThe plants need to be fairly big by the time of the first frost, so they are\nvigorous enough to keep growing. In mild climates it will continue to grow all\nwinter without disruption and can be harvested continually for months (it will\nalso be in peak condition\nin the cool weather).<\/p>\n\n\n\n It is a good idea to plant your autumn kale as an intercrop\nbetween an existing summer crop. It will gradually take over the space as the\nweather gets cooler and the summer\ncrop fades.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Late kale can succeed a mid-season crop such as potatoes or beans.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n Winter<\/strong>: Your fall kale crop will gradually become your winter kale crop,\nespecially in milder areas. If you want to use kale as a staple winter crop you\nshould probably grow quite a lot of it. It grows slowly in winter, so you want\nto have quite a few plants to harvest from (so you don\u2019t stress any one plant\ntoo much).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Planting<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Direct sowing<\/strong>: The easiest way to grow kale is to sow it directly into the\ngarden. The seed germinates easily and grows quickly, even in fairly cool soil.\nPlant the seeds \u00bc – \u00bd\u02dd deep and 2\u02dd apart. Start harvest thinning when all the\nseedlings have emerged and\nare of sufficient size. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Transplants<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Starting inside<\/strong>: Kale is often started indoors to get an earlier crop in spring.\nIt will germinate and grow much faster in warmer conditions, enabling you to\nplant out a thriving seedling, rather than a seed. Transplants may also be used\nwhere insects or other pests are a problem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Kale\ndoesn\u2019t mind transplanting so can be started in flats, as well as cell packs\nand soil blocks. Plant the seed 1\u02dd apart in a flat and when the seedlings are\nbig enough prick out into another flat, leaving 2\u02dd between the plants. The\nplants are ready to go outside when they have 3 – 5 true leaves, a stem\ndiameter of about \u215b\u02dd and are 3 – 5\u02dd tall.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Hardening off<\/strong>: If transplants are to go outside while it is still cold, they\nshould be hardened off first. They will then tolerate temperatures as low as\n25\u02daF. You do this by putting the plants outside for 2 hours on the first day,\nthen<\/p>\n\n\n\n 4 hours on the second day.\nAdd 2 hours every day for a week and then plant out. <\/p>\n\n\n\n A simpler\nalternative is to put them in a cold frame, which is opened for longer periods\neach day and closed at night.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Planting out<\/strong>: Transplant the seedlings slightly deeper than they grew in the\nflats, up to the depth of their first true leaves. Water well after planting\n(of course).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Protection<\/strong>: Early growth is often slow in cool weather. You might want to\nuse cloches to keep the plants warmer and so speed this up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Bolting<\/strong>: In spring a potential problem with using transplants may occur\nif you are too successful and grow big healthy transplants. If these are then\nexposed to cold weather they may be vernalized, which will cause them to bolt.\nTo avoid this your transplants should have stems no thicker than \u215b\u02dd.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Starting transplants outside<\/strong>: In terms of bed space, a kale seed takes up as much space as an\n8 week old transplant, so direct sowing isn\u2019t very space efficient. You can use\nbed space more efficiently by sowing your fall kale in an outdoor nursery bed\n(this only works in warm weather of course). Leave them there until they are of\ntransplant size and then plant them out at their full spacing in early fall.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Spacing<\/strong>: Kale plants can get quite big, so give them plenty of room:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Beds<\/strong>: <\/p>\n\n\n\n 12\u02dd apart in excellent soil<\/p>\n\n\n\n 15\u02dd apart in good soil<\/p>\n\n\n\n 18\u02dd apart in poor soil<\/p>\n\n\n\n Rows<\/strong>: If you want to plant in rows, space them 18 – 24\u02dd apart, with\n12\u02dd between the plants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Care<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Weeds<\/strong>: Kale is pretty independent once established, so you only really\nneed worry about weeds while it is young.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Watering<\/strong>: Kale has large leaves and can lose a lot of water in warm\nweather (another reason not to grow it then). It is actually moderately drought\ntolerant, but for the best quality (texture and flavor) you must keep it well\nsupplied with water. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Fertilization<\/strong>: If the soil isn\u2019t very fertile, feed the\nplants with compost tea or liquid kelp. Start feeding them as soon as they have\nrecovered from transplanting and every month thereafter. This is especially\nimportant if you are going to be harvesting for weeks on end. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Mulching<\/strong>: Use a mulch in summer to keep down weeds, keep the soil cool and\nconserve soil moisture. In winter a mulch can help to protect the roots by\nmoderating soil temperature and preventing frost heaving.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Problems<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Pests and diseases<\/strong>: Kale is less vulnerable to pests than other Brassicas (even to\nclubroot), but it still has its share, especially in warm weather (aphids are\nthe commonest). See Cabbage<\/strong> for more\non these pests and how to deal with\nthem. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Birds<\/strong> In my garden quail have a particular affection for Brassicas such\nas kale and they may strip whole leaves from the plants. In my last garden they\ngot so bad in winter that I had to net the 4 ft tall plants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Harvesting<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n When<\/strong>: Kale produces an abundance of foliage right through the growing season, but it is at its best during cold weather. <\/p>\n\n\n\n You can gather kale leaves for as long as they are produced, sometimes right through the winter. In extreme cold you might cover them with mulch for extra protection. Even the frozen leaves can be eaten and are actually very good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The new shoots, produced when the plant first starts growing again\nin spring, are also good. <\/p>\n\n\n\n When kale bolts in spring, the flower buds can (and should) be\ngathered and used like broccoli. They are a nutritious and tasty treat, that is not to be missed. If they are infested with aphids, blast them off with a jet of\nwater.