Growing Kale

Organic Vegetable Gardening
Fact Sheet

Botanical name: Brassica oleracea var. acephala

Seed

Kale
Planting time: SP,FA
Seeds per ounce: 9000
Ounces per square foot: 0.0001
Minimum legal germination rate: 75%
Germination type: Short Germinating seeds

Notes
Growing Kale is easy. A leafy vegetable is categorized with “Cooking Greens”. The leaves can be ornamental, but if used as an ornamental, they become too tough to eat fresh.

Kale is in the Brassica genus as well as Broccol, Cabbage and Brussels Sprouts.

Planting
In garden spacing (inches): 15
In flat spacing (inches): 1
Planting depth (inches): cover seed with soil
Maximum number of plants per square foot: .8
Nutrient relationship: Heavy Feeder

Harvest

Days to maturity: 56-63
Harvesting period (days): 119
Minimum yields in pounds /square foot: .7

Cultural
Diseases:

Pythium Damping-Off - This disease commonly affects seeds and young transplants and is caused by the soil-borne fungus.

Downy Mildew - This disease is caused by the fungus Peronospora parasitica and can attack both seedlings and mature vegetable plants.

Alternaria Leaf Spot - This disease is caused by the fungus, Alternaria species, and occurs during warm, moist conditions.

Black Rot - Black rot is caused by a bacterium, Xanthomonas campestris pathovar campestris, and can affect all vegetables in the crucifer family.

Black Leg - The fungus, Phoma lingam, causes black leg.

Wirestem - The fungus, Rhizoctonia solani, causes wirestem.

Fusarium Yellows - Yellows or wilt is a much less important disease today due to the development of varieties resistant to the disease.

Viruses - There are several common viruses that can affect cole crops including Turnip mosaic virus and Kale mosaic virus..

Insect pests:(Insect Pest Finder) Army Cutworm, Bean Aphid, Kale Curculio, Kale Looper, Kale Maggot, Cutworm, Flea Beetle, Garden Centipede, Green Peach Aphid, Pea Aphid, Spotted Cucumber Beetle

Varieties for Kale

'Vates' - very adverse weather tolerant with good taste
'Hanover Salad'- Fast growing and early harvest.
'Lacinato'- An heirloom Kale with thin puckered leaves. Can be harvested after a snowfall in some areas.

Organic Gardening Seed and Plant Sources:

 

 

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