How to Plant and Grow Kale

Brassica oleracea var. acephala

Delicious and nutritious with textured and colorful leaves, kale is an easily cultivated vegetable that thrives in the cooler temperatures of spring and fall.

It can grow well in summer too, but will need a little shade during the hottest part of the afternoon.

A powerhouse for healthy eating, kale is a member of the Brassicaceae or mustard family and has earned its “superfood” status from its high levels of antioxidants, fiber, minerals, and vitamins while being low in calories.

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Highly versatile in the kitchen, baby leaves have a mildly sweet, lightly peppery flavor with earthy or grassy undertones that are popular in salads, sandwiches, smoothies, and wraps, and some of the colorful varieties make gorgeous garnishes!

Are you ready to add some healthy and easy-care greens to your garden this year? Then it’s time to get into the fun and easy steps of how to grow kale!

Here’s a look at what’s ahead:

Kale is a biennial that produces stems and foliage in its first year then flowers and sets seed in its second growing season.

A close cousin to brussels sprouts, cabbage, collard greens, and mustard, the variety name acephala is Latin for “without a head,” in reference to the loose-leaf growth habit.

The leaves are borne in whorls on sturdy stalks up to 36 inches tall, depending on the variety.

Its fast growth makes kale ideal for two or three plantings each year, providing a steady harvest that can last almost year round.

The loose, textured leaves that can be tightly curled, flat, or savoyed and are wonderfully colorful – especially in winter gardens – flaunting rich hues of glaucous, jade, and grass greens, almost black, bronze, burgundy, dusty plum, purple, and scarlet.

There are three main types of kale grown in home gardens:

Curly

The curly-leafed varieties, also known as borecole, cole, kail, and Scotch kale have tightly ruffled leaves that are blue green, bright green, or tinged with red.

Curly types feature an earthy/peppery taste that tends to become bitter as they age. These varieties have good cold hardiness.

Lacinato

To learn more about dinosaur varieties, our guide to growing lacinato kale has all the details. 

Russian

The Russian or flat-leafed group hails from Scandinavia and Siberia and includes the hardiest varieties for regions with cold winters.

The leaves are broad and flatish, often with heavily toothed margins that resemble arugula. They have a delicate flavor that’s mild and sweet with a hint of pepper.

How to Sow

Kale seeds can be sown directly in the garden from early spring to mid or late summer for harvesting from late spring through to winter.

In regions with warm winters and hot summers, sow from fall to early spring to avoid summer’s heat.

Kale transplants readily so you can also start seeds indoors four to six weeks before the last frost, then transplant out when the soil warms up.

Seeds typically germinate in seven to 10 days.

Direct Sowing

For spring and summer harvests, direct sow seeds in early spring four to six weeks before the last frost date. For continuous crops, succession plant every 14 days until the end of May.

Although seeds can germinate in soils with temperatures as low as 40°F, sprouting is typically slower and spotty in cooler conditions.

In areas with very hot summers, delay planting until temperatures cool off and consistently stay below 75°F during the day.

1. Work in an all-purpose, slow-release fertilizer into the top four to five inches of soil, using one and a half cups per 25 feet of row, or about one tablespoon per plant. A balanced fertilizer formula such as 5-5-5 works well.
2. Rake the soil level then pat down firmly.
3. Sow seeds in rows to a depth of a quarter to half an inch.
4. Water gently to moisten the soil, keeping it lightly moist but not wet. 

When plants are at least six inches tall, thin them so they are spaced six to 20 inches apart, depending on the variety.

If you have short summers or simply want an early crop, start seeds indoors for transplanting out.

Indoor Sowing

For a head start on early crops, start seeds indoors four to six weeks prior to your last frost date.

Here’s how:

1. Fill a tray with good-quality starter soil and moisten lightly.
2. Sow seeds in rows a quarter to half an inch deep.
3. Place trays on a warm, bright windowsill or under grow lights.
4. Two weeks after germination, thin the seedlings to three inches apart.
5. When seedlings have two sets of true leaves, transplant into containers or garden beds after all danger of frost has passed.

And starting seeds indoors for winter crops is also a good idea if your summers are very hot – transplant outdoors when daytime temperatures cool to under 75°F.

