Growing Vegetables

Stretch the season by planting kale for harvesting dur­ing cold weather since flavor is improved by light frosts. Producing prodigious crops of sweet greens for cooking from summer through heavy frost, curly green kale is loaded with vitamins. The plants grow to 2 or 3 feet in height and equally as wide. If you keep such pets as guinea pigs, chickens, and rabbits, they will love fresh young kale leaves. And if you have always considered kale a “pot herb” for cooking, try tiny young leaves raw in salads. Plant kale in spring where summers are cool; plant after midsummer elsewhere. To harvest, cut off the outer leaves as needed. Pull smaller plants to thin.

In areas with short, cool summers, plant seeds outdoors in late spring. Elsewhere, plant after midsummer. Sow seeds ¹/2 inch deep and 1 inch apart. Thin to 18 to 24 inches apart; eat thinnings for greens.

Care

Keep the stems and leaves tender by watering and feeding frequently. The large leaves evaporate a lot of water, so soak the soil deeply. Feed every three to four weeks with a high nitrogen fertilizer.

In containers

Use large containers and just harvest the outer leaves to keep plants growing all season.