Find out The Yorshire Gardeners tips on how to grow kale.

About Kale

Kale has been round many years and centuries. It is not a common vegetable to eat but it is extremely nutritious. It is a great source in vitamin c, a and e – it is great for iron.

Recommended varieties of Kale

Their are many types of kale that you can grow. These are curly, plain, rape and spear. The varieties we recommend growing are:-

• Fibor AGM
• Redbor AGM
• Dwarf Green Curled.

Choosing the best spot to grow Kale

Kale is great for growing in all types of places in the garden or allotment as it can be grown in partial shade. Kale can be grown in many types of soil including wet and poor soil. It can also withstand frost. With any vegetable improving the soil will help it grow though. Try adding compost or chicken pelleted manure to the soil to help it.

Sowing Kale

When sowing Kale it is best to start it off in seed trays – the seeds are very small so make sure you sprinkle them far apart. The seeds will germinate after about 7-12 days. When the seeds have germinated and they are big enough to transplant you can separate them into individual pots. Continue to grow them on until they are big enough to plant out.

Growing Kale

After about 6-8 weeks of growing on they will be ready to plant outside in the soil. Before you plant the kale out make sure they have had a good drink of water a few hours before planting out.

When planting the kale out in it’s final position plant them around 50cm apart. Plant the kale deep up to it’s first set of true leaves.

Looking after your Kale plants

To look after kale it’s quite easy. As the kale gets bigger you will need to support them either with canes or twigs so they don’t bend over and snap. Make sure that you keep watering the plants when there is not much rain. Keep the soil hoed round the plants to make sure that weeds do not take all the nutrients and water away from the plants.

Harvesting Kale

When harvesting kale it is best to harvest the leaves when they are small as this is when they taste at there best. When they get big they become very bitter. Pick the leaves starting from the crown and working outwards this will encourage the plant to bush out. Don’t just pull the leaves off as this will damage the plant. Cut them off with a sharp knife.