Spring planting doesn’t start when the air feels warm, It...Read More
Red Russian Kale is an excellent heirloom variety that is extremely easy to grow, making it a perfect choice for any beginner gardener. This variety of kale showcases deep gray-green leaves with purple veins, adding a unique & colorful addition to both the vegetable garden and the table. The mature leaves are more tender than those of other kale varieties and have a mild sweet flavor, but they can also be picked early for baby kale. Red Russian Kale tolerate the cold very well; frost will make this variety taste even better! It is also fairly resilient to drought, heat and disease. You can grow it all year long, picking from the same plant for a continuous harvest. This seed can also be used to grow microgreens.
When using Red Russian Kale in the kitchen, give the leaves a quick massage to tenderize the greens and break down some of the tougher fibers. Red Russian Kale is also delicious sauteed, steamed, in soups or stews, stir-fried, or even baked into kale chips.
NAME: Kale (Brassica oleracea var. acephala)
VARIETY: Red Russian
DAYS TO MATURITY: 50-70 days
POLLINATION: Open Pollinated
TYPE: Perennial, normally grown as annual
HARDINESS ZONE: Zones 3 – 12
SUNLIGHT: Full sun to Partial shade
SOIL: Fertile, loam soil with a pH 6.5-6.8
PLANT HEIGHT: 14-24 inches
SPACING: 12 inches apart
These seeds do not required stratification.
To learn more about Stratification, click here!
Sow seeds indoors 2 weeks before your last local spring frost.
You can sow the kale seeds into large pots and have the seedlings remain in the large pots for their entire life if you choose but it is recommended to sow in cell trays to transplant outside later.
Sow seeds 1/4 inch deep in seed-starting soil mix, keeping the soil moist and ensuring ambient temps are around 70°F. Seedlings will sprout in 7 to 14 days.
As soon as the seedlings emerge, provide plenty of light on a sunny windowsill or grow 3 to 4 inches beneath fluorescent/LED plant lights turned on 15 hours per day, off for 9 hours at night, raising the light with growth.
Before planting outside, you will need to harden off seedlings for several days. Do this by taking them outside during the day and bringing them in at night.
Make sure soil and air temps are at least 50°F before transplanting
Direct sow seeds outdoors once air and soil temps stay above 50°F during the day and night (Minor temperature fluctuations are okay).
Sow seeds 2 inches apart and cover with ¼ inch of fine soil; press soil down lightly and water them in generously; seedlings emerge in 7 to 14 days (Warmer soil temps germinate the seeds quicker).
When seedlings are 2 inches tall, thin to 8 inches apart; this will allow enough space for each plant to grow.
It is important to keep the soil continuously moist until the sprouts get to be 1 inch tall.
In the summertime, insect netting or shade cloth may prove necessary to prevent cabbage moth damage.
Harvest outer leaves regularly to encourage continuous growth and prevent the plant from bolting.
Leaves may be harvested individually once the plant is over 8 inches tall, harvest the leaves at the bottom of the plant first, working your way up to the smaller upper leaves.
Use harvested leaves fresh in salads, smoothies, or cooked dishes, or store them in the refrigerator for later use.
Regular harvesting promotes new leaf growth and prolongs the harvest period.
