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.