Kale Seeds - Red Russian

Minimum Seeds per Packet: 300

Packet Weight: 2g

Planting Season: Spring or Fall

Sowing Method: Direct Seed or Transplant

Seed Depth: 1/2"

Direct Seed Spacing: 1"

Soil Temperature: 50-85 ℉

Days to Sprout: 3-12

Mature Spacing: 18-24"

Sun Requirement: Full Sun to Part Shade

Frost Tolerance: Frost Tolerant

Days to Harvest: 60

When to Seed Kale

For a spring or early summer harvest, start your kale indoors four to six weeks before your last frost date, transplanting the seedlings about three weeks before your last frost date. For a fall harvest, sow your seeds in late July or early August. Kale can also be direct seeded into the garden. Certain frost protectant measures can be used to extend your growing season by several weeks for your fall harvest.  

Where to Plant Kale

Kale will prefer a spot with full sun but can tolerate some shade - especially for spring crops. It will need well-draining, rich soil with a pH between five and seven. To increase the fertility of your soil ahead of planting, mix in two to four inches of compost and add additional high-nitrogen fertilizer if necessary.

Growing Kale

When transplanting, ideally your seedlings will be three inches in height. Plant your seedlings out 18 to 24 inches apart in rows 36 inches apart. You can also direct seed your kale. Plant seeds ½ inch deep and one inch apart, thinning to their mature planting distance. Applying mulch after transplanting (or germination if direct seeding) can help keep weeds in check and hold in moisture. The shallow roots of kale can be easily disturbed by weeding, so it’s best to avoid weeds in the first place! Ensure your seedlings get at least one inch of water per week. 

Harvesting Kale

Kale can be harvested at any size, but established stalks will offer a continuous harvest through the cooler season. The plants should be at least eight inches tall before you start harvesting from them. Using sharp shears, clip off the lower leaves. Harvest no more than ⅓ of the plant at a time.

Kale, Brassica spp.

Pollination, insect; Life Cycle, biennial; Isolation Distance, ½ mile

Kale needs to undergo exposure to winter cold in order to flower and set seed, so in milder climates, fall planting for seed harvest the following summer works great. In very cold climates it might be necessary to dig the plant up, trim the leaves and store in sawdust or sad for planting out in spring after frosts have passed. Mediterranean kales of the Brassica oleracea species will cross with each other as will the Siberian kales, Brassica napus, but the Mediterranean and Siberian varieties will not cross with each other. For good seed genetics, allow several plants of the same variety to flower at the same time. Harvest seed pods when brown and dry.