![]() You can start your seeds indoors 6-10 weeks before the last spring frost date. In places with a short growing season, early spring is the right moment to plant kale. In our experience, dwarf and compact varieties work better in containers. You can place your containers on a sunny windowsill or under grow lights. Kale can grow successfully in pots and containers indoors, this is also useful when you have a limited amount of growing space. At the beginning of the growing season, having 4-8 plants per person usually is enough, but in fall you should increase the quantity, so you have enough leaves to harvest in winter. To have a continuous supply of fresh leaves, plant new seeds or seedlings every 3-4 weeks. In places with cold winters, it could be too late to plant kale outside if you don’t have a protective structure, and you have less than 6 weeks before the first frost. You can plant kale seeds as late as 10-12 weeks before the first frost, or 6-8 weeks if you use seedlings. In areas with mild winters, the best moment to start planting kale seeds could be right now. ![]() Plants will have enough time to develop and produce a bountiful harvest. In areas with cold winters and a short growing season, the best time to plant kale seeds is early spring. Normally, kale seedlings can be planted outside after 4-6 weeks, when they have developed at least 3-4 true leaves. You can also start your seeds indoors 6-10 weeks before the last spring frost, and transplant them as early as 3-5 weeks before the last spring frost. For better germination results, wait until soil temperatures have reached at least 45 ☏ (7 ☌). Sow your seeds directly outside when the soil can be worked in spring, or as early as 2-3 weeks before the last spring frost. Some varieties can even survive colder temperatures. They can survive a light frost, and tolerate temperatures as low as 10 ☏ (-12 ☌) without protection. Kale is a cold-hardy crop that thrives in cool weather, but there are some varieties that are also very heat tolerant. A properly harvested plant will regrow after cutting it, and produce fresh greens throughout the growing season. Kale plants take about 70-80 days to reach maturity when grown from seed, or 45-55 days if you use seedlings, but you can harvest baby leaves after just 30 days. Another option is to grow it indoors in containers during winter, and transplant it outside in spring. Kale is normally planted in spring and fall in areas with cold winters and warm summers. In places with mild winters, kale can be planted in any month or time of the year. They will begin producing new leaves again when temperatures warm up in spring. In colder zones, kale plants will enter dormancy and stop growing during winter. You can plant and grow kale all year round in areas with mild winters, or that rarely have frost events. Kale plants can continue growing for a second year, but you will need to protect them from winter temperatures below 10 ☏ (-12 ☌). Kale is normally produced as an annual in most gardens, and although it has a two-year life cycle (biennial), some varieties are perennials. ![]() A well managed plant will regrow after cutting it, producing greens throughout the whole growing season. It is one of the easiest plants to grow in the garden. Additionally, avoid plants that attract pests to your kale plants such as tomatoes.Kale is a popular leafy vegetable that belongs to the Brassicaceae family, like cabbage, broccoli, and mustard. Strawberries will hinder the growth of kale and other brassicas when closely planted. Other plants that are helpful to kale include beets, celery, cucumbers, spinach, and potatoes.ĭo not plant kale next to other brassicas like cabbage, brussels sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower, and mustards as they will compete for the same nutrients. Beans and peas are “nitrogen fixers” which help kale plants to develop big healthy leaves by adding nitrogen back to the soil however, beans also attract certain kale pests and should be companion planted with kale sparingly. Companions like cilantro, dill, and buckwheat help to attract bugs that eat aphids and other pests. The best companion plants for kale are plants that will repel kale pests, attract predators that eat kale pests, plants that add nitrogen to the soil, and plants that act as cover crops to help keep the soil moist.Ĭompanion plants that help to repel kale pests include herbs, onions and alliums, nasturtiums, and marigolds. While kale doesn’t necessarily need companion plants to thrive, there are definitely some plants that help kale more than others. ![]()
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