Kale
One of the hardiest brassicas, surviving frost well and providing pickings through winter when other greens stall.
- Sun
- full sun
- Water
- moderate
- Spacing
- 45cm
- Harvest
- Ready in 55-70 days
- Difficulty
- beginner
- Grows in
- Whangārei / Northland, Auckland, Hamilton / Waikato, Tauranga / Bay of Plenty, Gisborne, Napier / Hawke's Bay, New Plymouth / Taranaki, Palmerston North / Manawatū-Whanganui, Wellington, Nelson, Tasman, Blenheim / Marlborough, West Coast, Christchurch / Canterbury, Dunedin / Otago, Invercargill / Southland
- Expected yield
- Repeated leaf pickings over winter and spring
- Cost to grow
- ~$6 NZD
- Grocery value
- ~$35 NZD
- Companion plants
- Potatoes, Beetroot, Onions, Herbs
- Plants to avoid nearby
- Strawberries, Tomatoes
- Common diseases
- Clubroot
- Common pests
- Cabbage white butterfly caterpillar, Aphids
When to plant by region
In Whangārei / Northland, Auckland, Tauranga / Bay of Plenty, Gisborne and Napier / Hawke's Bay: January-May. In Hamilton / Waikato, New Plymouth / Taranaki, Palmerston North / Manawatū-Whanganui, Wellington, Nelson and Tasman: January-April. In Blenheim / Marlborough, West Coast and Christchurch / Canterbury: January-March. In Dunedin / Otago and Invercargill / Southland: January-February.
Growing stages
Germination & sowing
- Sow direct or as seedlings; germinates readily in the cooler months this crop is typically grown in
- A full-sun position helps establish strong, hardy growth that will carry the plant through winter
Seedling & establishment
- Cabbage white butterfly caterpillars and aphids can target young leaves; netting helps protect seedlings early on
- Clubroot can affect roots in poorly drained or acidic soil, though kale copes better with this than most brassicas
Vegetative growth
- One of the more trouble-free brassicas once established, though clubroot can still affect roots in poorly drained or acidic soil
- Survives frost well, and cold weather is often said to improve the flavour of the leaves
Harvest55-70 days from sowing, then ongoing
- Pick outer leaves regularly right through winter when other greens stall
- Keep checking regrowth for caterpillars and aphids