Sow Lacinato kale seeds in the spring and early summer. A most elegant looking HEIRLOOM vegetable, the long, dark green leaves shoot... Read More
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Sow Lacinato kale seeds in the spring and early summer. A most elegant looking HEIRLOOM vegetable, the long, dark green leaves shoot from the central stem like ostrich plumes. A stunning addition to the ornamental vegetable garden, it grows 1m (3′) tall with deeply blistered, strap-like leaves that are frost hardy, but tender when cooked. Lacinato is often referred to as Dinosaur Kale due to its large size and distinctive, prehistoric look. It is an old descendent of Mediterranean kale. Plant Lacinato kale seeds in your organic vegetable garden and harvest this popular and nutritious super-food from summer to late fall.
Matures in 65 days. (Open-pollinated seeds)
Latin
Latin
Brassica oleracea var. acephala
Family: Brassicaceae
Difficulty
Difficulty
Easy
We Recommend:
We Recommend: Lacinato (KL425). This is a summertime favourite. While Lacinato is less cold hardy than many of its cousins, it forms tall, almost architectural rosettes of substantial leaves. Packed with flavour and nutrients, it’s a great variety for the beginner kale farmer.
For Urban Gardeners: Dwarf Green Curled (KL423) stays smaller and more compact, and grows perfectly well in containers or raised beds. It’s also cold hardy, so well suited to winter harvesting.
Season & Zone
Season & Zone
Season: Cool season
Exposure: Full sun
Zone: Winter hardy to Zone 6.
Timing
Timing
Direct sow March to mid-July for summer to winter harvests. Optimal soil temperature: 10-30°C (50-85°F). Seeds should germinate in 7-10 days.
Starting
Starting
Sow 3-4 seeds 5mm (¼”) deep in each spot you want a plant to grow.. Thin to the strongest plant. Space 45-60cm (18-24″) apart in rows 75-90cm (30-36″) apart.
Growing
Growing
Ideal pH: 6.0-6.8. Add lime to the bed 3 weeks prior to sowing. Kale likes well-drained, fertile soil high in organic matter. This plant prefers plentiful, consistent moisture. Drought is tolerable, but quality and flavor of leaves can suffer. Mix ¼ cup of complete organic fertilizer into the soil beneath each transplant, or use 1 cup beneath every 3m (10′) of seed furrow.
Harvest
Harvest
Kale and collards can both be grown as a cut and come again crop for salad mixes by direct-seeding and cutting when plants are 5-8cm (2-3″) tall. They will re-grow. Or pick leaves from the bottom up on mature plants as you need them. In spring, the surviving plants start to flower, so eat the delicious flowering steps and buds.
Diseases & Pests
Diseases & Pests
Protect from cabbage moths and other insect pests with floating row cover. Prevent disease with a strict 4-year crop rotation, avoiding planting Brassicas in the same spot more than once every four years.
Companion Planting
Companion Planting
All Brassicas benefit from chamomile, dill, mint, rosemary, and sage. Avoid planting near eggplants, peppers, potatoes, or tomatoes. Plant collards near tomatoes, which repel the flea beetles that so often look for collard leaves to eat.
More on Companion Planting.
