Kale plants like a rich well drained soil, so I always make sure that the soil is good for kale, before I do any planting. Another thing that I always need to keep in mind is that kale must have sufficient space to develop so I pick a place in the garden that will be great for it. There are many different varieties of kale to choose from, which i like. there are crinkles and savor-leaf types, some with striking purple steams, and dwarf forms. Kale is a highly ornamental plants and the leaves need to be harvested when they are little and often to make sure they stay tender.
Here are some different varieties of kale that I can choose from to put in my garden. "Redbor" has frilly leaves. "Cavolo Nero" has dark green savored leaves and they are tender when they cook. "Nero di Toscana" s a black kale that has very flavorful, dark green savored leaves. "storbor" is a kale that has heavy frilled leaves that I harvest when the leaves are young and tender. All of these would go great in my garden.
Some years I start off with kale seeds instead of plants. In mid-spring is when I need to sow my seeds under cover. I fill my my seed trays with seed compost, I water everything, then I let it drain real good. II make holes, 1/2 inch deep in each cell. I put two seeds in each hole, cover with compost, and I then water it very well. I will have to thin out the plants to make sure leave the strong ones till planted and just let them keep on growing.
When I decide I just want to plant outside, this is what I do. I will dig over my soil, removing all of the weeds, and add some high nitrogen granular fertilizer to my soil. Rake the soil level and then I will make a drill to sow my kale seeds in my garden.
After my kale seeds make into plants during the summer, I need to water my plants well, and I will need to place cabbage root flow collars around each of my kale plants. Do this to prevent the adult female fly from laying her eggs next to the stem at soil level. I hoe my kale plants regularly to keep weeds out of the plants. I am also watching out for either the cabbage white butterflies and flea beetle to try to keep them out of my kale plants. I use poles to put of some netting over my plants to keep the pests out.
As my plants grow them will become top-heavy and tall, so I have to stake each plant with sticks or poles with netting.
When my kale is ready to start harvesting, I harvest the leaves that are large enough to harvest, but I do not harvest all of the leaves on one plant because that will make my kale plants weak which I don't want. I only pick from the plants every few days so I can have a steady supply of kale.
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