Jersey walking stick kale

[poozie]

Has anyone grown Jersey walking stick kale? I was thinking of growing it to provide sticks for my beans next year. It looks amazing but will it grow on clay? Is it worth the effort?

[Snadger]

I have two dozen plants ready to go out!

The only place i've got for them is the edges of the allotment. Should make an interesting 'hedge'.

[poozie]

mine will have to go on the boundaries. i hope i haven't missed the sowing time, if not next year.

[kethry]

I'm growing this: got a couple of seedlings in the greenhouse at the moment, as soon as they're a bit bigger (trying to get them big enough to be missed by the current slug invasion) i'll harden them off and transplant outside along with the leeks and celeriacs..

you do know they grow to 18 feet tall don't you? see here for information...

HTH

keth
xx

[Snadger]

Planted twelve up each side of my allotments today!

It will be intersting to see how they fare with the winds we get here in the North East!

A 'fedge' is a hedge made with soft fruit etc so I suppose I have just planted a 'vedge'???

PS I think they grow even bigger in the second year?

[eskymo]

they get enourmous so be careful! I gre a few on the edges of my garden a few years ago and they look like big cababges that have been stretched. The leaves get really big and they do get very tall especially if you feed them. They get a bit top heavy sometimes, so it's best to tie them into a fence or use bamboo sticks to help support them.

[hansaplatz]

I just unexpectedly got some (well, only 5) seeds for this (freebies in a job lot on ebay) and they look great fun to grow + I'm sure my boyfriend will love the potential to make your own walking stick out of the stalk.

But I was wondering, just how much room do they tend to take up, any chance of growing in a large pot? I only have a small garden so pondering where they might get put...

[eskymo]

As my previous post explain - they get big. They can grow as tall as sunflowers and their leaves are enourmous. So plant them somewhere where they're not going to shade other plants and get in the way.

[FionaH]

Cut and copied this from Kethry's link

To cultivate the giant cabbage it is best to sow the seeds in the first ten days of August. They must be placed two to three feet apart in highly manured ground; within two weeks the cabbages will begin to show above ground. The ground must be covered with seaweed in the following spring or summer to keep it moist.
As they grow, the leaves need to be stripped off the sides of the stalk of the plant. It will take about one year for the cabbage to reach full height and its head should be left as it is.

After 12 months the plant is pulled out of the ground and its top chopped off. This can then be fed to the aforementioned rabbits.

The stalk is then left for an entire year to dry out before it can be manufactured into a walking stick. The root is also left intact because it can be used to make a handle for the end product. The finished result is a light but strong hollow tube of wood, much like bamboo.


looking at the pics they are a bit big for my garden!!

[hansaplatz]

Hmm I think they're probably too big for my garden too, though a friend offered me a bed or two on his allotment where they could go - reading about it sounds like the leaves are tastier young rather than from the head so it's mostly growing them for the stick.

[Snadger]

I still have half a dozen left in the plot although I don't think they'll be much good for walking sticks as they are like small trees with a 3 inch diameter stem.
The chickens love the leaves and they are very productive so I may grow a few more next year!

I have one which is about 8 foot high now and the rest are about 5 foot!

Mine were spring sown and are about a year and a half old now!

[hansaplatz]

3 inches diameter! Wow. Suppose they could yet make some good supports for netting or some other gardening usage, though if they're meant to dry for a year then it'd be a good while yet til you could use them.

[Snadger]

3 inches diameter! Wow. Suppose they could yet make some good supports for netting or some other gardening usage, though if they're meant to dry for a year then it'd be a good while yet til you could use them.

Problem is ...............they aint very straight........bent and corkscrewed more like!

[SarzWix]

We attempted to grow these this year, as my son fancied them in his patch. So, we bought the seeds from Tuckers, sowed them in modules, planted 4 of them out with 7ft canes for support.....and watched 4 plants of Green Curly Kale grow all summer These are definitely not Walking Stick Kale! He's really disappointed because his giant onions didn't end up very giant either