Love it or hate it (is there no room for ambivalence anymore?), the feelings you harbour for kale seem to hinge on how long you’ve known it, the relationship you’ve shared, or how much you enjoy butter and garlic. I grew up knowing it by a much sexier alias, cavolo nero, and that may very well explain my fondness. If you have lived in the UK and tried your hand at allotment gardening, for example, you’d know that kale is about the only thing that survives during the winter. In these cases, it may trigger memories of cold and wet semi-darkness, infused with the scent of boiled kale seasoned with silent tears. Or so we imagine.
For many of us, however, kale probably emerged on the scene along with acai and goji berries, riding a superfood wave of adoration straight to our hearts. Whatever your experience, there is no denying its abundance of nutrients, reliability and hardiness. Kale is a productive winter staple.
As a member of the brassica family, it is especially hungry for nitrogen, so try to plant in a site previously occupied by beans or peas. Similarly watch out for the white cabbage moth and consider netting plants early in the season when the moths are active laying their larvae.
PLANTING
Soak seeds in water overnight before planting and sow directly to the patch in the peak of the season. If getting a head start it is best to propagate in seed tray and then transplant once seedlings are 10-15cm tall. Germination is slow so you can be waiting nearly a month before first growth appears.
WATERING
In ground: Water daily for the first 4 weeks and 3-4 times a week in the absence of rainfall thereafter. More frequent watering may be required during the warmer times of the year.
In Pots: Water daily while establishing and for the entirety of the warm season, otherwise every second day – after they are 4 weeks old – if growing during the cooler times of the year.
MAINTENANCE
Transplant into the patch spaced out at half the required distance for mature plants. Netting for white cabbage moth is optional.
After one month thin out seedling to required spacing and mulch with pea straw, lucerne hay pr sugar cane to a depth of 3–5cm.
As the foliage develops you can begin to harvest leaves as salad greens, ensuring you leave enough for the stems to fully swell.
HARVESTING
Time until first harvest: About 10-14 weeks for the stem/root, but you can harvest leaves a little earlier.
How to harvest: When the stem swells to an enticing size, pull the plant from the ground. Every part can be eaten.
TIP
The seed can be grown as a micro green.
