A question about Cavalo Nero

[Mike Vogel]

I think I've been missing a trick along the way. I've always thought of Cavolo Nero as a type of kale for winter picking. Mine were sown in April and planted out at the beginning of July and are 6-8 inches high now. Should I be picking already?

[Chantal]

Mine are at the same stage as yours Mike and I agree with your thoughts on it being a winter kale.

[Primrose]

My plants about 18 inches high and has been ready for picking for some time. The problem is that it has coincided with the peas, French Climbing beans and courgettes, and there's just more than we can eat. Like others on here I tend to sow to allow for some failures which didn't happen this year. I'm going to follow Johnboy's example next year and sow much later next year to provide with a winter crop, but perhaps just sowing two or three plants for summer use when we fancy a few green leaved crops to vary out vegetable eating regime.

I think one of my problems is a psychological one. In Spring when my growing sap starts to rise again after a winter stuck indoors, I can't wait to get outside sowing and planting again and part of me is overwhelmed with getting every part of the vegetable patch sown with something useful. Somehow some bare patches seem to offend. Better discipline is required in future. Another quirky habit of mine is seeing all this lovely stuff growing and sometimes the vegetable patch looks so good, like a nicely decorated wedding cake, that it seems almost a shame to pick some of it and spoil its good looks