Kale is a cold-hardy crop producing "greens" high in nutritive value.
It not well adapted to hot weather. Best quality is produced where summers are cool or when it is grown
into the fall or winter. Varieties of kale "greens" are of two types. Scotch types have
gray-green and very curled and crumpled leaves while Siberian types are blue-green and less
curled. Both dwarf and tall types are available with the dwarf types being preferred. Collards are similar in nutritive value but much more
tolerant of warm weather.
COLLARD VARIETIES (approximately 60-80 days depending on planting date and
variety).
Blue Max, Georgia Southern, Heavi-crop, Top Bunch, Vates. For trial: Morris Heading, Carolina, and
hybrids: Hi Crop, Green Glaze (some resistance to
imported cabbage worm, diamondback moth, and cabbage looper reported).
KALE VARIETIES (approximately 50-60 days).
Vegetable Kale: Darkibor, Dwarf Siberian, Vates Blue Curled, Dwarf Curled Scotch.
For trial: Blue Ridge, Dwarf Green Curled, Improved Vates, Redbor, Starbor,
Tall Scotch, Vates Dwarf Blue.
Chinese Kale (also known as Chinese broccoli), also called Gai Lohn or Kailaan: This vegetable is
more like broccoli, except the fleshy stalk is harvested with tender leaves and eaten just as the
flowers begin to open (grown like broccoli, see file on broccoli): Gai Lohn, Green Lance
Hybrid.
Broccolini: a hybrid of standard broccoli (Brassica oleracea var. italica)
with Chinese kale (Brassica oleracea var. alboglabra), which resembles
long, slender broccoli side shoots that are nearly ready to flower. The flavor has been described as similar to broccoli but sweeter and less
pungent or as resembling asparagus. This hybrid was developed by Sakata Seed Co. and is grown and marketed exclusively in the
United States by Mann Packing Co. and Sanbon LLC of California.
Flowering, or ornamental kales (sometimes called flowering
cabbage): Nagoya Red, Nagoya White, Red Pigeon, White Pigeon. For trial: Sekito
Rose Bouquet, White Lady. These may be marketed
as garnishes in salad bars or as ornamental plants.
Novelty: Walking Stick Cabbage (kale). Used to make walking sticks with character!
Thompson & Morgan Seed Co., POB 1308, Jackson, NJ 08527, provides seed and instructions.
SEEDING
Collard and kale seed numbers about 144,000/lb.
Plant seed 0.5 inch deep. Use hot-water treated seed and fungicide treat seed
to protect against
several serious seed-borne diseases. Hot water seed treatments are very
specific (122 F exactly,
for 25 to 30 minutes; the wet seed then quickly cooled and dried). The seed
treatments are best
done by the seed company, and can usually be provided upon request.
For collards, seed the spring crop in April, fall crop in July. If direct seeding, space
rows 2 to 3 feet apart with 4 seeds
per foot, 2-4 lb seed/acre. When plants are 2-3 inches tall, thin them to a spacing of 12 to 24
inches apart. If transplanting, transplant when the plants are 6-8 inches tall and plant 12,000 to 14,000 plants/acre.
For kale, seed a spring crop as early as possible and seed a fall crop from July to
early August. Space 1-3 feet
between rows and 3-10 inches between plants. Use
3-5 lb
seed/acre of
"Scotch", and 1.5 lb/acre of "Siberian" types (see above for descriptions).
Most kale in the Willamette Valley is now transplanted using greenhouse-grown plugs.
SOIL
Well-drained loams relatively high in organic matter are suitable for
collards and kale. Cover crops may
be turned under to maintain organic matter. The desirable pH is between
5.5-6.5. If the pH is
too high, manganese is frequently unavailable which results in a chlorotic
condition of the leaves. If the pH is too low, an application of lime is recommended.
FERTILIZER
The following recommendations are general. It is advisable to have a
soil test done for each field
to be planted. For more information on fertilization and lime requirements
for collards, kale, and other
cole crops, see Broccoli.
Nitrogen: 60-100 (N) lb/acre (1/2 at planting and 1/2 at thinning)
Phosphorus: 80-120 (P205) lb/acre
Potassium: 60-120 (K20) lb/acre
Sulfur: 30-50 (S) lb/acre
Boron: 0-4 (B) lb/acre
Magnesium: As indicated by soil test (may need 60-120 lbs MgO per
acre)
Copper, boron, and zinc - as indicated by soil test.
IRRIGATION
Maintain uniform soil moisture for tender growth and maximum use of soil
nutrients. As much
as 12-14 inches of water may be needed. Soil type does not affect the amount
of total water needed, but does dictate frequency of water
application. Lighter soils need more frequent water applications, but less
water applied per
application.
HARVESTING AND HANDLING
The University of California-Davis has a file on Minimal
Processing of Fresh Vegetables that discusses film wrapping and other topics.
An approximate yield for collards is about 150 cwt/acre. Collards
are considered to be mature
when a large rosette of leaves form in the crown of the plant. The plants may
be harvested by
machine or cut by hand. Grade the harvested plants by removing decayed or
damaged leaves.
Generally four wrapper leaves are left on to protect the center rosette.
Kale leaf yield can be as much as 400 cwt/acre. Kale can be harvested three ways:
whole plant, bunched leaves, or "stripped" leaves. "Stripped" kale is pre-packaged for fresh
market. In all methods, yellow or damaged leaves must be removed before packing. Whole plant harvest in not
currently practiced in Oregon. Kale in Oregon is usually harvested on demand 2-4 times over a 4-month period but
leaf harvest may be done weekly when demand is high. A skilled laborer can harvest and bunch 4 boxes/hour.
Yields are about 3200 dozen 1-lb bunches/acre.
STORAGE (Quoted or modified from USDA Ag. Handbook 66 and other sources)
Leafy greens such as collards, kale, rape, Swiss chard, and beet greens are
handled like spinach.
Because of their perishability, they should be held as close to 32 F as
possible. At this
temperature, they can be held for 10 to 14 days. Relative humidity of at
least 95 % is desirable to
prevent wilting. Air circulation should be adequate to remove heat of
respiration, but rapid air
circulation will speed transpiration and wilting. Satisfactory precooling is
accomplished by
vacuum cooling or hydrocooling. These leafy greens are commonly shipped with
package and
top ice to maintain freshness. Research has shown that kale packed in
polyethylene-lined crates
and protected by crushed ice keeps in excellent condition for 3 weeks at 32 F
but only 1 week at
40 F and three days at 50 F. Vitamin content and quality are retained better
when wilting is prevented.
PACKAGING
Collards are packaged in bushel baskets, crates and cartons, 24 pack,
23-24 pounds; 1.4-bu, 23-24 pounds; or crates and cartons, 12-24 bunches.
Kale is commonly packaged 1 or 2 dozen bunches/box. Bunches are 4-8 leaves or about 1 lb each.
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