Kale Premier Blend

Description

Is there any dish that can’t use a flavor and nutrient boost from kale? This blend of ‘Dwarf Blue Curled’, ‘Dwarf Siberian Improved’, ‘Lacinato | Dinosaur’, and ‘Red Russian’ provides a variety of colors, textures, sizes, and flavors. Harvest baby greens in just 25 days and allow some plants to grow to maturity. This frost-hardy crop is a rock star in the garden even as other vegetables are winding down.

Variety Info

Days to Maturity: 25–55 days

• Family: Brassicaceae
• Native: Europe
• Hardiness: Biennial grown as an annual, kale is very cold hardy and may overwinter in milder climates.
• Exposure: Full sun
• Plant Dimensions: If left to grow to maturity, the varieties in this mix will get up to 4′ tall, but for baby greens should be picked at 2″–4″.
• Variety Info: DWARF BLUE CURLED’: 12″-15″ tall, bluish green leaves with curly, frilly edges. ‘DWARF SIBERIAN IMPROVED’: 12″-15″ tall, deep green smooth, rippled leaves with coarsely curled edges. ‘NERO TOSCANA’ LACINATO: 24″-48″ tall, strap like, blistered leaves with curled back edges are very dark blue-green, appearing almost black. Discovered in Tuscany, Italy. ‘RED RUSSIAN’: 24″-36″ tall, flat, smooth, gray-green leaves with wavy margins. Veins and stems are reddish purple. Leaves turn red with cold temperatures. Originally from Siberia.
• Attributes: Frost Tolerant

Sowing Info

• When to Sow Outside: 1 to 2 weeks before your average last frost date, when soil temperature is above 45°F for spring/summer crop; 10 to 12 weeks before your average first fall frost date for fall crop; and in mild climates, fall for very early spring crop.
• When to Start Inside: RECOMMENDED: 4 to 6 weeks before your average last frost date. For a fall crop, start 12 to 14 weeks before your average first fall frost date, transplanting after 4 to 6 weeks. Ideal soil temperature for germination is 65°–85°F.
• Days to Emerge: 5–10 days
• Seed Depth: ¼”
• Seed Spacing: A group of 3 seeds every 18″
• Row Spacing: 24″
• Thinning: When 1″ tall, thin to 1 every 18″

Growing Info

• Harvesting: Outer leaves can be harvested as baby greens when 2″–3″ tall, any time when full-sized beginning with the lowest, or the whole plant can be cut off at ground level at maturity. For fast regrowth, harvest up to only ⅓ of the plant at a time.