Growing Kale - An All Season Crop
Growing kale doesn't really take much effort at all. If you follow basically the same planting instructions for kale as you would most any other vegetable in the garden, you should be richly rewarded. Kale most certainly is not one of these vegetables you have to give extra special attention to. That doesn't mean you can neglect it. As is the case with most other vegetables, growing kale requires well prepared and well drained soil, adequate watering, especially during hot weather, and a planting location in full sun.
Kale is an annual plant, a member of the Brassica family, which includes cabbage, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, and a few other familiar vegetables. Kale is the one member of the cabbages that does not form a head. There are several varieties of kale, several of which are quite colorful and ornamental. Choose a curly leaf variety for the best eating. Most varieties of kale grow to a height of between 1' and 2', with a spread of 2' to 3'.
When growing kale, seeds can be planted directly into the ground, which for many is the easiest method. It will take about 2 months from the time the sees are planted until one can begin harvesting the leaves. If you choose to transplant seedlings, wait until danger of frost has past. Kale is an extremely hardy plant, and is not bothered by frost or freezing weather. The young seedlings are of course an exception.
Kale For Christmas - When you're are growing kale, you're growing a vegetable that keeps on providing throughout the growing season and beyond. Leaves harvested when the plants are just beginning to mature are excellent in salad. Later on the larger leaves serve best as cooked greens. The stems of the leaves can only be eaten when the leaves are young and tender. Stems on mature leaves need to be removed as they become tough and basically inedible, even when cooked. A mature kale plant doesn't mind frost, or for that matter cold and snow. Kale leaves can even be harvested for a Christmas or New Years dinner, if the plants can be located under the snow. In very cold weather the outer leaves may no longer be the best eating, but the inner leaves most certainly will be. If you don't want to trudge out to the vegetable garden in the snow, freeze some kale in the fall. It freezes well.
Kale has roughly the same pest and disease issues as for the other members of the cabbage family. If an insecticide dust is to be used, it's best to apply it on the ground, rather than on the leaves. It's best to avoid using insecticides whenever possible, and a mature plant that has not been stressed by lack of watering, for example, will usually not suffer from pests or diseases. In any event, rinse kale leaves well before eating. Aphids, one of the pests that occasionally bothers a kale plant, can simply be washed away with the garden hose.
If you allow them to, kale plants will seed themselves, which might be worth trying. If unsuccessful, or plants do come up the following year but are not all that vigorous, purchasing a new pack of seeds might be necessary. It's usually best to rotate kale in the same way some other kinds of vegetables are rotated. In other words, don't plant this year's kale in the same spot you planted last year's crop.
Serving Kale - Kale greens can be used in salads, as has been mentioned. Though the tender young leaves have a pungent taste when ray, an oil and vinegar dressing will usually take care of that. Kale greens can also be steamed, used in combination with other food items in stir-fry recipes, and are great additions to soups and stews. When growing kale, you're growing a nutritious and all-purpose vegetable.