Kale - rock star of the veggie world

Kale is the rock star of the vegetable world these days, but unlike many pop stars, it has no bad habits. Low in calories yet high in vitamins, minerals and anti-oxidants, it appears on menus and cooking shows in smoothies, soups, salads, even as baked chips. The good news for gardeners is kale makes a lovely plant for gardens and flowerbeds in cool weather. Plant it in the fall and early winter and you can enjoy the sight of colorful, textural foliage and the flavor of fresh greens all winter and spring.

 

How to Plant: Sow kale seed directly into the garden in fall. Drop seeds 3 to 4 inches apart in moist soil. Keep the soil consistently damp as the seeds germinate and the seedlings grow. Thin seedlings as they mature until plants are 12 to 16 inches apart.

           

Buy kale as young transplants to place in beds or containers later in the season. Buy plants that are still small or older plants in l-gallon containers or larger. Growth will be stunted if plants are grown in pots that are too small.

Hardiness: Kale is a biennial, meaning it will grow for 2 years before it flowers and dies. However, the leaves become tough and bitter and the plants unattractive in the heat, so kale is usually grown as a cool season annual, replaced in late spring.  Kale tolerates the usual winter temperatures of Texas without protection. If the temperatures drop into the low 20s, cover your plants with frost cloth or sheets until the cold spell passes.

Harvesting: The flavor of kale improves after a frost, and tender young leaves have the sweetest flavor. Kale sprouts leaves from a center stalk, or sends up loose clumps of individual leaves. Cut the older, outside leaves with a sharp knife so the newer leaves will continue to grow. Rinse the leaves thoroughly then allow them to sit for 5 minutes before cooking. Check the internet for recipes; kale is cooked by many different methods.

Varieties: There are several types of kale and many different varieties. Try them all to discover which grows and tastes best to you.

• Ornamental kale grows into colorful, rounded heads of foliage popular as bedding plants in cool season plantings. The best variety for our area is ‘Peacock’ kale.

• Scotch kale has lovely, curled leaves growing up to 24 inches tall. ‘Redbor’ is very popular in landscapes with pink leaves turning deep purple in cold weather. ‘Winterbor’ has the same structure with steely blue leaves. Both are very cold tolerant.

• Siberian kale has flat leaves with highly serrated edges. Most common in our area is ‘Red Russian’ whose gray leaves turn burgundy red as the season progresses. This is the least cold-hardy type.

• Heirloom kale, also called Dinosaur kale, has upright, blue-green, bumpy leaves. Sold under the names ‘Lacinato’, ‘Nero di Tosca’, ‘Tuscan Black’ or ‘Dinosaur’ it is the most heat and cold tolerant and said to be the most flavorful kale.

 

 

Enjoying winter vegetable gardening

Every fall as days get shorter, afternoon heat wanes and cool mornings become the norm here in East Texas, my vegetable gardening excitement rises. We love fall vegetable crops for three reasons: success with fall vegetables is really very easy, they are incredibly nutritious and they just taste great. The list of vegetables and herbs that thrive during the cool weather season is longer than you might expect. Many winter crops continue to give produce all season long, and many require little intervention during freezing weather.

 

 Start with lettuces and greens for your first success with winter gardening. Mix a pot with your favorite leafy treats. Oakleaf, bibb, butter crunch, and red sails are but a few of the lettuces that work nicely, along with spinach. Lesser known greens like arugula, tatsoi, mizuna or pak choi combine nicely with lettuces in a planting and in the salad bowl. Simply pick the outer leaves from your plants and they will keep growing. When freezing temps are expected, just bring your mixed pot indoors overnight or until warmer temps have returned.

 

 

Swiss chard and kale varieties are even easier because they can take temps well below freezing (and offer great ornamental value as well). In-ground crops such as Broccoli, cauliflower, kohlrabi, and carrots are also easy to grow during the winter.

When it comes to herbs there are a plethora of evergreen and cool weather performers. All of the holiday turkey seasonings such as sage, rosemary, thyme, parsley and oregano are among the winter herb stars. Don't forget cilantro, sorrel, salad burnet, dill and lavender love the cool months too.

 

 

Gardening in the winter is easy and enjoyable. The weather is more forgiving to both plants and people, water demands lessen significantly, there are fewer pests and winter plants thrive with just minimal care.