OhioGuy wrote:
I've never grown kale before, but over the past 5 years I've found
that I like it more than any variety of lettuce for salads, and I buy
it more and more frequently. I've got a couple of questions for
those who have grown it before.

I figured that I might as well try to grow it. I'm here in southern
Ohio, inside a large city's limits where the temp averages about 5
degrees warmer than out in the country 10 miles out.

I bought kale seeds this summer, and soaked them to get them growing
quicker. I put them in a raised bed, planting them about August 15. They
sprouted marvelously, and I just thinned them. Most of the
plants now have their first true leaf.

Question is, did I plant them too late?

We usually have a first frost by the very last day of October, or
first week of November. I'm not sure if I left enough time for the
plants to grow. Of course, we could have a whole month left of
weather getting into the 80's most every day, and they do get a lot
of full sun now that I cut down the cherry tree nearby.

I grow several Kale cultivars and they are very tough. They last over a
year (they are biennials) and survive over 110F in summer and down to 27F
with several hard frosts in winter. It may survive lower tempertures - I
don't know.

Cut the outside leaves regularly and they will keep producing for their
lifetime. They are also more resistant to pests such as cabbage moth than
most brassicas. For a tough, nutritious leafy green that is easy to grow
you cannot go past Kale.

David