Can you eat kale that has flowered?
You can eat flowering kales and cabbages -- also known as ornamental kalle and cabbage -- but you won't want to. You'll want them in your garden beds and borders — or in containers — where they will continue to “bloom” well into winter.
People often ask if flowering kale and cabbage are edible. The simple answer is yes, they are edible. If the plants are organically grown and not treated with chemicals, you can eat them. However, these varieties are bred for good looks, not good taste.
Judy, if your kale is flowering, it's refocused its energy toward seed production. Pollinators love the flowers, so you could leave it for them. However, it isn't likely the plant will revert to producing tasty leaves again.
Yes! Though purple kale is often used as an ornamental display alongside pumpkins and squash in the fall, purple kale is totally edible!
The classic signs of bolting kale plants are present. Instead of the kale leaves growing in a cluster near the ground, a leaf covered stalk with a broccoli-like flower bud has shot up from the center of the plant. Although this can be frustrating, you can learn how to stop kale-bolting from happening again.
Ornamental cabbage and kale (also known as “flowering” cabbage and kale) are in the same species (Brassica oleracea) as edible cabbage, broccoli, and cauliflower. While ornamental cabbage and kale are edible, they tend to have a bitter flavor and are often used in a culinary setting as garnishes.
And if you prefer larger kale, wait until it sizes up. If you wait too long, however, older leaves may become discolored and eventually fall off the plant. If this happens, just remove and discard any leaves that have gone bad and continue harvesting.
As you're harvesting your kale plant, be sure to harvest your microgreens — some of us like them even more than fully mature kale leaves (see above). However, be careful not to pick too many. Over-harvesting immature leaves will prompt the kale plant to stop growing and it will ruin your harvest.
While considered an annual, ornamental kale is botanically a biennial. This means that it produces foliage the first year and flowers the second year. Most valued for its foliage, ornamental kale is grown as an annual.
You might even decide that you like eating the flowerheads more than regular kale leaves. However, even if you do develop a fondness for kale flowers, you will still want to avoid letting future plants flower, as flowering kale has a much less impressive nutrient structure than traditional kale.
How many years can a kale plant live?
Kale is a superfood for your body and for your garden. Not only is it easy to grow, it's also a biennial, which means it can live for two years in your garden. The best part about kale is the more you harvest from the leaves, the more the plant grows!
Description/Taste
At the top of the stem, many small flower buds have yet to open, and these delicate buds range in color from yellow to light green and are soft and sweet. Kale Raab, depending on the variety and maturity of the buds, is juicy, earthy, and crisp with a sweet, nutty, and peppery taste.
Kale can bolt the following spring when it overwinters in your garden. When the temperatures begin to warm it can send up a flower stalk because it is a biennial plant that produces flowers and seed the second year of its life cycle. The leaves will become more bitter when it bolts.
Pods form shortly after. Leaves can be harvested as long as the plant is viable, but the flavor will suffer once they flower. They're still suitable for use in stir-fries and soups, but will be tougher and if eaten raw, they may taste bitter.
Before you begin, you'll need to make sure that your kale plant is ready to harvest. You'll know when it's ready when it's about 12 inches tall and the leaves are the size of your hand or bigger. Leaves that are the size of your palm are younger and more tender whereas the bigger leaves will be older and a bit tougher.
Ornamental kale plants purchased at a nursery may not have been grown organically, and there is a chance that they may have been sprayed with potentially toxic chemicals including pesticides or herbicides that are not food safe.
Flowering Kale Overview
Also called ornamental cabbage, flowering kale is in the same plant family as edible cabbage, cauliflower, and broccoli. Flowering kale is edible, but a bitter flavor means leaves are usually reserved as culinary garnishes, not as food.
While ornamental kale varieties like peaco*ck kale, coral prince, kamone coral queen, color up kale, and chidori kale are edible, they don't have as clear a flavor as some of the conventional varieties. Pretty much all kale was decorative until the 1990s, when it went mainstream with the health food set.
To minimize pest and disease problems and to help renew soil nutrients, members of the same plant family should not be planted in the same part of the garden more than once every three or four years.
5. Cut back several mature plants in spring. As noted above, lopping off the top of a mature kale plant encourages vigorous new growth. These small leaves will provide enough greens for late winter or early spring salads while you await the next crop's tender bounty.
Can you leave kale in the ground over winter?
Certain crops such as broccoli, cabbage, claytonia, kale, and spinach can easily survive through the winter without any protection. Other crops like arugula, leeks and lettuce often die when unprotected during periods of extreme winter cold.
Kale stems have a reputation for being fibrous and tough, so it's no surprise that they quickly end up being discarded. They're actually completely edible and can be delicious if done right.
