🥬VegetablesVery hardy
When to plant Kale
Default: central Europe (50°N)· 50.0°N
Last spring frost: 5 May
First autumn frost: 5 Oct
Frost-free season: 153 days
Calendar windows
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSeptOctNovDec
Sow indoors
24 Mar – 14 Apr
Sow outdoors
5 May – 4 Jul
Plant out
26 May – 14 Jul
Plant out (2nd)
14 Jul – 23 Aug
Harvest
24 Jul – 21 Nov
Dates shift with your latitude — they are calculated from your local last-spring-frost date, not from a fixed calendar.
At a glance
Light
Full sun
Water needs
Moderate
Frost hardiness
Very hardy
Overwinters outdoors in a temperate garden.
Life cycle
Biennial
Spacing
45 × 60 cm
Sowing depth
1.5 cm
Soil pH
6.5–7.5
Days to maturity
55–75
Containers
Possible in pots
Plant family
Brassicas
Soil temp. to sow
≥ 7°C
Practical notes
The toughest thing in the winter garden — it survives to −15°C and tastes better for it, since frost converts starch to sugar. Sow in early summer for a winter standing crop.
Knowing when to pick
Pick lower leaves from the bottom up and leave the growing tip — one plant then crops for six months.
Storing the crop
A week in the fridge, but there is little point — leave it standing outside and pick as needed.
Crop rotation
Rotate on a 4-year cycle: clubroot spores survive in soil for up to 20 years.
Grows well with
Keep apart from
Watch for
Full guide: kale diseases and pests (5) → with spread routes, compost verdicts and the prevention this list justifies.