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Kale is ready to pick approximately 60 days after seeds have been planted. At this point, healthy plants will have upwards of ten leaves, with small ones in the center and larger ones on the outside. If you’re looking to grow baby kale, plants will be ready to pick and enjoy in 25 to 30 days after they are sown.
How do you know when kale is ready to pick?
How to Harvest Kale Kale is ready to harvest when the leaves are about the size of your hand. Pick about one fistful of leaves per harvest. Avoid picking the terminal bud (found at the top center of the plant) because this will help to keep the plant productive. Kale will continue growing until it’s 20°F.
Does kale keep growing after you pick it?
If you harvest kale correctly, the plant will continue to grow and produce leaves. If you harvest it incorrectly, the plant will stop growing. Kale produces leaves on a stem. The leaves grow from the top of the stem and the stem will continue to grow taller and to make more leaves throughout the plant’s life.
What month is kale ready to harvest?
Harvesting. Start to remove young leaves from the top of the plant from September onwards. Side-shoots are formed after the main crown is harvested and these are ready for use in February and March. Pick shoots that are 10–15cm (4–6in) long and still young.
Does kale come back every year?
Kale is a biennial that many people grow as an annual, advises Cornell University. Some varieties of kale are perennial plants that come back year after year.
What can I do with kale from my garden?
10 Ways to Love Kale Mor More Massage it in a salad. Make kale chips. Pair it with nuts. Try dinosaur kale. Throw it in the soup. Make it the green in “a grain, a green, and a bean.” Put kale in a burger. Put it in a green smoothie.
How long does a kale plant last?
So How Long Does a Kale Plant Live? Normally Kale is biennial, so it will only live for two years.
How do you harvest kale without killing the plant?
Can you eat kale that has gone to seed?
If you think your kale is bolting, pick the leaves immediately, before they have before they begin to change texture and flavor. Even after the leaves have turned bitter, the flowers the plant produces are pretty tasty, and can be eaten like you would broccoli florets.
Where is the terminal bud on kale?
The terminal bud is found at the top center of the plant. Avoid picking this as you harvest. Doing so will keep the plant productive for a longer period, continuously producing new leaves for you to pick.
Can you grow kale in the winter?
Kale thrives in mild winters, but can also produce sweet, tender leaves long into a cold winter if the plants are protected with row cover or are planted in an unheated greenhouse.
Why is my kale bolting?
Kale can bolt the following spring when it overwinters in your garden. When the temperatures begin to warm it can send up a flower stalk because it is a biennial plant that produces flowers and seed the second year of its life cycle. The leaves will become more bitter when it bolts.
How often should you water kale?
Kale is a fast grower, so keep the soil moist by giving it 1 to 1.5 inches of water each week. Get the most out of your harvest by regularly feeding plants with a continuous-release plant food. For nutritious kale year-round, consider an indoor, water-based growing system.
Does kale regrow next year?
Does kale come back every year? Although kale is normally grown as an annual plant, it is actually a biennial, which means it has a two-year life cycle. In its first growing season, your kale plant will produce lots of leafy green foliage.
How do you winterize kale?
Winterizing Kale After my spring harvest was no longer edible, I cut the kale at the base of the plant, leaving about 3 inches of stalk coming out of the soil. This was done in the warm late summer months. If your kale continues to grow that is fine, you will still produce the second vegetable real soon.
Can I freeze fresh kale without blanching?
You can freeze kale without blanching, but plan to use it within four to six weeks. For frozen kale that lasts eight to 12 months, blanch leaves and stems. Blanch leaves for 2.5 minutes, covering the boiling water pot with a lid to steam-heat floating leaves.
How do you eat kale from the garden?
Five Ways to Eat: Kale Raw, in a salad – Kale doesn’t need to be cooked to be enjoyed. Cooked and boiled – Kale is a seriously tough green, and while it can be great in raw salads, sometime we like it soft and silky. In a soup – Kale’s sturdy texture makes it the perfect green to throw into a pot of soup.
What should I do with kale?
9 Things to Do with Kale Make chips. Turn this leafy green into a crunchy, salty snack, and you’ll never reach for those potato chips again! Eat it raw. Add a nutritional boost to your salad or slaw by adding kale. Use it as a wrap. Sautee it. Put it in a smoothie. Add it to your stir-fry. Make it into pesto. Juice it.
How do you harvest and store kale?
For a bunch of whole leaves, it’s all about avoiding excess moisture. Wrap the bunch of kale in a layer of paper towels, and store in a supermarket plastic bag or a zip-top plastic bag in the refrigerator crisper drawer. The kale should be in great shape for a week.
Should I cut back kale?
Cut back several mature plants in spring. As noted above, lopping off the top of a mature kale plant encourages vigorous new growth. These small leaves will provide enough greens for late winter or early spring salads while you await the next crop’s tender bounty.
