Kale is a Super Food . . . .

It Really Is A Super Food !!!

1.  Calorie to calorie, Kale has more calcium than milk & more iron than beef.
2.  Packed with vitamins and antioxidants to help fight disease.
3.  The fiber in kale aids digestion & helps lower cholesterol.
4.  Kale improves circulation.
5.  Welcomed addition to soups & salads.  Awesome as oven dried chips.

Like the other members of the cabbage family, in Aruvedic practices, kale is thought to be astringent.  It is respected as a blood purifier.  It helps the liver cleanse the blood.

Kale is an extremely adaptable vegetable, able to overwinter in all but our coldest climates, + withstand some heat, too.  This 'cut and come again' crop is enhanced by frost.

When sowing seeds outside, plant 1 -2 weeks before the last frost date for a late spring to early summer crop.  Plant seeds in the late summer for a fall crop.  Plant in the fall for an early spring crop.  (For the typical home garden, this can be accomplished with 1 seed packet.)

Plant the seeds only a 1/4 inch deep. (Germination will occur in 10 - 14 days.)  Plant 4 seeds every 10 inches, thinning the weakest ones when they are 1 inch tall.


Here is a favorite of our Chef, Trishula, that will be planted at Kashi Atlanta Ashram this Fall :

Kale Italian Lacinato Nero Toscana HEIRLOOM Seeds

Brassica oleracea (Acephala group)

 

62 days. Also known as dinosaur kale, black Tuscan kale, black cabbage, and black palm. Vigorous dark green to black leaves that are traditionally used in soups and stews, or sautéed with olive oil & garlic and tossed with pasta. Delizioso! Planted in the spring, you can harvest the first shoots as tender young salad greens and achieve full-sized plants in two months. See our favorite recipe for Tuscan Kale Pesto on the inside of the packet.
This packet sows two 10-foot rows.

Days to Emerge:10-14 days

Seed Depth:1/4"

Seed Spacing: A group of 4 seeds every 10"

Row Spacing: 18"-24"

Thinning: When 1" tall, thin to 1 every 10"

When to sow outside: 1 to 2 weeks before average last frost and when soil temperatures are at least
60°F, or late summer for fall harvest. In mild climates (USDA zone 7 or warmer), also in fall for winter or early spring crop.
When to start inside: 10 weeks before average last frost.
Harvesting: Young leaves can be harvested at any time. Pick outer leaves periodically. Harvest continues until a hard fall frost. In mild climates, mulch plants well to continue harvesting throughout winter.