Kale is easy to grow, good looking and productive, providing both mini salad leaves and tasty greens for cooking or adding to smoothies. It’s particularly valuable in winter, providing fresh leaves in even the coldest weather.

Direct sow outdoors into final position for growing, or in a well prepared seedbed for transplanting to their final positions later on. Sow at a depth of 1cm and distance of 25cm between rows. Kale is often sown in a seedbed, then later moved to its final growing position because it is slow to grow and takes up space during the peak growing period.

Kale plants can be transplanted to their final positions approximately 5 weeks from sowing (or later noting above). When transplanting kale, plant it slightly deeper in the ground than it was in the seedbed.

Plant kale at a distance of 60cm apart and cover with a protective netting or fleece to prevent attack from birds and insects. Water the plants thoroughly after planting. Prepare the soil in early spring by adding plenty of well rotted farmyard manure to the soil to improve its structure and fertility. Apply lime to acid soils to reduce the acidity and lessen the risk of clubroot.