kale

Kale_STF Website

SEED

SPROUT

SEEDLING

MATURE

Overview

Kale is a leafy green that grows throughout the entire growing season. They have large, oval shaped leaves that are smooth and veiny. Kale is rich in nutrients and are often cooked down as a hearty side dish for any meal. Kale can grow to be 2 - 3 feet tall and their leaves can be harvested at any size. Read on below to learn more about growing, harvesting, and cooking kale.


  • Level of Difficulty: Easy to Grow!

  • Plant Spacing: 18 - 24 inches

  • Days to Harvest: 55 days from transplant

  • Size at Maturity: 2 - 3 feet height, 1 - 1.5 feet spread

  • Plant Care Basics:

    • Sun - Full sun

    • Soil - Requires well-drained soil. Prefers deep, loose, fertile soil, high in organic matter, with pH 5.5 to 6.5.

    • Water - Daily watering - twice if the soil is dry.

Planting + Growing

Collards are easy to grow and will produce leaves throughout the entire growing season. Collard plants prefer full sun and should be spaced 18-24 inches apart. Water collards daily, and make sure the soils has good drainage.

Starting from Seed. If you're starting from seed, plant 1 - 2 seeds about 1/2 an inch down in a small container of soil. Water the soil and place it in a sunny area. Check the soil daily to water if necessary. Once your seeds sprout and have true leaves, transplant them outside or into a larger container with about 18 - 24 inches of space in between each plant.

Starting from Seedling. If you picked up a kale seedling from Sweet Water's seedling pick up, plant the seedlings into soil, allowing 18 to 24 inches of spacing between each plant.

Container growing collards. Kale will grow in a 1-foot deep pot. Plant 1 plant in a container. In larger containers, set kale 18-24 inches apart.

Other notes...companion plants.

Harvesting

Begin harvesting collards when the leaves are dark green and ~10 inches long. Depending on the weather, you will be able to harvest ~4 weeks after transplanting collard seedling.

To harvest, carefully break the entire leaf (including the entire stem) off of the trunk of the plant. Harvest the outer, larger leaves first to allow new leaves to grow. Rinse the leaves and cut the stem off. The stem can be juiced or composted and the rest of the leaves can be eaten as greens. Store the rest of the collard leaves in the refrigerator in a plastic bag.


Kale will be ready for harvest 55 days from transplanting, 70 to 80 days from seed. Cut individual leaves for use when the plant is 8 to 10 inches high; cut the outside leaves first. If you harvest the entire plant, cut 2 inches above the soil and the plant will sprout new leaves in 1 to 2 weeks.

Cooking

More coming soon...

Links to More Resources