Cutting the stems crossways shortens the fibres, much as with a tough steak, making them perfectly edible and preventing waste. Cut this way, the stems can be cooked in the same way as the rest of the leaf: sauteed, boiled or steamed.
The plant is not only prized for its striking foliage but it's also one of just a few species that thrives in cold weather. In fact, flowering kale likes cold temperatures so much that it often stays attractive well into winter. I can't think of a better choice for fall gardens and containers.
Depending where you live, winter kale can be left in the open garden or grown in a season extender like a cold frame, mini hoop tunnel, or greenhouse. And the best part is that kale is an easy-to-grow green that forms beautiful, productive plants.
Best Conditions for Growing Kale
Kale also appreciates some higher-nitrogen sources such as blood meal, fish emulsion, or feather meal. Compost made with manure or lots of coffee grounds (get 'em from your local bistro or Starbucks) will also supply some nitrogen.
Kale grows best in full sun, but will tolerate partial shade as well. Plants that receive fewer than 6 hours of sun daily will not be as stocky or leafy as those that get ample sun, but they will still be plenty edible!
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.
When the pods are fully dry, they can be placed in a brown paper bag. Close the bag and shake it vigorously. This should release any mature seeds from the pods. After the seeds have been collected and removed from the plant matter, store the seeds in a cool and dry place until ready to plant in the garden.
Red (or Red Russian) Kale
— often has red-hued stems. The leaves are flatter than those of curly kale (resembling arugula leaves) and can be green or gray-green in color. Red kale is often considered the sweetest kale, which makes it perfect for eating raw.
What is the most popular kale to eat?
The most popular variety is 'Blue Curled Scotch' kale, also called 'Vates' kale. This variety has blue green leaves that are very curly.
Kale is a nutrient-dense food that's high in several vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. While cooking kale makes it less bitter, it also significantly reduces its antioxidant, vitamin C, and mineral content.
If a plant is overwatered, it will likely develop yellow or brown limp, droopy leaves as opposed to dry, crispy leaves (which are a sign of too little water). Wilting leaves combined with wet soil usually mean that root rot has set in and the roots can no longer absorb water.
Plants That Reliably Self-seed
Biennial crops such as carrots, parsnips, parsley and kale will grow leaves (and roots) in their first year. If left unharvested they'll flower in the second year, providing a much-needed source of early pollen and nectar for insects before they give up their seed.
Ornamental cabbage and kale look especially good in a large grouping or as edging for a garden bed, where their purplish hues blend well with other fall colors. They also work well as edging plants, or in window boxes and other containers. Visually, they blend well with chrysanthemums, asters, and ornamental grasses.
Add a generous amount of salt (any type will do). Add kale and stir to submerge (I used tongs because I find them handy for turning large amounts of greens). 2. Cook kale, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 5 minutes.
While considered an annual, ornamental kale is botanically a biennial. This means that it produces foliage the first year and flowers the second year. Most valued for its foliage, ornamental kale is grown as an annual. Most garden centers offer selections of ornamental kale.
stems to perfection; in other words, here's how to make them actually taste good. First things first: Kale and collard stems are tough, chewy, and fibrous. While we enjoy the occasional raw collard or kale salad, you should never eat the stems raw.
Ornamental Kale Varieties
Ornamental kale is botanically the same plant as the kale you grow in your vegetable garden but is cultivated for its pretty and colorful leaves. As Harvest to Table points out, you can grow, pick and cook ornamental kale leaves for dinner just like regular green kale.
Kale likes to switch into flower mode when soil temperatures get too high, so adding mulch and groundcover to the area will help keep the soil cool and help with moisture retention. In addition to mulch, watering regularly and keeping the soil consistently moist will also prevent the soil from getting too hot.
What is ornamental kale called?
Brassica oleracea (Ornamental Cabbage and Kale Group) - Plant Finder.
Ornamental cabbages and kales do not tolerate summer heat and plants set out in spring will likely have bolted or declined in appearance, so it is necessary to either start from seed in mid-summer or purchase transplants for a good fall show.
Because they can stand temperatures well below freezing, ornamental kale often lasts through the winter. Ornamental kale likes full sun and rich, well-drained, slightly acidic soil with a soil pH between 5.8 and 6.5. Kale can be planted in the garden or in containers.
Black kale has elongated, flat, bluish-green leaves with a crinkled texture; it's also called Tuscan or dinosaur kale, and Lacinato is a specific Italian heirloom variety of this type. Red kale has frilly leaves with red or purple stems; it's also called Red Russian kale.
Plus, eating too much fiber (like what you find in kale) could wreck havoc on your GI system, causing bloating, diarrhea, gas, constipation, and even improper absorption of nutrients. Of course, you'd have to be eating a lot of kale to suffer these effects, says Manganiello, but it's still something to keep in mind.
