How do you know when kale is ready to pick?
Before you begin, you’ll need to make sure that your kale plant is ready to harvest. You’ll know when it’s ready when it’s about 12 inches tall and the leaves are the size of your hand or bigger. Leaves that are the size of your palm are younger and more tender whereas the bigger leaves will be older and a bit tougher.
Does kale keep growing after you pick it?
If you harvest kale correctly, the plant will continue to grow and produce leaves. If you harvest it incorrectly, the plant will stop growing. Kale produces leaves on a stem. The leaves grow from the top of the stem and the stem will continue to grow taller and to make more leaves throughout the plant’s life.
How long can you leave kale in the garden?
How often can you harvest kale? Kale plants can typically be harvested 25 to 30 days after planting and can harvest again every four to five weeks throughout the growing season and again in the fall. In cool climate areas, you can continue to harvest kale year round.
Does kale grow back every year?
Kale is a biennial that many people grow as an annual, advises Cornell University. Some varieties of kale are perennial plants that come back year after year.
Why is my kale so small?
At this point you may need to be patient, because spring-planted kale may stay small until slightly warmer soil temperatures trigger vigorous growth. Kale planted in late summer or early fall may sulk through spells of hot weather. Then, when conditions improve, the plants will take off, quickly multiplying in size.
Where do you cut kale leaves?
When choosing where to cut, consider the growth point. On a kale plant, this is the central portion of the plant where stems converge and new growth emerges. To allow new growth, cut the stems above the growth point. To do this, cut just below where the stem connects to the larger leaves.
Is Second year kale good?
A Two-Year Cycle In USDA Hardiness Zones 7-10, biennial kale will continue to produce edible leaves throughout the winter. While the biennial is focused on reproduction in the second year, its edible leaves will not be as tender, so they may be better suited for use in cooking than eating raw.
Can you eat kale after it flowers?
Those tiny flower buds that appear on your kale plants at the end of the season don’t necessarily mean the end of your crop. In fact, just the opposite: the florets are a bonus harvest you can eat, and they turn even sweeter if you’ve had frost.
How do you keep kale fresh after picking?
Wrap the bunch of kale in a layer of paper towels, and store in a supermarket plastic bag or a zip-top plastic bag in the refrigerator crisper drawer. The kale should be in great shape for a week.