So I have been trying to come up with some resources for growing and picking Kale and need a little help. I have3 main links I'm using, what do you guys use. 1. http://gardening.about.com/od/vegetablevarieties/p/Kale.htm http://bonnieplants.com/growing/growing-kale/ http://www.gobanter.com/uncategorized/844
More Kale Talk please
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catjac1975
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For me kale is very easy to grow. It seems to have become a family favorite. I cut the whole thing off leaving just a few inner leaves. It grows completely back very fast. It will keep growing until a very deep freeze. Kale and other family members need limestone in my area, rich soil,very early spring planting. I started my own seedlings. However if I didn't have so much growing I would direct sow for another crop. I don't remember if it toughened up in the heat or not.
soodjunk said:
digitS'
Garden Master
I read thru the about.com article. It all seemed to make sense to me.
Kale was in my garden a long time ago and I'm glad it made a reappearance. For the last 10 years, I've been growing it differently than I did - way back when. I suppose that it is almost a "summer green" these days.
I set plant starts out early. Kale will not bolt to seed the 1st year. I used to allow it to grow into a huge plant - a great mass of frilly leaves. Then, begin to harvest in the fall and into the winter. The leaves were often scarred by insects and sunscald. Well, no more . . . It is easy to make a choice between the small, pale green leaves at the center of the plant and older leaves, further down the stem.
The older leaves should be removed at some point; they aren't contributing much in the way of photosynthesis after awhile. The small leaves can be left to grow. Between, there's usually 3 or 4 that are just about right. I don't believe that I have ever had kale in a salad. Nope, that's not for me. Kale is kind of tough from the get-go. I like to slice it on the cutting board quite thin and either stir-fry or just boil for a few minutes. A squeeze of lemon or splash of vinegar and, it is ready for the table.
Oh, and the plants never grow very large when harvested like that. Instead, they begin to look like small palm trees after awhile . . . It helps to give them a little organic fertilizer as things begin to cool off during late summer. They will produce nice leaves until hard frost.
Steve
Kale was in my garden a long time ago and I'm glad it made a reappearance. For the last 10 years, I've been growing it differently than I did - way back when. I suppose that it is almost a "summer green" these days.
I set plant starts out early. Kale will not bolt to seed the 1st year. I used to allow it to grow into a huge plant - a great mass of frilly leaves. Then, begin to harvest in the fall and into the winter. The leaves were often scarred by insects and sunscald. Well, no more . . . It is easy to make a choice between the small, pale green leaves at the center of the plant and older leaves, further down the stem.
The older leaves should be removed at some point; they aren't contributing much in the way of photosynthesis after awhile. The small leaves can be left to grow. Between, there's usually 3 or 4 that are just about right. I don't believe that I have ever had kale in a salad. Nope, that's not for me. Kale is kind of tough from the get-go. I like to slice it on the cutting board quite thin and either stir-fry or just boil for a few minutes. A squeeze of lemon or splash of vinegar and, it is ready for the table.
Oh, and the plants never grow very large when harvested like that. Instead, they begin to look like small palm trees after awhile . . . It helps to give them a little organic fertilizer as things begin to cool off during late summer. They will produce nice leaves until hard frost.
Steve
catjac1975
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Kale is considered a super food nutritionally.
lesa
Garden Master
Growing kale for the first time this year. Looked kind of sad to start with- something was munching on the leaves- but looking sturdy and healthy now. Can't wait to try it!
sparkles2307
Garden Ornament
My kale stopped growing at about 8 inches tall... Baker Creek seed.
catjac1975
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Cut it, eat it, and leave a few inner stems and it will come back bigger and better each time you cut it.
sparkles2307 said:
Teka
Chillin' In The Garden
Eat more kale! This is the tee-shirt slogan that got a New England grower in trouble with Chick-filet!
Kale is great. I grow Scotch Curled and Russian (red jack) Kale and we eat them more than weekly. You can make kale chips, add to soups and beans, steam and eat as a green, the list goes on. What's not to like.
The more you harvest the leaves, the better it grows. It is sweeter after a frost, but great all year.
Kale is great. I grow Scotch Curled and Russian (red jack) Kale and we eat them more than weekly. You can make kale chips, add to soups and beans, steam and eat as a green, the list goes on. What's not to like.
The more you harvest the leaves, the better it grows. It is sweeter after a frost, but great all year.