<\/p>\n\n\n\n How<\/strong>: For a longer and bigger harvest it is best to gather single\nleaves as they get large enough. Don\u2019t take them from the growing point and\nonly take 1 or 2 leaves from a plant at one time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n You may be able to stimulate an old plant to put out tender new\ngrowth, by stripping\noff all of its leaves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Seed saving<\/strong>: Plants over-wintered in the ground will flower the following\nspring. Kale will cross-pollinate with any other Brassica crop (broccoli,\nBrussels sprout, cabbage, collards), so only one variety can be flowering at\none time. Save the seed in the same way as you would cabbage<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The plants will produce an abundance of seed. In fact they\nsometimes get so top heavy with seed they need staking to stop them falling over. <\/p>\n\n\n\n If you save kale seed you will end up with a lot, especially as\nyou should save the seed from at least 5 plants to maintain some genetic\nvariability. This is far more than you will ever need for planting. You can\nsprout most of it like alfalfa, or use it to grow micro-greens.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Unusual growing ideas<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Winter indoors<\/strong>: In very cold areas kale can be grown in winter in an unheated\ngreenhouse or cold frame. It has even been grown indoors as a winter houseplant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ornamental use<\/strong>: Some kales have very attractive foliage and can be used in the\nflower garden. The specially bred ornamental kales are edible too and can be quite good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Container growing<\/strong>: Kale does well in containers, so long as it has enough room, good soil and plenty of water.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Growing as a perennial: <\/strong>You can get some of the hardier kale varieties to survive for\nseveral years, by not allowing them to flower and set seed. You can propagate\nthem by taking green stem cuttings in summer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Cover crop<\/strong>: Kale is sometimes planted as a green manure or winter cover\ncrop. In areas with mild winters it will produce a lot of foliage over the\nwinter and has the additional benefit that it is edible. In spring you can eat\nthe tender new flower shoots, before incorporating the rest of the plants into\nthe soil. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The drawback to using kale as a cover crop is that it is a member\nof the Brassica family and so prone to all of the same pests and diseases. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Seed saving<\/strong>: This species won\u2019t easily cross-pollinate with any B. oleracea <\/em>species,\nthough it will cross with rutabaga. When collecting seed take it from a minimum\nof 10 of the best plants (remove any poor specimens to prevent them from\npollinating the plants you want).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Varieties<\/strong>: This is\nsuch a wonderful crop plant it\u2019s becoming increasingly popular with vegetable\ngardeners and quite a lot of new (and old heirloom) varieties are now becoming available.\nSome of the most interesting include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Siberian\nKale<\/strong> \u2013 Tender enough to be good raw as well as cooked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Dwarf\nSiberian Kale<\/strong> – A smaller variation of\nthe above.<\/p>\n\n\n\n White\nRussian<\/strong> \u2013 A hardy type that also tolerates\nwetter soil than most.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Wild\nKale<\/strong> \u2013 A very variable type.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Red\nRussian<\/strong>: 60 days. This old Russian heirloom is\nalso known as Ragged Jack (because of its ragged frilled leaves). It grows well\nin heat and cold, though is not as hardy as some cultivars. It is one of the\nbest flavored varieties, with succulent and tender leaves. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Western Front<\/strong> \u2013 One of hardiest varieties and if you pamper it a bit, it can\neven be convinced it is a short lived perennial.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Kitchen use<\/strong>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n These kales tend to be more tender than the Scotch types and don\u2019t\nneed cooking for as long. In fact many are good raw too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" About Kale<\/strong> \u00a0<\/strong>
Seed facts<\/strong>
Germ temp: 40 (45 – 95) 95\u00b0F
Germination time: 4 – 9 days
15 days \/ 50\u00b0F
9 days \/ 59\u00b0F
6 days \/ 68\u00b0F
5 days \/ 77\u00b0F * Optimum
4 days \/ 86\u00b0F
Seed viability: 4 – 6 years
Germination percentage: 75+
Weeks to grow transplants 5 – 6 \u00a0
Planning facts<\/strong>
Hardiness: Hardy
Growing temp: 40 (60 – 65) 75\u00b0F
Plants per person: 10
Plants per sq ft: to 1
Height: 24 – 48\u02dd
Spread: 18 – 36\u02dd \u00a0
Planting<\/strong>:
Start: 6 wks before last frost
Plant out: 2 wks before last frost
Direct sow: Spring: 4 \u2013 6 wks before last frost
Fall: 2 wks before first frost \u00a0
Harvest facts<\/strong>
Days to harvest: 50 – 70 days from transplant
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 80 – 100 days from seed
Harvest period: 16 – 26 weeks
Yield per plant: 1 – 2 lb \u00a0 <\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table>\n\n\n\n \u00a0Colcannon <\/strong>
This simple Irish peasant dish was traditionally eaten at Halloween.
1 lb kale (strip out any tough midribs and chop finely)
1 lb mashed potatoes
1 finely chopped onion or 2 small leeks or 4 chopped scallions
5 fl oz milk
Butter
Salt
Black pepper \u00a0
Cook the kale until tender. At the same time simmer the onions in the
milk for 5 minutes. Mix the finely chopped kale with the mashed potatoes and then add the milk. Reheat for a few minutes then put in a dish.
Sprinkle with salt and pepper and then make a well in the center for the butter. \u00a0 <\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table>\n\n\n\n