Growing kale

  • Kale grows best in cool weather, but I have found it does well all summer in my garden, especially the lacinato types.

  • Space plants 12 to 24 inches apart.

  • Add some general purpose fertilizer and a little compost to the soil before planting.

  • Harvest leaves from the outside of the plant at any time, from baby stage to maturity. Be careful not to damage the center growth point.

  • The red or purple varieties develop the most beautiful deep colors after the autumn frost. One year I didn’t pick from any of my dark kale plants because I so enjoyed just looking at them.

    PLEASE NOTE: The plants on my farm table have NOT been hardened off. They are straight from the greenhouse.
    You can do one of the following:
    1. Expose them gradually to outdoor conditions over a week
    -OR (as I do)-
    2. Plant them immediately and give them protection from excess sun, wind, and rain for a week or two.

2026

(Descriptions and photos are from the seed company websites unless otherwise noted.)

Kale, ‘Gulag Stars’

Gulag Stars

Brassica napus with Brassica rapa crosses.
25 days baby, 50-60 days full.

Incredible diversity unlike anything else. A mix of napus kales that have been crossed with B. rapa. Napus leaf types vary through the color spectrum from brilliant red to green to white Russian types; from super frilly to broad-leafed shapes; from skinny, short stems to broad, thick stems; and multiple combinations thereof. Occasional rapa leaf types vary from turnip-leaf to something that looks like a cross between pak choi and napa cabbage, though we have been selecting away from these rapa variations. Originally bud pollinated by Tim Peters in Oregon to bypass species incompatibility mechanisms. Interestingly, individual plants seem to self-pollinate well making selection of new varieties from the mix easier. We have selected new varieties of kale out of this crazy population in collaboration with Lane Selman and chef Tim Wastell of the Culinary Breeding Network. North Star Polaris and Simone Broadleaf were developed through this collaboration and both have been released as Open Source Seed Initiative pledged varieties. Open pollinated variety. (Adaptive Seeds)

Purple Moon

Purple Moon

Purple Moon has beautiful frilled & ruffled, deep purple leaves that are loaded with great flavor & super nutrition. The plants germinate and grow vigorously, and can be harvested over a long, productive season. Purple Moon has a mild and nutty flavor that is perfect for fresh salads or quick cooking. (Renee’s Garden)

Below are varieties offered in 2025. Some may also be available this year. I’m still working on updating the site.

Kale ‘Mamba’ (photo from Johnny’s Selected Seeds)

Kale ‘Mamba’

Vigorous, hybrid Lacinato type.

Mamba is a robust variety with high yields of upright, exceptionally uniform plants. The attractive dark green leaves are deeply savoyed and have good flavor. Strong seedling emergence for vigorous, productive plants. Lacinato or "dinosaur" type kale. (Johnny’s Selected Seeds)

Kale ‘Dazzling Blue’

Kale ‘Dazzling Blue’

50-60 days. This Oregon-bred variety is a striking twist on the strap-leaf style kales. It sports puckered, brilliant blue-green leaves highlighted with shocking pink midribs. Along with its showy appearance, Dazzling Blue proves to be especially cold tolerant. Bred by Hank Keogh. Open pollinated. (Territorial Seed)