Kale
Brassica oleracea (Acephala)
Frost makes it sweeter; it often keeps producing into winter.
Hardiness: zones 2 to 11
Light: full sun to part shade
Size: about 2 ft tall, 2 ft wide
Harvest: June to December
From: Mediterranean
Here: Hardy in the Lake Erie shore climate (zone 6b to 7a), so it can live outdoors in the ground.
Good for: food.
Native to: Temperate Europe, Mediterranean. Hardy in zones 2 to 11.
The story
Kale is the cabbage that never formed a head, grown across northern Europe since the Middle Ages as a winter staple; Scots had a kailyard behind every cottage and Portuguese cooks shred it into caldo verde. Frost turns its starch to sugar.
Planting
Full sun or part shade, rich soil; sow or set out in spring and again in midsummer for the best crop, the autumn one. Space 18 inches.
Growing
Water steadily, mulch, and feed with compost. Pick off cabbage worms by hand or cover with netting.
Harvest and use
Pick lower leaves from the bottom up any time; the sweetest come after frost, and plants stand through winter in many places.
What to watch for
Cabbage worms, aphids clustered in the crinkles, and flea beetles on seedlings.
See if Kale fits your yard
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More annual vegetables, herbs and grains
General guidance, not professional advice. Conditions vary by yard and year; for local specifics ask your county extension office. Never eat a wild plant you cannot identify with certainty. Traditional uses are shared as history, not medical advice. © 2026 Sean Priest · Irie Orchard. Terms & credits · Privacy · Home