If you waited till NOW to do your seed planting … well, there’s always next season. BUT! Getting your Fall Grow on is still possible when you use transplants or cold-frames. Cold-frames are pretty much mini greenhouses you can add to your raised beds to extend your season. (The Internet knows a LOT about cold frames.) So scroll down for this Full Circle Fall Planting Tip!
In this post, we’re talking about …
KALE
From food trucks to fancy restaurants, this leafy cousin of cabbage is all the rage these days. And if being “hip” isn’t enough to make you want to plant it, it’s super healthy and grows great here, to boot! Here’s how:
Planting
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Plant (or transplant) it right now. Harvest it from fall all the way until the ground freezes this winter.
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Make rows in a full-sunny spot in your garden about 3 to 4 inches deep in soil that is well-drained and light (KICK certainly helps …)
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Mix in an appropriate amount of BOOST, of course!
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Plant seeds ¼ to ½ inch deep
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After 2 weeks, thin those seedlings so they’re about 8 to 12 inches apart, like birds on a telephone wire
Care
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Water your kale plants regularly, but don’t drown them
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When that first hard freeze hits, PROTECT your soil with some good, cold-fighting, moisture-trapping mulch and your plants might keep you healthy and hip throughout the winter!
Notes
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Kale is ripe for the pickin’ when its leaves are about the size of your hand. If you’re Jimi Hendrix or Yao Ming, go with the size of your palm.
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Pick a fistful of leaves each harvest. Just don’t pick the “terminal bud” (top, center of plant). This’ll keep ‘em goin’.
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Small, tender leaves can be eaten raw in salads. Larger ones can be cooked like spinach, but remember to remove the “ribs” before you do.
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After picking, kale lasts about a week in a plastic bag in the fridge.
