You will find this useful source of winter and spring greens listed in all the catalogues as kale or borecole, but you will not find it in all gardens. In fact only a small minority of gardeners in the southern counties bother with it, and this Cinderella status seems surprising when you consider its advantages. The hardiness of kale is unexcelled by any other vegetable – there is none of the heartache of seeing all one’s hard work destroyed by a sharp and prolonged frost. Unlike other brassicas it will tolerate poor soil conditions and is rarely troubled by those dreaded enemies of the cabbage family – pigeons, club root and cabbage root fly. Despite all these good points it is generally rejected, and the reason is the bitter taste of the end product. Some of the old varieties were more suited to feeding cattle than the family and the average gardener picks the leaves and shoots when they are far too large. Choose a good variety and pick the greenstuff when it is young and tender – cook it properly and you will soon lose your prejudice against this underrated vegetable.

Seed facts
Expected germination time: 7-12 days
Approximate number per ounce: 8000
Expected yield per plant: 2lb (1kg)
Life expectancy of stored seed: 4 years.
Approximate time between sowing and cutting: 30-35 weeks
Ease of cultivation: Easy – but there is the chore of transplanting

Soil facts
· Kale is much more accommodating than the other brassicas, such as cabbage, cauliflower and brussels sprouts. It will grow in nearly all soils provided that the drainage is satisfactory.
· Pick a reasonably sunny spot for the site where the plants are to grow. As the seedlings are not transplanted until June or July, it is usual to use land which has recently been vacated by peas, early potatoes or other early summer crops. Do not dig – merely consolidate the ground, remove any weeds and rake in a little fertilizer. Lime if the land is acid. The ground should not be loose nor spongy at planting time – that is the only rule.

Sowing and Planting
· Sow very thinly ½ in (1cm) deep in rows that are 6in (15in) apart. Cover with soil.
· Thin the seedlings to prevent them from becoming weak and spindly. They should be about 3in (7cm) apart in the rows.
· The seedlings are ready for transplanting when they are 4-6in (10-15cm) high. Water the rows the day before moving the transplants to their permanent quarters. Plant firmly, setting the seedlings with their lowest leaves just above the soil surface. Leave 18in (45cm) between them – water after planting.
· Rape kale varieties are sown where they will grow to maturity. Make the seed drills 18in (45cm) apart and thin in stages to leave 18in (45cm) between the plants.

Calendar
· If you want greens before Christmas, sow a variety of Curly-leaves kale in April. For later cropping sow Leaf and Spear or Plain-leaved kale in May. The correct time for transplanting is governed by the height of seedlings rather than the date, but usually mid June to early August.
· Thin in stages to leave 18in (45cm) between the plants.
· Rape kale is sown in late June. For later management of the crop see Sowing and Planting above.
Cutting time: usually December to early April; can extend from November to early May.

Looking after the crop
· Hoe regularly and tread firmly around the stems to prevent them from rocking in the wind. Water the young plants in dry weather.
· Pick off yellowing leaves. As autumn approaches earth up around the stems to protect the roots from frost and wind rock. Stake tall varieties if growing on an exposed site.
· In winter the plants may look a sorry sight – don’t worry, in early spring there will be a crop of fresh side shoots. Feed with a liquid fertilizer in March to encourage their development.

Harvesting
· There is more skill involved in harvesting kale than growing it. With curly kale start at the crown of the plant from November onwards, removing a few young leaves each time you pick. Use a sharp knife or a sharp downwards tug. Do not gather mature or yellowing leaves for kitchen use.
· This stripping of the crown will stimulate the development of succulent side shoots. These are gathered between February and May from all varieties, breaking them off or using a sharp knife for their removal. They should be 4-5in (10-12cm) long and young – mature shoots are bitter when cooked.

Varieties
Curly-leaved varieties
These ‘Scotch’ kale s dominate the seed catalogues and are much more popular than the other types. Each leaf has an extremely frilled and curled edge, giving a parsley-like appearance.
Dwarf Green Curled: The usual choice for the small plot – the 1 ½ -2ft (45-60cm) plants do not require staking and the leaf flavour is as good as any.
Tall Green Curled: The grown-up version of Dwarf Green Curled – sometimes listed as Tall Scotch Curled. Suitable for freezing, as are all the curly-leaved varieties listed here.
Frosty: The baby of the group, growing only 1ft (30cm) tall. Very reliable – an excellent choice where space is limited.
Westland Autumn: Another dwarf which will provide leaves from November to February. No kale has frillier leaves.
Spurt: One of the new varieties which seems to cross the neat boundaries between the various types of kale. It has a curly leaf but it can be grown without transplanting, like rape kale. It is ready for its first picking within two months of sowing. Dwarf and quick-maturing – kale has come a long way in recent years!

Plain-leaved varieties
These tall kales tend to be coarser than the curly-leaved varieties, but they are extremely hardy and prolific, and they are easier to keep pest-free. Eat the young shoots in early spring – not the autumn leaves.
Thousand-Headed Kale: Quite widely sold by seed houses, which sing the praises of the side shoots for picking and cooking from February onwards. You would do better with Pentland Brig.
Cottagers: The plants are quite tall – 3 ½ ft (105cm) high with leaves which turn bright purple in winter. Once again it is the early spring shoots which are eaten.

Rape Kale varieties
These kales provide young tender shoots between March and May, and are not grown like other varieties. They are sown where they will mature, as they detest transplanting.
Hungry Gap: A late cropper, like all rape kales. Robust and reliable, producing shoots which are suitable for freezing.
Asparagus Kale: The rape kale variety to grow where space is limited. You will find this variety in the textbooks, but you won’t find it in many seed catalogues.

Leaf and Spear varieties
There is just one variety – a cross between a curly-leaved kale and a plain-leaved one. Its arrival was heralded as a new era for the lowly kale – if you can grow only one variety, pick this one.
Pentland Brig: Plants grow about 2ft (60cm) tall, and their kitchen use differs from other kales. Pick young leaves from the crown beginning in November – they are fringed but less so than a curly-leaved kale. In early spring harvest the leafy side shoots and later gather the immature flower heads (‘spears’) which should be cooked like broccoli. A versatile vegetable, indeed!

Troubles
Kale is remarkably resistant to most major problems such as cabbage root fly and club root, but mealy aphid, whitefly and cabbage caterpillar can be a nuisance. Spray with Crop Saver at the first sign of attack. Also see Brassicas.