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Today I transplanted the cabbage and onion seedlings outside and planted seeds for: arugula, garlic (well, cloves, not seeds–forced in the fridge), mesclun salad mix, kale, cauliflower, and …
borecole kale
Brassica oleracea Acephala group
Last edited on 18 Oct 2026. View history
Kale
Also known as
borecole (EN)
A variety of Brassica oleracea Acephela group
How to sow kale: Direct seed. If planting indoors, harden off before transplanting seedlings outside.
Sun requirement for kale: Plant in Full Sun
Kale is a cultivar of the species Brassica oleracea. It has green or purple leaves that branch off from one to multiple upright stems and do not form a head like cabbage. The plant is usually grown as an annual, but if grown as a perennial, it will form seeds in the second year. Current popular varieties include Curly kale, Italian kale, and Red Russian kale (green leaves with pale purple stems). It can be grown as baby salad greens or for bunching adult leaves. Leaves are sweeter after a frost and delicious eaten raw, added to salads, sautéed, or added to stews and casseroles.
- 75
- plantings
- 24
- harvests
- 15
- seed packets
Kale facts
Lifespan
Annual
living and reproducing in a single year or less
25 weeks
median lifespan
First harvest expected
6 weeks after plantingLast harvest expected
17 weeks after plantingHeight × spread
75cm × 75cmRow Spacing
45cmDays until maturity
50–60 days median of members' seed packetsGrown for
leaf harvested 22 timesHow members grow kale
Sunniness
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Planted from
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Harvested for
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Varieties of kale
cavalo nero
Brassica oleracea
kale Vate's blue curled
Brassica oleracea
lacinato kale
Brassica oleracea Acephala group
Pohara kale
Brassica oleracea Acephala group
sea kale
Crambe maritima
Plant kale with
Photos
Kale crops
Kale plantings
Kale harvests
Video
Where kale grow
Only plantings by members who have set their locations are shown.
What people are saying about kale
Planting outdoors & fruit trees
by maco,
cabbages
onions
arugula
garlic
kale
cauliflowers
beets
apples
peaches
almonds
plums
Read more
Getting ready for spring!
by maco,
I've got seeds either on-hand or ordered for just about everything I'm starting from seed this year. I've been working out what I want to plant, and this is the plan I've come up with for the 72 square feet of my backyard raised beds:
eggplants
garlic
kale
lettuces
onions
oregano
parsley
Hungarian wax peppers
bell peppers
zucchini
yellow summer squash
butternut squash
sweet potatoes
tomatoes
super sweet 100 tomatoes
chamomiles
Read more
An example of "other" plantings
by Skud,
Just a note of something edible I planted, that won't ever be in our crops database, and would be a prime candidate for the "other" option we've talked about implementing: I just planted a big wide container with Diggers Club "Microgreen Winter Mix" which contains red russian kale,…
kale
tatsoi
endives
Read more
No subject
by oakandsage,
My raspberry are flowering!
Anyone whose english pea plants yield spherical peas must be a saint. I only get spherical peas if I miss a pod. In the evening I sit out in the garden and eat peas until there is nothing worth eating left on the plant. Then I am done…
raspberries
peas
asparagus
chard
kale
melons
rhubarb
carrots
dill
basils
squash
cherries
nectarines
apples
pomegranates
blueberries
Read more
Who's planted kale
- flatfood balcony farm · Bangalore, Southern...
- alittleheadache Back boxes · West Berkeley, CA
- shiny Raised Bed Two · Wellington, NZ
- Johann7 red russian kale Seedling Trays · Shorewood, WI
- landkale sea kale Garden
Kale harvests
-
shiny harvested not specified.
17 days ago
-
shiny harvested not specified.
24 days ago
-
Lemony harvested 1 handful.
over 6 years ago
shiny harvested not specified.
Find kale seeds
- mstremeski will trade nationally.
- DragonJeans will trade internationally.
- shawnacscott will trade nationally.
- KalicoKali will trade internationally.
- KalicoKali will trade internationally.
- pazinjanka will trade locally.
- shiny will trade locally.
- View all kale seeds 15
View all kale seeds
- Purchase seeds via Ebay
- Sign in or sign up to list your seeds to trade.
Ecological requirements
Data from the FAO EcoCrop database for Brassica oleracea var. acephala L. [DC.]
| Family / Taxonomy | Magnoliopsida Dilleniidae Capparales Cruciferae |
|---|---|
| Optimal temperature | 15 - 22 °C |
| Absolute temperature | 7 - 30 °C |
| Killing temperature | growth: 0 °C, rest: -5 °C |
| Optimal rainfall | 450 - 1000 mm/year |
| Absolute rainfall | 300 - 2800 mm/year |
| Optimal soil pH | 5.4 - 6.0 |
| Absolute soil pH | 4.5 - 8.3 |
| Crop cycle | 60 - 85 days |
| Max altitude | 3000 m |
| Life form | herb |
| Life span | biennial, perennial |
| Habit | erect |
| Optimal soil depth | shallow (20-50 cm) |
| Optimal soil texture | heavy, medium, light, organic |
| Optimal soil fertility | high |
| Optimal soil drainage | well (dry spells) |
| Optimal soil salinity | low (<4 dS/m) |
| Photoperiod | short day (<12 hours), neutral day (12-14 hours), long day (>14 hours) |
| Optimal light | clear skies |
Learn more about kale
Resources outside Growstuff.