How to Grow

Vigorous and fast-growing, kale is very easy to cultivate. It adapts well to growing in containers as well.

Let’s take a look at the details:

Climate

Kale likes a cool climate and prefers growing temperatures between 55 and 75°F, with a sweet spot of 60 to 70°F.

Plants can produce good crops in warm, but not super hot summer temperatures.

Cold weather also intensifies colors, with the winter-hardy, flat leaf types taking on beautiful hues of plum, purple, scarlet, and dark, inky green.

I always like to grow a couple of late season boxes using varieties like ‘Russian Red’ or ‘Winter Red’ for the intense colors they add to winter salads and smoothies.

In areas with sweltering summer heat, growth slows and plants are prone to bolting.

Light

Kale needs full sun in spring, fall, and winter but benefits from some afternoon shade from hot sunshine in summer.

To provide light shade, use floating row covers for vegetable beds and containers, or move containers to a spot with morning sun and light afternoon shade.

Learn more about sun recommendations for kale here.

Soil

Kale grows in most soil types but does best in rich, humusy, well-draining soil with a slightly acidic to neutral pH of 6.0 to 7.0.

Watering

Water regularly, providing one inch of water per week in the absence of rain. Strive to keep the soil moist but not wet for the most abundant growth.

Avoid splashing water onto the lower leaves, which can allow unfriendly fungal pathogens to proliferate and lead to powdery mildew. Drip or soaker hose irrigation systems are ideal. 

Fertilizing

Overwintered plants benefit from an early topdressing of compost, manure, or worm castings.

Carefully work in one or two inches of organic matter over the root zone in early spring once new growth starts to pick up.

Spring plantings can be fed with a slow release fertilizer using a balanced formula or one slightly higher in nitrogen.

Down to Earth Bio-Fish

Down to Earth Bio-Fish, available at Arbico Organics, has an NPK ratio of 7-7-2 that’s ideal for leafy greens.

Alternatively you can feed with a liquid or water-soluble formula once a month.

Maintenance

To help keep the soil moist, roots cool, and weeds at bay, apply a two-inch layer of mulch of shredded bark, leafmold, or straw when plants are at least six inches tall.

Remember to keep mulch materials away from the base of the plant to avoid stem rot.

If you’ve found a variety that you love and grows well in your garden, you can easily save the seeds for future crops.

Follow the steps in our guide to harvesting and storing kale seeds – it has all the details you need!

Cultivars to Select

Here’s a small sampling of popular varieties from the three main kale groups.

For more ideas, check out the delicious recommendations in our roundup of 13 of the best kale varieties!

Black Magic

A spell-binding plant with long, dark, and wonderfully pebbled, strappy leaves, ‘Black Magic’ is a gourmet Tuscan variety with exceptional sweetness and rich flavors.

The savoy-style leaves start out gray green and as they mature into darkly dramatic fronds, the colors deepen into an inky forest green so dark it’s almost black.

‘Black Magic’

‘Black Magic’ is frost tolerant and grows 24 to 36 inches tall with a spread of 18 to 24 inches. Begin harvesting in 65 days.

You can find packets of seeds available at Burpee and from Eden Brothers.

Dwarf Blue Curled

Vates ‘Dwarf Blue’ is a miniature curly variety with upright stems heavily laden in lush, blue green leaves with densely ruffled margins.

Vates types are both cold and heat tolerant and slow to bolt, maturing in 55 days on plants that grow 12 to 16 inches tall and spread up to 12 inches.

‘Dwarf Blue’

An excellent choice for containers and kitchen gardens – and the dense, compact plants are so pretty they make an attractive and edible border plant as well.

Seed packets are available at Burpee and the larger ‘Blue Scotch’ curly variety can be found at True Leaf Market.

Red Russian

A flat leaf variety, ‘Red Russian’ has oak-like, heavily toothed leaves of gray green on upright burgundy stems that easily withstand hard frosts.

The flavorful, tender leaves sweeten with cold weather and darken to burgundy, plum, and purple as the temperatures drop.

‘Red Russian’

Plants grow 24 to 36 inches tall and wide and mature in 50 to 60 days.

