OldGuy43
Garden Ornament
Anyone have any hints on raising this breed? Any hints at all. Please.
Dwarf Blue Scotch Kale
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Ridgerunner
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I was not familiar with that specific variety so I did a quick look on Google. My comments are on kale in general, not that specific variety.
It sounds like a great candidate for doing what I normally do. I plant it in late summer/early fall and over-winter it. Depending on how cold it gets in your part of Texas, you might want to mulch it, but it's probably not necessary. I've been eating kale for a while this spring and will probaly put a bunch in the freezer in a few days. The stuff that over winters usually bolts pretty early. You can keep it producing by cutting all the leaves off. They will regrow.
You can plant it early in the spring too. I generally sow the seeds in late February/early March, as soon as the ground is dry enough to work. It's basically a cool weather vegetable but it will produce all summer. It does taste better after it has turned cold. A little frost in the fall really improves the flavor. A light frost won't kill it at all. Just makes it better.
My biggest problem in the summer is that it gets real buggy. The worst for me is the cabbage moth caterpillar, but blister beetles and some other things really like it. Aphids can get bad too. Chickens really like it too, by the way. After it starts getting real buggy, I generally just pull it up and feed it to the chickens so I don't host certain pests all summer.
That brings up another point. I don't grow the curly leafed varieties of kale, parsley either for that matter. It's easier to look them for bugs if you grow the flat-leafed varieties.
I really like kale. It tastes great and produces real well. It doesn't take a lot of garden space to get quite a bit of production. Which brings up another point. Don't be afraid to thin it. It needs some room to spread out. I hate to estimate without going out with a tape measure to get it right, but I probably give maybe 6" to 8" between plants. It could be more, but I don't have the dwarf variety. And when I pick it, I try to get the leaves that are shading others.
It sounds like a great candidate for doing what I normally do. I plant it in late summer/early fall and over-winter it. Depending on how cold it gets in your part of Texas, you might want to mulch it, but it's probably not necessary. I've been eating kale for a while this spring and will probaly put a bunch in the freezer in a few days. The stuff that over winters usually bolts pretty early. You can keep it producing by cutting all the leaves off. They will regrow.
You can plant it early in the spring too. I generally sow the seeds in late February/early March, as soon as the ground is dry enough to work. It's basically a cool weather vegetable but it will produce all summer. It does taste better after it has turned cold. A little frost in the fall really improves the flavor. A light frost won't kill it at all. Just makes it better.
My biggest problem in the summer is that it gets real buggy. The worst for me is the cabbage moth caterpillar, but blister beetles and some other things really like it. Aphids can get bad too. Chickens really like it too, by the way. After it starts getting real buggy, I generally just pull it up and feed it to the chickens so I don't host certain pests all summer.
That brings up another point. I don't grow the curly leafed varieties of kale, parsley either for that matter. It's easier to look them for bugs if you grow the flat-leafed varieties.
I really like kale. It tastes great and produces real well. It doesn't take a lot of garden space to get quite a bit of production. Which brings up another point. Don't be afraid to thin it. It needs some room to spread out. I hate to estimate without going out with a tape measure to get it right, but I probably give maybe 6" to 8" between plants. It could be more, but I don't have the dwarf variety. And when I pick it, I try to get the leaves that are shading others.
digitS'
Garden Master
Have grown it every year (just about) for (just about) forever, OG. Starts are already in the greenhouse with the broccoli.
The new (olde) varieties began showing up in recent years and while I'm tempted, I go back to the Blue Scotch - Vates, seems to be the same thing. Thirty-five years ago, I'm not sure if there was something different to choose from.
I can understand a desire to avoid the savoyed types. Aphids. I use insecticidal soap when I first see 'em - up & down the row on both sides. That, probably kills the cabbage moth larva as well. Some years, if'n you don't spray them - you aren't gonna want to eat your kale, the aphids will get so bad.
Ridgerunner's idea of planting them in the late summer might work, even here! I don't feel that it is at all necessary to wait for cold weather to begin eating kale leaves, however. I want them a little short of mature, more green than blue. Kale is still a little chewy even immature. Don't let that deter you
!
