Does kale continue to grow?
Kale is programmed to continue to produce leaves for some time. If you cut the stems or root, you'll damage the plant and either stall or destroy any potential new growth. Instead, cut at the base of the leaves you want to pick in one session and leave everything else alone (new growth, stems, and roots included).
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.
White, pink, or red pigments will begin to develop when temperatures dip below 50°F. Once acclimated in a site, ornamental cabbages and kale can survive temperatures as low as 5°F, so plants may last well into November and December.
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.
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.
Is kale cut and come again? When kale is harvested properly, it works as a cut and come again vegetable that quickly grows back to regenerate its leaves for multiple harvests. For your kale to grow back, harvest the oldest leaves first—those on the outside of the plant at the bottom.
ANSWER: Kale will grow throughout the summer in USDA hardiness zones 7 through 10, but in hot weather, it tends to become tough and bitter. For best results, kale should be allowed to mature in cooler weather.
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.
How often should you harvest kale? You want to come out to your garden and harvest your leaves about once or twice a week as soon as your kale leaves are large enough to be harvested.
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.
Is July too late to plant kale?
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.
Kale (Zones 3-9):
Planting kale now in mid-July through mid-August will yield an excellent harvest in the fall and winter.
Avoid planting kale with other brassicas (like broccoli, kohlrabi, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, and Swiss chard), as they can fall prey to the same pests and diseases.
Signs that your kale is no longer safe to eat include: Black specks on the foliage. Black, white, or rust-colored spots, which may signal a fungal infection. Wilted, soggy, and/or slimy texture.
Kale needs plentiful, consistent moisture – one to two inches of water per week is usually about right. Make sure you have a thick layer of mulch around your plants to help with moisture retention. If the kale leaves get too dried out, they are likely to wilt.
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. To be honest, you wouldn't get very far if you tried.
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.
Kale can survive bouts of cool weather, and a light frost will sweeten kale leaves. Hot weather in mid-to-late summer will turn kale bitter. Kale can't survive extremely cold weather or snow unless it's protected by a cold frame. The ideal temperature range for growing kale is between 65 and 75°F.
| Common Name | Kale, ornamental kale |
|---|---|
| Family | Brassicaceae |
| Plant Type | Annual, biennial, vegetable |
| Mature Size | 1–2 ft. tall, 1–2 ft. wide |
| Sun Exposure | Full sun, partial sun |
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! Like collards, kale likes fertile soil to grow fast and produce tender leaves.
How do you grow kale in hot summer?
Kale germinates best at 65 to 75 degrees F; during the warmest part of the summer cool the soil by covering with cardboard for a week prior to planting and make sure that the seeds stay well-watered until they germinate.
Of course baby kale and baby chard can also do well in heat (with enough water), as they won't bolt without experiencing cold temperatures.
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.
Answer: Kale sprouts flowers, or bolts, typically in its second year, just after winter is over and warm weather starts to return. How fast your kale bolts depends on how quickly the weather warms, and it will happen quicker in warm weather areas.
Kale can be grown to its full size or harvested when the leaves are small and tender. Kale is ready to harvest when its leaves are the size of your hand. It usually takes up to 95 days for kale to be ready after planting it from seed.
Kale (Zones 3-9):
Planting kale mid-July through mid-August will yield an excellent harvest in the fall and winter.
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.
It's important to wash kale thoroughly, because it can have a lot of dirt on it, particularly if you grow it yourself. It's also important to dry it thoroughly before storing it. (By the way, this trick works with other dirty produce, such as leeks or cilantro, as well!)
Kale will store for two to three weeks at 32° to 34°F (0°-4°C) and 90 to 95 percent humidity (moist) with some air circulation. Wrap leaves in a moist cloth or paper towel and store them in a perforated plastic bag in the vegetable crisper of the refrigerator; this will keep leaves from drying.
Raw kale will last up to a week in the refrigerator and about six months in the freezer. Cooked kale, meanwhile, will only keep for three to five days in the fridge.
Does kale need a lot of fertilizer?
Kale requires moderate amounts of fertilizer rich in nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. Tip: Before you grow your organic garden, grow your soil.
Kale can be frozen without blanching but should be used within 4 weeks. Blanching greens before freezing stops the naturally-occurring ripening enzymes in the leaves. This will ensure that the leaves taste fresh and will not develop a bitter taste. Blanched kale will last up to 1 year in the freezer.
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.
Does kale come back every year? Most kales are biennials, meaning they will take around two years from seedling before they eventually bolt and produce flowers and seeds. However, if you're growing kale for its harvest of leaves it's more likely that you'll replace it every year and it will be more successful that way.
Although kale is normally grown as an annual plant, it is actually a biennial, which means it has a two-year life cycle. In its first growing season, your kale plant will produce lots of leafy green foliage. In USDA hardiness zones 7 through 10, it will keep producing new leaves throughout the winter.
After the first harvest, you can come back for more when the leaves have grown to about the size of an adult hand. Depending on your growing zone and the time of year, you can gather new greens every one to two weeks.
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.
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.
Harvesting & Growing Kale
Plants that are planted in the early spring like lettuce and other greens should be harvested or they will bolt once it becomes hotter temperatures. However, Kale is an exception to these other crops because we can plant it in the early spring and it will continue to grow into the summer.
ANSWER: Kale will grow throughout the summer in USDA hardiness zones 7 through 10, but in hot weather, it tends to become tough and bitter. For best results, kale should be allowed to mature in cooler weather.
How long do kale plants last?
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!
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. To be honest, you wouldn't get very far if you tried.
