Kale, kale and more kale

[Monika]

We had some great kale for lunch today: curly kale Darkibor, Nero di Toscana and Ragged Jack, all steamed, chopped up and served with a bit of salt, pepper and a spoonful of low-fat creme fraiche. There's nothing to beat it - and it's supposed to be very healthy, too!

[oldherbaceous]

Dear Monika, now that sounds rather nice.

I can hardly believe this myself, but this year i am Kaleless. Just don't know how i managed to forget them, maybe i spend a little too much time on here.

Hope your's do well all season.

[Chantal]

I've successfully grown Tuscan kale and redbor for the first time ever I've made cages with enviromesh and apart for the occasional whitefly they are bug and caterpiller free.

We've just eaten a huge pile of both sorts with our roast dinner and it was gorgeous

Sorry OH

[Colin_M]

Yes, it was a first year for growing kale for us too.

For you regulars, can you advise how long into the winter/spring your plants continue to crop?

Also, are there any secrets to maximise or prolong the crops (eg. slow down the picking as winter approaches, or stimulate growth by continuing to pick regularly etc)?

Finally, I have a moderate aoumt of whitefly on the underside of my Nero d T (though not much on any of my other brassicas). Can you advise whether this can actually cause problems and if there's anything that can be done about them?


Thanks, Colin

[John]

Hello Colin
The books all recommend that you sow Kale early to get large plants at about 2 ft spacing for picking off the leaves later in the season.
I've grown Kale in a similar way to spring greens for a couple of years and it works well. I use a dwarf variety, sow later and eventually plant out quite close (6-9 in) spacings. Then I simply harvest the whole plant when they're big enough. The only problem is that the young plants are not so hardy but covering with fleece in severe weather is good enough to protect them.

John

[Colin_M]

Thanks John.

Our plants are around 2 feet tall and have been producing full sized leaves for a month or so. I use a cut and come again approach, rather than lopping them off at the knee. I was just wondering how long I can get away with doing this for.

On a separate note, you mention Spring Greens. Can you tell me what variety of plant you use for this (I've seen catalogues mention both cabbages and turnips as being suitable)?


Colin

[Monika]

Hello, Colin,

We regularly harvest curly kale into late spring, say, May, but Ragged Jack kale tends to succumb to heavy frost. It's the first year we have grown tuscan kale, so I don't know how hlong it will stand.

On the question of spring cabbage, Mastergreen (from Marshalls) have done us well the last two years whereas in previous years they seemed to grow too early or not come to anything. Mastergreen is like the spring greens you buy in the supermarket. How is that for a strange recommendation!

[Mole]

Before kales start to produce flowers in late spring we use the shoots like purple sprouting. Pentland Brig is particularly good for this, but other kales are good too. Also brussel sprout plants will provide good shoots if the tops aren't picked.

I appreciate that some folks won't have the space to leave the plants in the ground this long into spring. Often these shoots are available after purple sprouting is finished - well into the 'hungry gap'. I think it's worth planning for a later follow on crop so as to make use of the dual purpose nature of kale.

[Geoff]

I agree with Mole - Red Russian works the same as PB

[Colin_M]

Thanks to all for your encouragement. We have "normal" curly kale and Cavolo N.

Monika, I'm actually after advice about Spring Greens not Spring Cabbage.

Can anyone else advise what the "correct" starting plant is to get Spring Greens? I know I've missed the boat for this year, but we buy Greens by the barrow load, so it would be useful to know for the following season. Apologies to Monika if the answer to this turns out to be Sp. Cabbage


Colin

[oldherbaceous]

Dear Colin, Monika is right most spring cabbages can be grown as spring greens, they are just grown closer in a row and harvested before they heart up.

[Colin_M]

Thanks Herbie,

out of interest, I've also seen some seed catalogues describe varieties of Turnip as being suitable for producing Spring Greens.

I'm guessing this would be in terms of appearance and that the flavour of Turnips tops would be different to young cabbage tops?


Colin

[Geoff]

If you like the pale cabbage like Primo I find growing them early in the year under cover they come ready earlier than overwintered spring cabbage.

[Monika]

I always think of spring GREENS as those which are dark green all the way through, from outer leaves to the centre (like the Mastergreen which I mentioned above). Spring CABBAGE is dark green on the outside but has a paler green heart. But my definition is probably just my own interprretation!

I think Primo, mentioned by Geoff, would be more of the spring CABBAGE type.

[George Gray]

One great thing we found out about Nero di Toscana is that wood pigeons don't like the leaves so it doesn't need netting. However unfortunately they do like the shoots it produces in the spring!