Intro to Kale

It’s finally time for cool-weather crops, a favorite time of year for many gardeners. Among the cool-weather crops are leafy greens, such as kale. Kale is packed with vitamins and minerals, especially Vitamin C. Learn more about growing preferences, planting tips, highly ranked kale varieties, and recipes that include kale in this month’s Garden-to-Kitchen blog.

• Plant in the fall, kale prefers 25-75°F.
• Kale prefers neutral to alkaline soil.
• Transplant seedlings with generous spacing.
• Kale prefers full sun, but will tolerate partial shade.

• Dwarf Siberian: A Russian variety that produces 16-inch plants with slightly frilled leaves.
• True Siberian: Fast growing 24 to 30-inch plants with large, frilly, blue-green leaves. They are cold hardy and can be picked all winter in some areas.
• Red Ursa: A cross between ‘Red Russian’ and ‘True Siberian.’ They produce 24 to 30-inch plants that are bolt-resistant and heat-tolerant similar to ‘Red Russian,’ but the leaves are more rounded and curved at the ends.
• Premier: Bolt-resistant plants that produce smooth, deep green leaves with scalloped edges. This variety remains compact when over-wintered, while developing new growing points on the main stem.
• Redbor: Hybrid plant with curly, maroon-red leaves that grow to 2 feet. This variety is quite cold-hardy and does best in the fall. Plants can grow to 5 feet in long growing season conditions.

Note: Bolting is the term used when vegetable crops prematurely produce seed, which causes plant growth to stop. This can be caused by a cold spell.

Kale should be rinsed thoroughly to remove sand and dirt that has accumulated on the leaves and stems. Cleaning methods include running under water leaf-by-leaf, soaking in a clean sink basin, or even using a salad spinner.

Kick-off the fall season with one of these kale recipes: