Did you know that kale is a type of cabbage? That’s right, it is classified within the Brassica oleracea species along with other cole crops such as cauliflower, broccoli, kohlrabi, brussels sprouts, and collard greens. All of which developed from wild cabbage.
The plant was originally cultivated in Asia Minor along the eastern Mediterranean sometime between 3000-2000 BC. Curly-leaved and flat-leaved cultivars that were forerunners of kale were found in Greece by 300 BC. The Romans referred to these leafy plants as Sabellian kale. By the 14th Century, hard-heading modern cabbage had emerged and a separation of the common name was made to distinguish leafy kale from its head forming brethren.
Kale was introduced to the United States from Russia and Croatia in the 19th century and was used primarily as an ornamental plant until it became popular as a leafy green in the 1990s.
Want to know more about this highly nutritional superfood? Find the answers to all your questions in our growing and harvesting guides down below.
Red Russian kale is an heirloom variety with sweet, tender leaves and distinctive purple-red stems. This cultivar matures in 50 days for full-sized leaves or 25 days for baby greens, and its flavor improves after a light frost. Learn how to grow this beautiful and productive variety in your spring or fall garden now.
Kale is a leafy vegetable in the brassica family that’s related to the cabbage. It thrives in the coolest temperatures of the growing season. Read on for 13 of our favorite types. Choose cultivars with exceptional heat or cold tolerance to suit your needs, and grow the most flavorful and tender kale you’ve ever eaten.
A loose leaf member of the cabbage family, kale is a cool season vegetable with sweet to earthy flavors and superb nutrition. Easily cultivated in beds or containers, successive plantings can be harvested almost year round. Learn how to plant and grow kale for delicious, healthy greens in this guide. Read more now.
Kale comes in several varieties, ranging in color from light green to deep purple. But when the leaves start turning yellow, you may be wondering if they’re safe to eat. To learn more about why your leaves may have changed color and whether you can still eat kale that has turned yellow, read more now.
Often labeled as a superfood, kale is a trendy leafy green that’s found in everything from salads and grain bowls to smoothies and juices. But how nutritious is raw kale actually, and are there any potential downsides to eating it? Read more about the potential health benefits of eating raw kale now.
Choosing to grow kale in the home garden is an excellent choice. Who doesn’t want a fresh patch of healthy leafy greens to pick from, right in the backyard? But knowing how much sunshine per day this cruciferous vegetable requires? That’s another question. To find out how much sun to provide your kale, read more now.
If you want to grow kale, an important first step is figuring out when you should sow the seeds. Assessing various factors, including where you live and the time of year, can help you to figure this out. By planting at the right time, you will be rewarded with an abundant harvest of nutritious greens. Read more now.
Planting kale in your vegetable garden? You’ll want to know the best common companion plants for this garden veggie. If so, you have come to the right place. Learn which plants will attract beneficial insects, repel pests, provide ground cover, and act as nitrogen fixers for this garden staple. Read more now.
Kale has healthy nutrients, a delicious taste, striking beauty, and is easy to grow – making it a beloved staple in the vegetable garden. Why not increase your enjoyment of this super-veggie with plants grown from your own seed collection? Smart, organic, and economical, here’s how to harvest and store kale seeds.
Harvesting kale is an easy task once you know when and how to do so. If you harvest correctly, kale can provide you with greens for weeks on end. The leaves are not only packed with nutrition but edible at different sizes. Baby greens are great in salads and larger leaves are a versatile cooking green. Read more now.
Have you had trouble with your kale plants wilting, and wondered how to end this floppy foible? Check out our complete guide to preventing this droopy problem. You’ll learn about timing, fertilization, water requirements and more. And soon you’ll rejoice at seeing your veggies standing strong. Read more now.
Although kale plants are usually healthy, yellowing and thinning leaves can be signs of potentially fatal bacterial infections. These diseases rapidly spread to nearby plants and can destroy whole fields. Read on to learn how to prevent leaf spot bacteria and black rot from infecting your plants.
Flowering kale is an excellent choice when you want to add vibrant color and texture to cool weather gardens. Read on for easy cultivation and care instructions, a list of varieties to choose from, and recommended companion plantings. Join us as we explore growing ornamental kale and add some color to your garden.
Lacinato kale is a healthy, delicious, and easy-to-grow crop that deserves a place in the backyard garden. Also known as Dinosaur or Tuscan kale, this plant has long blueish green leaves that are just as ornamental as they are tasty. Read more to learn how to grow this cruciferous leafy green vegetable.
Did you know that kale is a biennial that produces tender edible shoots and buds in the second season? Napini, or kale rabe, is delicious, tender, and sweet, a treat you won’t want to miss out on. What’s more, growing kale for napini is easy. Learn how to grow and harvest your own napini kale. Read more now.
Curious how much space to leave between each of the kale plants in your garden? By spacing these leafy green vegetables just right, it will be easy to care for and harvest your crop throughout your growing season. To find out the best spacing recommendations for your kale varieties and harvesting plans, read more now.
A vegetable garden favorite, kale is a reliable producer of healthy leafy greens. But is this cruciferous vegetable an annual or a perennial? We’ll have to go back to the birds and the bees to fully understand kale’s life cycle. To find out when to expect flowering and seed heads from your kale plants, keep on reading.
Kale is a frost hardy annual that’s grown for its nutritious, flavorful leaves in fantastic colors and fanciful shapes. And it’s just as easy to grow in pots or containers as in the ground. Learn how to plant up a few pots for the kitchen garden right now, then enjoy its beauty and health benefits well into winter.
Despite kale’s tendency to be healthy and vigorous, the plants can be vulnerable to insects, nematodes, bacteria, and fungi under certain circumstances. Read on to learn how to identify and control pests and pathogens on your kale plants.
Don’t let your kale get overrun with pests. If you’re growing kale in your vegetable garden there’s a good chance you’ve got some insects damaging your plants. If they get out of control you’ll want to take action. Learn how to identify who’s chomping on your greens and kill these bugs naturally. Read more now.
Ornamental kale is the perfect option to add color to your fall and winter garden, as its leaves only get more vibrant when the weather gets colder. Kale is known for being a healthy, leafy green, rich in several types of nutrients and antioxidants. But is ornamental kale also as nutritious, and safe to eat? Read more.
Kale can do very well in the coldest temperatures. See which varieties are best-suited for late fall and early winter gardens. Get growing tips for a longer harvest in our cold-weather kale growing guide on Gardener’s Path.