Assorted Kale !!

[veggiechicken]

I think its the same as Cavolo Nero/Tuscany Black Kale!! Kale ‘Tuscan Black Palm’ | Central PA Gardening

[daviddevantnhisspiritwife]

Thank you veggiechicken, I took a chance and ordered some. vita sementi are extremely generous in their portion sizes so I will have plenty to share.

[veggiechicken]

You can always sow it thickly and use it as salad leaves

[JoeDaStudd]

I'm a big fan of kale.
I've got some red russian growing (bulking up nicely now the sun is out) which I sowed heavily and slowly thinned them out to use in salads and stirfries as the smaller leaves can be eaten whole.

I'm just in the process of sorting some seeds for the VSP in order and one of my wants is Cavolo Nero.
I'm temped to add a few more kales to the list now that you mention it.

One of my favourite dishes is bubble and squeak using kale instead of cabbage. You get a much nicer colour and imo it tastes better.
O and I once tried kale tempura with the small leaves which was really nice, even if I did make quite a mess.

Something I've wanted to try is kale crisps, I never got around to buying a food dehydrator and I tend to burn things in the oven.

[Bane]

I've just sown 13 types of Kale as part of my cunning plan to be self sufficient year-round with pick-a-leaf greens. They've all been sown in NH seed compost, a few seeds to a module and are sitting on the kitchen table until germination.
The varieties are:-
Dwarf green curled
Jersey Walking Stick
Curly Scarlet
Westland Winter
Nero di Toscana
Ragged Jack
Red Russian
Asparagus
Tall
Sutherland
Cottagers
Daubenton
Madeley.

I have Red Ursa and True Siberian on order from Real Seeds but was too late for East Friesian Palm Kale so, if anyone has a couple of spare seeds of this I would be eternally grateful

Is anyone else growing kale - or am I the only kale nutter here?
PS I've also sown Asturian tree cabbage, Portuguese cabbage and various sprouts and broccolis that I intend to treat as pick-a-leaf too

I'm a certified Kale nutter too, I'm very interested in the perennial varieties in particular. I have some East Friesian seeds if you still want some. I think you need some Vates blue curled too, lovely stuff.

I'm curious as to the Daubenton and Cottager's. I had to import some Daubenton cuttings from France as it doesn't seed. I drove half the country it seemed to Knightshayes to get a cutting of what they call Cottager's Kale. Grows about a metre high, looks like a little tree, doesn't seed so you snap a branch off and stick it in the ground to get a new plant! I also imported some perennial kale from Germany, I think it was called Iron Cabbage (!) or something. It grows along the ground, lovely shade of green. All have survived a couple of winters unprotected and are thriving. If you want cuttings of any or all I'll send some along no problem.

Anyway, let me know where you bought your Daubenton and Cottager's seeds from and tell me what Tall Kale is like too!

[veggiechicken]

Hi Bane, Glad to hear from another kale nutter I'll PM you
Daubenton, Madeley and Tall kale came from the HSL. The Cottager's kale I picked up at a seed swap.

[veggiechicken]

Its a year since I sowed all those kales so thought I'd report back on the results.
The results are a bit flawed though, as some of the labels have disappeared and I can't tell what some of them are
Oddly, all the ragged/friilly leafed kales have bolted while the smooth leaved ones are still going strong.
I didn't net them and some of them had caterpillars on during the summer but no serious damage now.
The HSL kales, Madeley, Asparagus and Tall are all smooth leaved ones with Tall kale living up to its name - the leaves are huge too.

Photos with my glove for scale!
Tall kale

Madeley

Asparagus

[Scarlet]

Do you know which ones cropped better? Which ones would you grow again?

[chris]

I got some kale from nellie here, and I kid you not it germinated in a day! Can't remember the name off hand as I'm in work - but I'm planning on saving seed from it, regardless!

[mothhawk]

I shall definitely grow "Madeley" again. It's a flat leaf one and tender enough to munch raw as I potter in the garden. Also as someone else has said it's much easier to shake off the whitefly than off crinkly ones. This year I'm going to try Rossignol (very crinkly!) because there were lots of packets at 50p in the W*v@le seed sale, and Red Russian (semi crinkly) because the colour is interesting. No room for more than that.

[noviceveggrower]

Hi. On the History Channel there is a programme called Mountain Men basically its various people who live in the wilderness. Anyway one guy just grows Kale to live off because of the calories and nutrients he can get out of it. He does eat other things but Kale makes up most of his diet.
First time I have planted Kale this year have planted the Nero di Toscana the same as you. Done it in some little trays. No sign of life from it yet though.

[MrsCordial]

I've just sown kale for the first time today, and now worrying that I've sown too early, seeing someone comment that they wouldn't sow til May. I've sown it direct outside, just like wot the packet said. Would I have been better to have started them off indoors?

I sowed Sutherland Kale and some anonymous 'Farm Africa' charity kale seeds. I'm a real kale lightweight compared to most people on this thread!

[Maddiesaur]

I'm going to give a couple varieties a go I think but I'm told the Deer just love coming off the hills to munch on the Kale in the allotment, so I'm not sure how successful it'll be!

[Scarlet]

I've just sown kale for the first time today, and now worrying that I've sown too early, seeing someone comment that they wouldn't sow til May. I've sown it direct outside, just like wot the packet said. Would I have been better to have started them off indoors?

I sowed Sutherland Kale and some anonymous 'Farm Africa' charity kale seeds. I'm a real kale lightweight compared to most people on this thread!

I always start mine off in modules. One per module, then move them into pots until I have a good size plant to cope with the slugs. Mine are still at the pot stage.

[MrsCordial]

Ah, okay. I'm still learning what does and doesn't benefit from being started off in pots. Thanks Scarlet.