Kale Growing Guide
The essential guide to growing kale from seed; with notes on germination, cultivation, harvest and even kitchen uses.
Kale Types - Flavour & Kitchen Uses:
- Curly (Scotch) – frilly, sweet-peppery leaves; classic green smoothies, kale chips and sautés.
- Lacinato / Tuscan (“dinosaur”) – dark blue-green, savoyed, deeply earthy; ideal for Italian soups, pasta and raw massaged salads (young, tender leaves for salads).
- Russian / Siberian – flat, oak-leaf, purple-veined leaves; mild, tender for baby-leaf salads and quick stir-fries.
Seeds per Gram: ≈ 250 – 300 seeds g
Germination Temperature: 8 – 30 °C soil (sprouts in 6 – 12 days)
Feed Requirements:
High nitrogen lover.
- Dig in 5 cm compost plus a balanced organic fertiliser before sowing.
- At 5 – 10 cm tall: if struggling side-dress with more compost or blood & bone.
- Mid-season: fortnightly liquid feed for lush leaves.
Growing Notes:
Climate & Timing
- Cool-season crop; sweetest after frost.
- Spring sow: 4 – 6 weeks before last frost.
- Autumn/Winter crop: sow mid/late-summer for winter harvest. Hot weather can cause bitter, tough leaves and bolting.
Sowing & Spacing
- Direct: Sow multiple seed 5-8 mm deep, 40 – 50 cm between plants, rows 50 – 60 cm apart. Thin to strongest seedling once 4-6 true leaves established.
- Transplants: start indoors, harden off and set out at same spacing as above. Thin to one strong seedling per spot.
Water & Soil
- Keep the top 5 cm of soil evenly moist.
- Deep soak once or twice a week.
- Mulch to retain moisture and suppress weeds.
- pH 6.0 – 7.5 preferred.
Care
- Remove yellowing lower leaves to boost airflow.
- Use insect netting in moth season.
- In mild climates kale can overwinter; in harsh zones protect with row cover or cold frame.
Common Problems:
- Aphids & whitefly: hose off, apply insecticidal soap, attract ladybirds.
- Cabbage worms / loopers: cover seedlings, hand-pick, or spray Bt.
- Powdery mildew: improve spacing, avoid overhead watering, treat with sulphur.
- Bitter leaves: rapid heat, drought or over-maturity—maintain steady watering and harvest young.
Harvesting & Storage:
- Begin picking outer leaves 50 – 70 days from sowing when 20 – 25 cm long, leaving the crown to regrow.
- Frost improves flavour.
- Store in a perforated bag in the fridge up to one week, or blanch and freeze for soups and smoothies.
Grow kale with rich soil, steady moisture and cool weather and you’ll enjoy a continuous supply of nutrient-packed leaves from early spring right through winter’s chill.
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KALE 'Dwarf Blue Curled'
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Kale 'Green Cossack'
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KALE 'Red Russian'
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KALE ‘Red Ruble’
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KALE ‘Scarlet’
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KALE ‘Siberian’
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KALE ‘Thousand Headed’
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