If you’re deciding when to sow kale, there are a number of factors to consider. These include the time of year, your growing zone, your desired harvest date, and the available growing conditions.
One of the best things about this hardy green is that it is fairly flexible in terms of when you may start growing it, and a few weeks’ difference won’t set your plants back too much.
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Your USDA Plant Hardiness Zone is an important factor to consider when you are deciding what month to sow kale. You can read more about these hardiness zones here.
Those who live in a hardiness zone with a high number can start growing earlier in the spring and later in the fall than those who live in a hardiness zone with a low number. As the hardiness zone number increases, the growing season gets longer.
Other useful information for determining the planting date is your predicted last frost date in the spring, and first frost date in the fall.
When to Sow in the Spring and Fall
Kale is a cool weather crop, so it grows best in the spring and fall and in locations where it can receive plenty of sunlight.
In the spring, you can plant seeds outside immediately after the last frost. At this point, the soil will have warmed enough for germination to occur. You can continue to sow seeds until the end of May.
If you are starting seedlings indoors, sow four to six weeks before the predicted last frost date.
For example, where I live in Zone 7a, the predicted last frost date is April 18. Therefore, I start seeds indoors in trays the first week of March. I love watching this new life grow when it is still cold and gray outside.
In the fall, you should start seeds early enough that plants have time to mature before the days draw in, and become too short.
The latest you should try to grow plants from seed depends on what organic gardening writer Eliot Coleman refers to as the Persephone Period, referenced in his book The Winter Harvest Handbook, which is available on Amazon and from Chelsea Green Publishing. This is the time when days are less than ten hours long.
For baby leaves, the latest you should plant is six weeks before this period. If you’re aiming for full-sized leaves, sow no later than 13 weeks before this period.
Depending on your region, this means you should plant seeds directly in the garden from mid-July to mid-September. You can start trays for transplants in June, July, or August, and plant these out into your garden in late July to late September.
How to Time Succession Plantings
If you’re growing baby kale, planting seeds once and then again a few weeks later will allow for a continuous supply. This tactic of sowing multiple plantings is known as succession planting. You can read more about succession planting here.
Aim to plant seeds directly in your garden every two to three weeks.
When there is less daylight, plants will grow more slowly, so successive plantings should be sown closer together, over shorter periods of time. In March and November, space successions two weeks apart. In May, June, September, and October, space them three weeks apart.
Sow Some Kale Seeds
Now that you know when to plant, you can start planning how it will feature in your garden. Whether you’re planting in the spring or fall, this tasty, nutritious green makes a great addition.
If you have questions about when to plant seeds in your specific area, feel free to ask in the comments.
To read more about growing this versatile, nutritious leafy green, check out these articles:
Set out plants in spring 3 to 5 weeks before the last frost; in late summer, you can begin planting kale 6 to 8 weeks before the first frost for fall and winter harvests, and continue planting throughout the fall in zones 8, 9, and 10.
Sow kale seeds outdoors from March to June, into prepared ground (see above). Spring sowings will provide harvests of leaves for cooking from autumn onwards, while early summer sowings provide winter and spring crops.
As part of the cabbage family, Kale is a more hardy, cool weather crop that typically grows best in the spring and the fall growing months. Which means growing kale in the summer is a benefit because most other vegetables cannot be planted during these months due to the harsh hot and dry temperatures.
Kale prefers cooler growing temperatures, between 55–75°F (13–24°C), optimum being 60–70°F (16–21°C), but will produce good crops under warmer, summer conditions. FALL CROP: Start seedlings as above in May and transplant to the garden in June–July.
Kale leaves are ready to pick 55 to 75 days from seeding, or when the leaves are about the size of your hand. The central rosette is the tastiest part of the plant, but let it grow if you want the plant to produce more leaves. The small, tender leaves can be eaten uncooked and chopped up to use in salads.
Kale seeds do not require any treatment (eg soaking, stratification) before sowing. Kale seeds can be sown directly into the garden OR seedlings can be raised in trays or other containers and transplanted to the garden once established.
These are small seeds. When direct sowing kale seeds, plant the seed ¼ inch deep. Space the seeds three inches apart and as the seeds mature, thin them to six to nine inches apart. Mature spacing is 18 to 24 inches apart.
Be careful to pick a variety for the space you have in your garden. Vine cucumbers can be the best tasting but need far more space than bush varieties. Kale (Zones 3-9): Planting kale mid-July through mid-August will yield an excellent harvest in the fall and winter.
We sow kale in two rotations: early spring for a spring/summer rotation, and mid-July for a fall rotation. Though you can direct sow, we prefer to sow in flats in the greenhouse so plants get a head start on weeds.
Seeds should germinate in 7-10 days. Sow 3-4 seeds 5mm (¼”) deep in each spot you where a plant is to grow. Thin to the strongest plant. Space 45-60cm (18-24″) apart in rows 75-90cm (30-36″) apart.
Kale, that leafy green powerhouse, has a preference for a mix of full sun and partial shade. It's like Goldilocks—not too much, not too little, but just right. Six hours of sunlight is the sweet spot when kale starts sprouting. Too much direct sun can lead to a sunburnt look, while too little can stunt its growth.
Water kale deeply and infrequently while trying to maintain even soil moisture. About one to two inches of water are required per week. Use drip irrigation if possible to conserve water. Apply mulch to conserve soil moisture and reduce weeds.
A gentle, balanced liquid fertilizer is your best bet here, as it's less likely to overwhelm the tender roots. As your kale progresses, it's time to adjust. Once you've harvested the first leaves, a single dose of a balanced granular fertilizer, like a 10-10-10 mix, should suffice.
Kale seeds do not require any treatment (eg soaking, stratification) before sowing. Kale seeds can be sown directly into the garden OR seedlings can be raised in trays or other containers and transplanted to the garden once established.
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