You can find packets of seeds available at Burpee and from True Leaf Market.

And we have a guide to growing ‘Red Russian’ if you’d like to learn more.

Managing Pests and Disease

Although kale is easily cultivated, hearty, and fast growing, it is susceptible to a number of pests.

Diseases such as damping off, downy mildew, and black rot plus marauding insects like aphids, cabbage white moths, and flea beetles are common problems.

To control nasty pathogens, keep the soil lightly moist but not wet, space plants for adequate air circulation, and always use heat-treated seeds.

To keep most bugs at bay, natural pesticides like neem oil can be sprayed onto infested plants, but I find the easiest solution for keeping hungry insects away is to use floating row covers.

Our guide to common kale pests and diseases has more information.

Harvesting

For baby greens, tender leaves can be picked as early as 30 days from sowing. Full-sized leaves are generally ready in 50 to 65 days, depending on the variety.

To harvest young leaves, treat plants as a cut-and-come-again crop.

Pick them when they’re at least four inches in length, removing only the outer ones and leaving the terminal buds – new leaves develop from the terminal, or main stem.

If you wish to harvest the entire plant, use a clean, sharp knife to cut through the stem close to the ground.

Trim leaves away from the stem with a clean, sharp knife.

Learn more about how to harvest kale here.

Preserving

Now let’s check out the various ways to preserve this green goodness.

You can store loose leaf or bunches of kale wrapped in paper towels placed in a plastic bag or storage container for up to five days in the refrigerator.

The longer kale is stored, the more bitter the flavor can become.

Freezing

To freeze your harvest, remove the ribs then rip or cut the leaves into smaller pieces.

Blanch in boiling water for one or two minutes then plunge the leaves into ice water.

Thoroughly dry them in a salad spinner or pat dry with clean dish towels, then spread them in a single layer on a baking sheet.

Freeze for a couple of hours then pack the leaves in a freezer bag or airtight storage container and keep in the freezer for up to eight months.

Canning

Kale can also be canned but be aware that these leafy greens shrink a lot in the canning. You need four pounds of leaves to produce a one-quart jar!

1. Rinse leaves thoroughly under cool running water then blanch.
2. Pack the blanched leaves into clean, sterile quart jars leaving one inch of headroom.
3. Add one teaspoon of salt to each jar then fill with boiling water, leaving one inch of headroom.
4. Seal jars and process in a pressure canner for one hour and 30 minutes for quart jars.

Canned leaves can be stored and used as needed. After opening, keep in the refrigerator.

Drying

Dried kale powder is nutritious with earthy, umami flavors perfect for adding to dishes like sauces, soups, or stews.

Ensure the leaves are completely dry – moisture can introduce mold – then pulse in a blender or food processor to reduce them to a coarse, flaky powder.

Store in airtight containers in a cool, dark cupboard for up to six months.

Cooking Ideas

Kale is delicious raw or cooked, but in some cases leaves that grow too big can take on bitter tones.

But not to worry, woody leaves can have the bitterness massaged out of them!

To restore mature leaves to tender, delicious greens a little olive oil and salt does the trick. Here’s how:

1. Remove the ribs and woody pieces from the ends of each leaf. Tear off bite-sized chunks and place in a large bowl.
2. Add a drizzle of olive oil, enough to lightly cover the leaves, and a few pinches of coarse salt.
3. Toss the leaves with your fingers as you gently work in the oil.
4. After four or five minutes, the leaves should appear darker in color with a more supple texture. Serve immediately, or dress for a salad.

You can also substitute the olive oil for your choice of oil or vinaigrette.

For some tasty recipes, our sister site Foodal has several great ideas to try out.

A Dream Veggie

With colorful leaves, superb nutrition, and fast growth, kale is a dream veggie to cultivate in garden beds, containers, or kitchen potagers.

But don’t stop at just one crop! This leafy biennial loves cool temperatures and thrives in spring, fall, and winter with successive plantings.

Are you growing kale? Let us know in the comments section below!

And for more information about growing kale in your veggie garden, check out these guides next:

• The Best Companion Plants to Grow with Kale
• How to Keep Kale from Wilting in the Garden
• Can You Eat Kale That Has Turned Yellow?