Perennial Kale?

[so lucky]

Last year I grew that wonderful Toscono flat leafed kale, and tried to overwinter it (didn't try very hard). In the winter sometime, rabbits ate the kale down to the stalk nub, leaving inch-thick brown stalks standing in the garden. This spring early, I pulled out most of the old stalks and threw them in the compost pile.
Now I see that two plants that I didn't pull up are sprouting green from the bottom. Yea! I didn't lose it all!
So I glanced over to the compost pile and see two bare stalks sticking out of a bunch of rotting banana peels and egg shells. "Wonder if they are still alive?" I asked myself. So I pulled them out of the compost and felt the roots. They didn't feel any different than they did when I threw them in there, so I stuck them back in the ground with the other two that were growing.
So now I am wondering if the growing kale will just bolt to seed, like the overwintered collards (that never did squat all last year) is doing, or if it will produce edible kale again. Even if it goes to seed, I think I will try to protect and harvest the seed, because that seed is pretty expensive. Then at least maybe I can have kale next year.

 

[digitS']

It wouldn't be Kosmic kale (link), would it? I don't know what Toscono kale is.

I didn't try it, did you, So Lucky?

Again this past autumn, I allowed some kale plants to stay around. Yes, they have much more tender and sweet leaves than summer harvesting. If, that sort of thing appeals .

The 2 remaining plants are at the end of a bed. They never had a chance to grow large because their leaves were taken off repeatedly last year. They aren't hogging any space and are now bolting. They were grown from saved seed and it's now to harvest some more.

Steve

Edit: Ah, ha. It's a Lacinato. I guess I still don't know what Kosmic is.

 

[aftermidnight]

I'm growing something called Sea Kale it's a perennial, this is only it's second year so haven't had a chance to taste it yet, it came through our wet miserable winter just fine. They say not to harvest until the third year but if it flowers maybe I'll snip them off and steam a few of the immature buds for a taste.
Annette

 

[so lucky]

Steve, the Toscono is a dinosaur kale type, thick smooth leaves. Johnny's has it, but that was the only thing I needed from them this year, and didn't want to pay that shipping for one pack of seeds.
@aftermidnight, is the sea kale grown for its flower buds, seeds, leaves or all of these?

 

[aftermidnight]

@so lucky most parts are edible, as my plants were grown from seed last year they aren't going to get very big this year so I thought maybe I could just sneak a few flower buds for a taste. Ever since I watched the series he Victorian Kitchen Garden I've had a bee in my bonnet about trying this vegetable along with Skirret, I have a few plants of that too. They say Sea kale is a little hard to grow from seed but I didn't have a problem, you have to take the outer shell off which I did, of the 15 seeds I planted in a community pot and placed on a heat mat 12 grew, I kept 5 plants and gave the rest away. I think the trick is to get fresh seed, mine came from Restoration Seed. This link pretty much explains it.
http://tcpermaculture.com/site/2014/03/03/permaculture-plants-sea-kale/

Annette

 

[April Manier]

Lot's of folks keep Kale as a perennial in milder areas. Like you said, transplanting and letting go to seed will do well too. Plants that come up from volunteers will be more hearty and aclimated. You can keep at it until you have produced heartier plants that overwinter!

 

[so lucky]

I think I will work on that. It's a great kale. Good to see you back here, @April Manier. How are things in Eugene? Did I tell you my brother lives in Eugene?