Kitchen Garden Forum

Hi

My Cavolo Nero is sprouting and I would like to know if I still can eat the spears as it does look like green sprouting broccoli.

and when is Pentland Brig sprouting? as I can't see any spear yet?

Many thanks

amo

yes, eat the spears, they're lovely.

If you get them young enough, they'll make an interesting salad leaf too.

I am reliably informed that if you remove the side shoots and remove the flower heads that you can treat that as a cutting and get another plant that will mature beautifully. I must stress that I have always been too hungry to find out!
JB.

I'm on my way out to see if there are any left to give it a try.......

Thanks JB, I'll definitely try this.

Whilst we have some flowers on ours, you need an awful lot to make a meal.

Interestingly the seeds from my plants say to sow in May/June. If I start my existing sprouting shoots as cuttings, they would seem to be well ahead of these dates. However I'm happy to try, regardless.

Colin

Hi Colin and Heyjude,
The best variety of Kale for side shoots is Pentland Brig as they are truly like spears of Broccoli.
The Kale that Pentland Brig produces is also very good and is well worth a recommendation.
JB.

Thank you very much and just ate some and the are very good.

Many thanks

amo

I put in half a dozen or so cuttings and a day later they show no sign of wilting which must be a good start at least. I might try the Pentland Brig - in some ways shoots in early spring are the most valuable part of the crop.

Ok, I've also taken some cuttings of my Cav N. One question though:

All of these have some sort of flower bud at the end of them. Will these cuttings go ahead, grow, flower then die, or will the plant continue to develop after the flowering phase?

If the latter, does that mean that the main kale plants could be left in to grow again the next year? I suspect that this isn't a good idea, but was just curious to know.

Colin

Hi Colin,
The flower buds must be nipped off!
JB.

Thanks JB.

If I nip these off, will the new shoots that I've transplanted abandon further thoughts of flowers, or do we need to watch out for further buds?

Hi Amo,
Having just reread your initial letter you mention Pentland Brig and when do the spears appear. Well the spears are part and parcel of the growing cycle so all I can say is be patient and eventually they will appear. I suspect that probably within the next three weeks as I do not remember them being in late April. They seem to appear when normal Purple Sprouting Broccoli have wained and the F1 Claret are yet to come on stream. F1 Claret hear goes from very late April until the first week in June.
JB.

Hi Colin,
I very much doubt that there is the wear-with-all within the plant to produce more flower buds.
JB.

I know that you're an early riser, JB but my computer tells me that your last two posts here were at 3:50 and 3:54 Sunday morning. I'm amazed!
How do you keep going all day? Perhaps like me you enjoy an afternoon nap! Can I politely ask what time you go to bed?

John