Steve
Oh and, take off the old leaves for the compost thru the season. Yes, the plant will not grow so well if you are picking it down to look like a palm tree but - you will eliminate some of the bug hideouts. The plants can still keep right on growing thru the season here. Go ahead and be a little nice to the kale by running over it with a sprinkler can full of fish emulsion a couple times a season.
The new (olde) varieties began showing up in recent years and while I'm tempted, I go back to the Blue Scotch - Vates, seems to be the same thing. Thirty-five years ago, I'm not sure if there was something different to choose from.
I can understand a desire to avoid the savoyed types. Aphids. I use insecticidal soap when I first see 'em - up & down the row on both sides. That, probably kills the cabbage moth larva as well. Some years, if'n you don't spray them - you aren't gonna want to eat your kale, the aphids will get so bad.
Ridgerunner's idea of planting them in the late summer might work, even here! I don't feel that it is at all necessary to wait for cold weather to begin eating kale leaves, however. I want them a little short of mature, more green than blue. Kale is still a little chewy even immature. Don't let that deter you
!Steve
Oh and, take off the old leaves for the compost thru the season. Yes, the plant will not grow so well if you are picking it down to look like a palm tree but - you will eliminate some of the bug hideouts. The plants can still keep right on growing thru the season here. Go ahead and be a little nice to the kale by running over it with a sprinkler can full of fish emulsion a couple times a season.
Ridgerunner
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This is the Red Russian kale I planted last fall. If you look closely, you can see it is already trying to bolt. It doesn't take up a whole lot of space but there is plenty there for to people to eat.
I eat it up until the bugs take over, even in the heat of summer, or this year, the heat of spring. I just boil it until I can chew it without too much fiber, maybe 6 minutes. Then it's ready. The purist's will tell you that you should wait until after a frost to eat it, but I'm not a purist. I still think it tastes better than practically any vegetable I can buy at the store, even if it's not "perfect". Of course, I feel that way about green beans, corn, okra, and about anything else I grow.
I take it down to palm tree status regularly when the bugs first start. That does help get rid of the bugs but after a while they take over here. I may need to try that insecticidal soap, but by the time they take over the kale, other veggies are normally ready.
I eat it up until the bugs take over, even in the heat of summer, or this year, the heat of spring. I just boil it until I can chew it without too much fiber, maybe 6 minutes. Then it's ready. The purist's will tell you that you should wait until after a frost to eat it, but I'm not a purist. I still think it tastes better than practically any vegetable I can buy at the store, even if it's not "perfect". Of course, I feel that way about green beans, corn, okra, and about anything else I grow.
I take it down to palm tree status regularly when the bugs first start. That does help get rid of the bugs but after a while they take over here. I may need to try that insecticidal soap, but by the time they take over the kale, other veggies are normally ready.
Chickie'sMomaInNH
Garden Master
i just put it in the ground and let it grow on it's own! it came back last year so i left it to go to seed and continued to grow all last summer/fall. i'm hoping it will come back again this year but i'm not holding out.
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OldGuy43
Garden Ornament
Thanks for all of the responses. Does it prefer lots of sun, some shade or what? The package doesn't say.
Ridgerunner
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I go with full sun.
sparkles2307
Garden Ornament
I have so many cabbage butterflies that I planted my kale and raddicchio and mixed salad things in my wheelbarrow salade gardne, and I'm going to build a frame that will fit over it that I will line with screens to keep air and sunlight coming in but keep those stupid bugs out.Ridgerunner said:
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OldGuy43
Garden Ornament
Now there's an interesting idea.sparkles2307 said:
digitS'
Garden Master
That's just about what I do but I "shred" the kale on a cutting board with a knife first and probably cook it a little past the "wilty" stage . . . but, not much. DD bought us some balsamic vinegar the other day. I'm still inclined to use apple cider vinegar but mostly go with a good rice or malt vinegar on greens.shirleycox said:
OG, my kale is always in the full sun but I kinda suspect that it can take some shade - especially of the afternoon variety. You might have to be concerned about mildew if it has too much shade.
Steve
