Frustrated - Ethiopian Kale

[digitS']

Or, is it a mustard? Highland kale, Abyssinian mustard, African cabbage, Karate (?) cabbage. Johnny's calls it Amara mustard.

The seed companies have a common designation - Unique! Okay, it is New so it has 10 names but How Do You Grow It? "Grows well in heat but tolerates cool weather." Johnny's lumps it in with Mustard, Mizuna, Pac Choi, Tatsoi, Chinese Cabbage, Kale, Komatsuna ... Oh sure, thanks A Lot!

Well, I know somethings about those but it sure didn't help with this Unique kale. Started in the greenhouse, it was moved into the hoop house with the other kales and such about 10 days ago so that they could adjust to cool, overnight temperatures. It's bolting to seed! Tiny plants - maybe we will have some Tiny leaves but I fully intend to give the plants a "karate" chop and put them in the compost and start over! Surely, if it "tolerates" cool weather it can be direct-sown in the garden. I think - I suppose.

For someone who starts nearly all the brassicas in the greenhouse and transplants to the garden - this has been a frustrating experiment with something Unique.

Steve

 

[Phaedra]

Maybe we tried the same/similar vegetable? The name of what I tried this year is Brassica carinata.

I also started them in the greenhouse, and after transplantation, they stopped growing for a few weeks. I am not sure if they need some longer time to adapt to the root shock. Anyway, about two weeks later, suddenly they started to speed up, and the leaf size doubled. When they were still young, I collected their bigger leaves, and the taste was satisfying.

As you said, some plants bolt, but I pinched them as side shoots are also coming up. Most of the leafy greens in the brassica family didn't grow well when it was too warm. It's very easy for them to bolt, similar to most spinach varieties we have here.

In my garden, March to early May is an ideal but short window for them; however, the increasing daylight is a negative factor. The best growing season here is from September to November - the temperature is lower, and the sunlight hours decrease. So, I will sow them again in late August and see the difference.

 

[Phaedra]

My bolting drama queens this year are Italian multi-headed broccoli. 100% bolting - they became today's special for chickens.

My Brassica carinata, after pinching the upper parts - I will collect the big leaves a few days later and see how will the side shoots grow.

 

[digitS']

@Phaedra Geiermann your plants are larger than mine. Maybe pinching will provide a good result.

Is this your first time with the Ethiopian kale?

Did you transplant them out or plant from seed in the box bed?

 

[Phaedra]

@Phaedra Geiermann your plants are larger than mine. Maybe pinching will provide a good result.

Is this your first time with the Ethiopian kale?

Did you transplant them out or plant from seed in the box bed?

I started transplanting them out when they were about this size.

With this size, they are ok with frost like other leafy greens in the brassica family.

 

[Phaedra]

I transplanted them in different locations, and it seems the longer/stronger sunlight they had, the earlier they bolted (with a much smaller plant size).

This location has about 8 hours direct sunlight. They are extremely small, and the color of leaves isn't right. Flowers are already pinched.

The second spot, there is a 2.5 meter hedge at their back, so they have about 4-5 hours direct sunlight. The leaves are much bigger than those in the spot one. They're also much higher. About half of them bolted, and the flower heads are pinched, too.

The spot 3, inside the hoop tunnel (and under a insect protection net because I planted them with broccoli), no direct sunlight at all - only indirect sunlight the entire day. However, they're the biggest plants among all, and none has any flowers yet.

My spinach plants have similar tendency, so I guess, the light plays a critical role on some leafy greens.

 

[digitS']

I'm still "in the dark" about them ...

They are used for seed oil production in Africa so they were likely developed as a field crop and to flower, produce seed, and perhaps for mechanical harvest. You know, we may not have the best variety Out of Africa, just yet. That's my excuse and, SO FAR, I'm sticking to it 🤓.

Here's my confusion - we have had a very, very cloudy Spring. They have also been under plastic film cutting out some sunlight from the start. Very Limited Sunlight. So, if less light would help them develop more, why are my plants smaller than your smallest and bolting?

In the weather thread, I mentioned some of our farm crops in this area. We also have Canola. That's not a bad green but the plants do not grow very large before they begin to flower. See, I'm stuck on the idea mentioned above 🔃.

Steve 🔄

 

[Phaedra]

I'm still "in the dark" about them ...

They are used for seed oil production in Africa so they were likely developed as a field crop and to flower, produce seed, and perhaps for mechanical harvest. You know, we may not have the best variety Out of Africa, just yet. That's my excuse and, SO FAR, I'm sticking to it 🤓.

I believe what we planted was not the best variety, either. In the past two years (this year is the third one), I grew a beetroot variety that was so reputational in the UK, but I only got very poor performance, even with seeds from different sources.

Here's my confusion - we have had a very, very cloudy Spring. They have also been under plastic film cutting out some sunlight from the start. Very Limited Sunlight. So, if less light would help them develop more, why are my plants smaller than your smallest and bolting?

In the weather thread, I mentioned some of our farm crops in this area. We also have Canola. That's not a bad green but the plants do not grow very large before they begin to flower. See, I'm stuck on the idea mentioned above 🔃.

Steve 🔄

I didn't mention that when they were seedlings, they had additional light in the greenhouse in the early morning and evening (until I went to bed). But after transplantation, plants in different locations performed differently.

Today, I harvested the leaves again for dinner. As you can see, the plants have more light (left) - the color of their leaves is brighter than those in the much darker corners (middle).

I prefer the taste of those growing in the darker corner - more tender and delicate.

However, I am also only guessing.

The plants in the dark corner of the hoop tunnel are also bolting now, so I pinched their main stems, too. Those were pinched a few days ago - their side shoots grow very well. It should be a practical way to extend the harvest from them.

 

[digitS']

I think I'll go for the pea tendrils on the right @Phaedra Geiermann .

Yeah, I'll try them again direct-sown. I'm all for extending the season - it's one reason that I tried chard again after not having it for so many years. It's also why we eat so much Scotch kale, almost year around. These aren't really my favorites but I've learned that the thin-stem chard is very good and that Scotch kale is just fine during winter months and from the hoop house in the spring.

Scotch kale for lunch.

Steve

 

[so lucky]

Have you tried Dinosaur Kale, Steve? I think it is also called Lacinto. It grows easily and abundantly and has a good taste. I just have a lot of problem with cabbage worms on it, mid season.