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Red Russian Kale - Certified Organic
  • Red Russian Kale - Certified Organic
Red Russian Kale - Certified Organic

Red Russian Kale - Certified Organic

$3.95
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Soil  and Nutrient Requirements
Kale and Collards thrive in well drained fertile soil high in organic matter, with pH 6.0- 7.5. They can tolerate slightly alkaline soil. A general guideline is 2-3 lbs of 8-16-16 fertilizer over 100 sq ft of garden area two weeks before planting.  If boron is not present in your soils, consider adding 1 Tbs per 100 sq ft.
Position
Full sun is best, although light shade can help plants tolerate hot weather.
Seeding Depth
1/4-1/2".
Plant Spacing
Babyleaf- Direct seeding: ~60seeds/ft in 2-4" bands; Full Size-  12-18”
Row Spacing
18-30” for full size
When to Sow
Days to maturity are from direct seeding, subtract 2 weeks if transplanting. Direct sow as soon as soil can be worked or start transplants 4 weeks before planting date. Plant baby leaf every 4-5 weeks for a continual harvest. Sow fall plantings two months before first expected frost for full size and up until frost for baby leaf.
Frost Tolerant
Yes. Kale is very hardy, withstanding even a hard freeze. Cold weather causes kale to become very sweet.
Drought Tolerant
Kale can tolerate drought, but the quality and flavor of the leaves will suffer.
Heat Tolerant
Collards are a better choice than kale for hot weather.
Seed Specs
5,625-9,375 seeds/oz (7,500 avg), 90-150M seeds/lb (116M avg).
Seeding Rate
Babyleaf- 116 M seeds/100’ bed (1 lb), 1.6MM seeds/1,000’ bed (10 lbs) using ~1,000 seeds/ ft in 16 rows on a 36” bed. Full Size- 68M seeds/acre (12oz) using 3 seeds/10”, 30” row spacing. M=1,000, MM=1,000,000
Harvest
Harvest full size leaves when desired. Kale flavor sweetens after light frosts. Kale and collards are both very cold hardy, overwintering in most climates to some degree.
Storage
Cool leaves in cold water at harvest and store in plastic in fridge. In late fall, cut the heart of the plant and store just above freezing in a plastic bag for a few weeks.
Pest Info
Kale and collards do not usually suffer too much from pest damage, but they are subject to the same insect pests as cabbage, cauliflower, and broccoli.
  • Insect pests, including cabbage looper, imported cabbage worm, and diamondback moth are largely of the Lepidoptera order and can thus be controlled by Bacillus thuringiensis (such as Dipel DF) and/or spinosad, preferentially in rotation with one another to prevent build-up of resistant individuals. 
  •  Flea beetles chew small holes in the leaves and are most detrimental when plants are young; use row cover (make sure edges are sealed) or application of Pyganic?, neem or capsaicin products to control populations.

Our Famous
Whole Wheat Bread Recipe

Grandma Marilyn's Famous Bread Recipe is VERSATILE! Use it to make cinnamon rolls, pizza, bread sticks, and more.

 View Recipe

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