Cottager's

Season Overview

Description

Once a staple of the rural diet in the 19th century, this 'perennial' kale has fallen out of favor because the leaves don't keep well for sale. This vitamin and mineral-rich superfood provides tasty green leaves with purple stems throughout the winter, followed by an additional crop of side shoots in early spring, making it a generous and space-saving vegetable. As a short-lived perennial, the plants can grow for up to five years, but can be easily propagated by cuttings. This unusual cross between kale and Brussels sprouts, which was crossed with the purple sprouting broccoli, even fascinated Charles Darwin with its complex ancestry. Robust and exceptionally hardy. Can be harvested as baby leaves for salads or matured for cooking.

Growing tips

Sow kale from March to May. Sow directly outdoors in a well-prepared seedbed, which is later transplanted to its final location. Sow 1 cm deep and with a distance of 23 cm between the rows. The kale plants can be transplanted to their final location about 5 weeks after sowing. Grow the kale in firm, rich, fertile and well-drained soil in sun or partial shade. Prepare the soil in early spring by adding plenty of well-rotted manure to the soil to improve its structure and fertility. On acidic soils, lime should be applied to reduce acidity and reduce the risk of clubroot. When transplanting, plant the kale slightly deeper into the soil than it was in the seed bed. Plant it 45 cm apart with 60 cm between the rows and cover it with a protective net or fleece to keep birds and insects away. Water the plants thoroughly after planting. Prick out the central shoot to encourage side shoots. Propagate by cuttings.

Details

Light requirement

Semi-shaded

Water requirement

Wet

Soil

Medium (loamy)

Nutrient requirement

Medium

Seeding distance

45 cm

Row spacing

60 cm

Seeding depth

1 cm