Kale
Height: 8–1 2 "Width: 8–1 2 "Depth: 6–8"Annual/Hardy/Cool Season
Wat e r : Heavy
Sun : Full to partial shade
Companion Planting :
pro: Beets, bush beans, lettuce, herbs, spinach
con: Pole beans, strawberries, tomatoes
Pests : Aphids, loopers, flea beetles, cutworms
Diseases : Black rot, clubroot
Soil: Compost well before planting in rich sandy loam
with good drainage
Fertilizer: Moderate; fish emulsion every 3–4 weeks
pH: 5.5–6.8
Varieties : Dwarf Blue Curled Vates (compact, curly),
Lacinato (tall leaves), Toscano (flat, broad, sweet in the
fall)
Plant Care: When leaves grow to 6–8 inches, put
straw mulch around base to avoid soil contact.
Zones : 3–11
Planting : Spring, seed ½ inch deep, 6–8 weeks before
last frost; autumn, seed ½ inch deep, 6 weeks before fi rst
frost; 6 inches apart
Germinate: 5–7 days
Harvest: From seed, 55–75 days; from transplant,
30–40 days
Rotation: Don’t follow cabbage family.
Edible: LeavesKALE • 161