Other names
green cabbage, borehole, kale
Botanical name
Brassica oleracea convar. acephala var. sabellica
Plant category
Cabbage vegetables
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Facts and figures
Light requirements
Sun
Nutrient requirements
Heavy feeder
Difficulty level
Easy
Culture (according to Gertrud Franck)
B - late
Row spacing
50 cm
Plant spacing
50 cm
Growth height
70 - 180 cm
Sowing depth
2 cm
Germination temperature (minimum)
3 °C
Germination temperature (optimal)
18 - 22 °C
Germination type
Light and dark
Pre-growing period
60 days
Times
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
Direct sowing
Pre-grow
Transplant
Harvest
Harvest (next year)
Direct sowing from Mid May to Late June. Transplant to bed from Early June to Late July. Pre-grow about 60 days before planting out, approximately between Early April and Late May. Harvest begins around Early September and continues until Late March next year.
Neighbourhood
Good neighbours
Bad neighbours
Crop rotation
Good predecessors
Bad predecessors
Very bad predecessors
Good successors
Bad successors
Very bad successors
Harvest and processing
Wait until after the first frost before you start harvesting. Frost improves the flavour enormously.
Pick the leaves from the bottom upwards as you need them. The lowest leaves can be a bit tough — just toss those on the compost heap.