Assorted Kale !!

[Scarlet]

They may be ok! Everybody gardens their own way. I just find it easier to start most things off in modules. The only seeds I sow in the ground are parsnips, carrots, radish and sometimes beetroot.

[veggiechicken]

Update on last year's kales - sown 13th April 2013.
Many of the labels have disappeared or become illegible, so don't ask for names please

Some are still growing and reaching for the sky.



Others have fallen over and been pinned down as I'm curious to see whether they will throw up shoots along the main stem (not yet).





Curly ones suffer less from holey leaves

[veggiechicken]

Asturian Tree cabbage (sold by Realseeds)

[Guest]

I don't suppose anyone has a pic of the 1000 head kale - please?

[Guest]

Just to promote good old perennial kale and the fact we all like pretty pics

Taunton Deane

Daubenton Variegated

Daubenton

And in the summer these are reduced to the stem and ribs by cabbage white.
These are in an unheated greenhouse just so you know)

[Two_Sheds]

dwarf curly & Cavolo Nero

We have more kale than we can eat this year, even the GPs are getting bored of it

[Chippy Minton]

We have 3 types of kale this year, red, dwarf green and Cavolo Nero, we are lucky to have space on a landshare and have 3 kale beds, one of each. we grew some in modules as spares in case of pest attack but it seems the pests don't like kale (not slugs, not flying rats, not caterpillars, nothing), so we had minimal losses and so gave the spares to the landlady, now she has 3 beds, one of each.... Looks like a kale farm

I'm waiting for it to go to seed, love the leaves, love the sprouts even more

[Snow]

I've got seeds for dwarf curly green and Cavalo de Nero. I don't really have space for both, so which is best in people's opinion?

[veggiechicken]

One of each, Snow?

Just found this Meet The Grower | Discover Kale
Quite interesting to see how its grown commercially - planted from April to August for cropping between June and March. Don't think I'll ever manage to grow 150 hectares of kale!!

[Two_Sheds]

it seems the pests don't like kale (not slugs, not flying rats, not caterpillars, nothing),

they don't like it AS MUCH
They will eat kale, once they've eaten everything else

[Snow]

I'll have to see if I can make room for both VC. We'll see, but right now I want to grow more things than I have space for!

[muddled]

Someone (way, way back in this thread) asked about kale crisps...

They are absolutely heavenly!
My twelve year old daughter will sit and munch a huge salad bowl full while doing her homework and this is a kid that "doesn't DO veg"

I rip the leaves into large pieces (they shrink A LOT) and toss in a little dressing made of sea salt, balsamic vinegar, a little black pepper and a glug of oil and bung in the dehydrator until crispy.
Can't tell you how they store...we've yet to rescue any from the kids to save

[Chippy Minton]

..... Right now i want to grow more things than i have space for!

snap!!!!!!!!!!

[Feral007]

Oooh like the sound of those Kale Crisps. Have just grown russian red kale for the first time.

Was a great veg during winter. The it started to go to seed. So I had little flowering and leafy kale in salads. And now I'm saving seed.

Think I might need a dehydrater. Don't want to run the oven and increase the electricity bill, but liking the thought of kale crisps.

[veggiechicken]

Haven't tried this yet but it looks simple enough for me to manage