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  • From: Clansgian AT wmconnect.com
  • To: homestead AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [Homestead] Kale
  • Date: Thu, 4 Jan 2007 09:03:39 EST



> I'm wondering about starting another winter hardy kale plant or three from
> seed. I'll have to doublecheck my Fedco catalog.

Fedco has it, they call it Sea Kale. "Winter Hardy Kale" might be misleading
since most kales are winter hardy. The kale you describe is unique in that
it is perennial rather than biennial as most kale is. Make sure your seed
source says *perennial* kale. Even that, alas, isn't what it could be. The
perennial kale lasts a few years. Typically five or six. We reguarly
harvest kale
from the ordinary biennial plants for 18 months or longer and some go the
full two years before going to seed.

Most cool weather greens (beet tops, chard, turnip tops, kale, arugula,
mizuna, tsa-tso, corn salad, etc) can be wintered over if the air
temperatures
will stay above 0 degrees F. I've compared notes with several local
gardeners
and we've found that 26 degrees F seems to be the magic number where the
greens
have to be covered to prevent any damage. This winter I've left them
uncovered except for the nights when it got below 15 degrees F and although
there was
some frost damage, there was not much and the plants have recovered.

I even have half a dozen lettuce plants still alive (under cloches made out
of 2L soda jugs). They aren't big enough to eat, but if I can manage to
winter
them over, they will put out very early in the spring and give us the
earliest possible lettuce.

The very biggest spinach we've ever had was planted last January in weather
much like this (also under soda jug cloches). I had hope of winter spinach
but
it grew to about an inch high and stopped. That is, until around the Ides of
March when it grew into gigantic 18" leaves. *Almost* got our fill of fresh
spinach that year. Almost.

I'm always on the lookout for ways to winter over more and different greens.




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