When to plant Kale

[DancingLady]

I've heard that kale is a winter plant, but when is the best time to plant it? It seems like it would be rather cold for starting something now. Could it be started indoors though?

I've was so busy not too long ago I probably missed my opportunity. I do have a couple of pot that could be used for it right away if I can get it started though.

 

[Chuck]

I've heard that kale is a winter plant, but when is the best time to plant it? It seems like it would be rather cold for starting something now. Could it be started indoors though?

I've was so busy not too long ago I probably missed my opportunity. I do have a couple of pot that could be used for it right away if I can get it started though.

Depending on where you live now could be a great time to start it from seeds. Where I am you could even put in transplants. And yes, it can be started quite easily indoors

 

[DancingLady]

That's fantastic! I think I'll get some seeds and bring those pots in and see if I can get it started. With the price of food these days I can use all the help I can get! I don't want to keep paying so much for produce every week just so I can eat some leafy greens.

 

[zigs]

I normally would have started mine back in August, but after 2 unsuccesful sowings i've only just potted my plants on. Should get a crop by early spring

 

[Kansas Terri]

My kale plants this summer did their best from 50 degrees Fahrenheit to 80 degrees Fahrenheit. (That would be 10 degrees Celsius to 27 degrees Celsius).

A light frost did not hurt it, but a hard freeze killed mine!

 

[Chuck]

My kale plants this summer did their best from 50 degrees Fahrenheit to 80 degrees Fahrenheit. (That would be 10 degrees Celsius to 27 degrees Celsius).

A light frost did not hurt it, but a hard freeze killed mine!

About what was the low temp when it killed them and had they been watered recently?

 

[Kansas Terri]

About what was the low temp when it killed them and had they been watered recently?

They had not been watered recently but the soil was not dry.

The temps went down to the lower 20's (Fahrenheit) but I have no idea if the kale died at 22 degrees or at an earlier time while the temperature was still dropping. I WILL say that the kale was the last vegetable in my garden to die!

 

[Chuck]

They had not been watered recently but the soil was not dry.

The temps went down to the lower 20's (Fahrenheit) but I have no idea if the kale died at 22 degrees or at an earlier time while the temperature was still dropping. I WILL say that the kale was the last vegetable in my garden to die!

I guess it is too late now but if you water cole crops with a mixture of sugars they will have about 8 degrees more of cold protection. They uptake the sugars into the moisture inside the plant fibers and it acts much like anti-freeze in you car or vodka in the freezer

 

[helagumamela]

I just planted some yesterday. There are still no sprouts as expected, but I am hoping that some of them will grow soon.

 

[DancingLady]

I am hoping to get some seeds today and plant them. I will keep them indoors, at least for a while. If a freeze is going to kill them, I may have to just keep them in the whole time, maybe set them outside to get extra sun on warmer days, but then bring them back in.

 

[helagumamela]

I have kale sprouts now! Yay! I planted a total of 7 seeds, but only three have grown so far. The stems are kind of fragile looking though. I hope that the birds won't spot them.