Kale is a real honest-to-goodness superfood.
It contains iron, Vitamins K, A and C and is also high in calcium. Well worth growing for use later on in the year, when you want to boost the immune system so you can avoid winter colds and flu.
Kale is part of the brassica family and a particularly hardy crop, tolerating cold better than many other crops. Sow seed according to the growing recommendations on your seed packet and pick leaves when they are young and tender.
A healthy kale plant will keep growing right through the winter and is a wonderful source of vitamins.
Recent research has shown kale to be a powerhouse of vitamins and minerals and, although it’s a fairly ancient crop kale is fast becoming the next ‘superfood’.
Grab a few baby plants from your local garden centre to get them going quickly.
I started some kale seeds in a greenhouse, then re-potted the small plants and put them outside. Because we get a fair amount (slight understatement!) of rain in Cornwall, I’ve not really had to water them but I would suggest they should have a fair amount of water, although never waterlog them.
This is what they’re doing after just a few weeks and in a few more weeks, I think I’ll be picking a few leaves here and there.
I want to keep them going for cropping in the winter. I’ve never grown kale in pots before so we’ll see what happens!
This variety is ‘Dwarf Green Curled’
Start some winter crop seeds early and you’ll have some awesome nutritious and organic veggies in the cold months of the year.
Happy Gardening!
Linda x
P.S. Check out your local garden centre or supplier for different kale seed varieties. Or, failing that, try online. This one (Amazon UK) looks good and tastes good! I think I’ll go for a scarlet variety next time. (over 2000 seeds)
Kale/Borecole – Scarlet – 2200 Seeds
An attractive and productive variety producing an abundant harvest of delicious, deeply curled leaves that turn violet-blue after the first frost.
healthylivingbooks.org 