Brassica oleracea var. sabellica
Kale
Common names: Curly kale, Borecole
Photo: Agnieszka Kwiecień, Nova · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Source
Description
Kale is the winter powerhouse in the bed and tastes best after the first frost, when the starch turns into sugar. Curly cultivars such as ‘Halbhoher Grüner Krauser’ or the tender palm kale relatives supply vitamins deep into winter. Frosty nights are what make it really mild.
Care instructions
Sow it from May (week 19) and plant the strong young plants out from July (week 28) with generous spacing. Hill the tall plants up slightly so they stay upright. From November (week 45) always harvest the lower leaves first, then it keeps growing from the top.
Soil & site
Soil pH
Soil type
loamy, humus-rich, nutrient-rich, well-drained
Feeding
Heavy feeder
Months
Mar–Jul
Propagation
Methods
- From seed
Companion planting
Good neighbors
legume family (Fabaceae)
particularly well establishedLeguminous plants collect nitrogen in the soil, from which Brassicaceae benefit as heavy feeders.
For example Bush beanPole beanBroad beanMarker peaSugar peaRed bean and 30 more species in the catalogue
Source: classic companion planting (DACH-Gartenpraxis)
carrot family (Apiaceae)
You can pair celery and dill with all Brassicaceae because they repel the cabbage whitefly with their scent, a proven companion.
For example Carrotcelery rootDillParsleyCarrot fennelCoriander and 19 more species in the catalogue
Source: Bio-Gärtnerei Mixed-culture Practice
mint family (Lamiaceae)
You will notice that the intense scent of basil, thyme, and others confuses the cabbage whitefly and keeps it away from the cabbage family.
For example LavenderThymeBasilRosemarySageHyssop and 31 more species in the catalogue
Source: bio-gardening intercropping practice
nasturtium family (Tropaeolaceae)
Nasturtium serves as a trap plant for you. Aphids and cabbage whiteflies prefer it over the brassicaceae next to it.
For example Tropaeolum majusMashua
Source: Trap plant practice in organic horticulture
Companion planting is partly traditional gardening lore. Where the reason is known, it is given.
Some of these explanations were machine-translated.
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From the magazine
Harvesting Winter Vegetables: Fresh from the Frost
Kale, Brussels sprouts, corn salad and parsnip stand in the bed all winter and taste even sweeter after frost. Here is how to harvest fresh from the snow without the leaves turning to mush.
December: The Garden Sleeps, the Plan for the New Year Grows
In December the garden rests under frost and snow. You harvest the kale for the holidays, shake the snow off the branches, feed the birds, and over a cup of tea let next year's garden start taking shape in your head.
Kale: why frost makes it sweet
Kale is the most honest winter-vegetable classic: winter-hardy, healthy and fresh when other beds are empty. What really happens with the cold stimulus, why a hard frost is not necessary at all, and how to crop it from the bottom up from planting to winter harvest.