Planting Kale
Kale is one of our favourite leafy greens, and is easy to grow in vegetable patch. You can enjoy it as tender young leaves or wait until it’s fully grown – either way, it’s packed with nutrients and is a true superfood. It continues growing after you cut some of the leaves, so you don’t need too many kale plants to ensure a regular harvest.
Kale can be grown in sunny or semi-shady spots, but will need more water if grown in full sun. When the time comes, harvest only the outer leaves so that the heart of the kale will continue to grow. You can keep kale leaves in the fridge as long as they are kept moist, and can breathe.
The first step, however, is to plant your kale in rich, slightly acidic soil with lots of organic matter (for beneficial nitrogen - you can always add compost if needed). Kale is best planted in later summer, as kale leaves that grow in cooler weather will have a much better flavour (kale grown in summer can taste bitter).
Keep your kale plants well-watered and watch out for insect pests (use an organic spray if you need to). Moist soil and cooler temperatures keep kale leaves sweet and crisp, rather than tough and bitter.