La kale, whose scientific name is Brassicola oleracea var. sabella, It is a wonderful horticultural plant, since in addition to being used in the kitchen to prepare delicious recipes, it can also be used as an ornamental decorating, for example, the terrace or patio.
The curious shape of its leaves makes it one of the most curious species. But how is it grown?
Kale characteristics
Our protagonist It is a herbaceous plant native to northern Germany that grows to 40 centimeters in height. The leaves grow in the form of rosettes, and are large, up to 35-30cm in length, dark green and very curly.
Its growth rate is very fast, to the point that from sowing to harvesting only a maximum of 20 weeks pass, which is five months. And, as it resists cold well, it can be grown in all temperate regions of the world. The question is, how?
Farming
If you want to make a salad with kale leaves, or prepare any other dish with them, then we will tell you how it is grown:
- Sowing time: the ideal time is in spring, when the risk of frost has passed.
- Location: outside, in full sun. It is highly recommended to sow in a seedbed and move the seedlings to the garden when they have grown a little.
- Transplant: when they are at least 5cm high, either to a larger pot or to the garden. If you choose this last option, plant them leaving a distance between them of 30cm.
- Irrigation: frequent, avoid letting the substrate or soil dry out. Therefore, it should be watered every 2-3 days, increasing the frequency in summer if necessary.
- Subscriber: throughout the season, it must be paid with organic fertilizers, pouring a layer of 2-3cm thick to the garden plants, or fertilize with liquid fertilizers such as guano to the plants that are in pots following the indications specified on the container .
- Harvest: in autumn-winter.
- Rusticity: it supports well the cold of up to -9ºC.
Have a good harvest 🙂.