Success with sea kale?

[Seahorse]

In the general excitement of seed ordering, I bought a packet of sea kale without doing any research (in fact I have a horrible feeling I also ordered some from another site too!). It arrived this morning with instructions to plant asap, as it had been kept in cold storage. So, while my daughters merrily dived into the compost, I looked it up, only to find a distinct lack of info. Worse still, most of what I did find was rather negative! I gather it should be treated in a similar way to aspargus but is quite hard to grow and is not to everyone's palate

Anyone have a success story with growing it? Hints, tips etc?

Any info gratefully recieved!

[Snadger]

I grew a few plants from seed sown last year. They are in heavy soil and are looking a bit sick to be honest!

If you look at their natural habitat which is on shingle beaches it may give you a clue as to how to grow them!
If miy one remaining plant survives the winter I intend digging it up and replanting it in a hole filled with pea gravel and sand. Hopefully this will make it perk up and I may even sprinkle a bit of salt around it (similar to what is done with beetroot, which is another coastal plant)

[Seahorse]

That sounds very reasonable Snadger! I knew they were coastal plants and I don't think it will be hard to plant mine near water, should they get that far but an allotment drainage ditch isn't quite the same as the sea, is it!? I like the idea of sand/pea gravel.

I've just looked up my orders and I *did* buy another packet as well Looks like I'll have plenty of options to experiment, anyway

I never knew beetroot was a coastal plant btw - very interesting!

[piskieinboots]

I never knew beetroot was a coastal plant btw - very interesting!

me neither - thanks Snadger

[veg4681]

In the general excitement of seed ordering, I bought a packet of sea kale without doing any research (in fact I have a horrible feeling I also ordered some from another site too!). It arrived this morning with instructions to plant asap, as it had been kept in cold storage. So, while my daughters merrily dived into the compost, I looked it up, only to find a distinct lack of info. Worse still, most of what I did find was rather negative! I gather it should be treated in a similar way to aspargus but is quite hard to grow and is not to everyone's palate

Funny you should mention Seakale Seahorse. I just received a catalogue from Marshall and in there a lovely picture of Seakale and me thinking, I could eat that! I like the fact that it's a perennial veg. BTW they're priced at £9.65 for 5 thongs but I doubt I'd have the patience to grow from seeds.
Hope you'll have great success with them as I may consider growing that myself too.

me neither - thanks Snadger

Me neither, beetroot a coastal plant?

[Snadger]

Oh Yea of little faith!!!

Beetroot sowing and seed, beetroot care and cultivation - page 2

Go to the bottom of the page!

[Skotch]

I have 2 SK plants which I bought last year as slips. Planted them and left them to do their thing. Took off the leaves as thery turned yellow and mulched the crowns before Christmas. They are now sitting with buckets (and brick on top) and hopefully by the end of Feb I will be in a better position to say whether the experiement has been worth it. I read somewhere recently that if growing from seed, allow an extra year for the plants to establish themselves, so I would suggest they are planted in a corner where they won't get disturbed or need moving

Skotch

[Seahorse]

14 days on and two seeds out of 18 have germinated - I shall coax and cossett them as best I can!

[mana22@peak.org]

In the general excitement of seed ordering, I bought a packet of sea kale without doing any research (in fact I have a horrible feeling I also ordered some from another site too!). It arrived this morning with instructions to plant asap, as it had been kept in cold storage. So, while my daughters merrily dived into the compost, I looked it up, only to find a distinct lack of info. Worse still, most of what I did find was rather negative! I gather it should be treated in a similar way to aspargus but is quite hard to grow and is not to everyone's palate

Anyone have a success story with growing it? Hints, tips etc?

Any info gratefully recieved!

I am wanting to buy sea kale seeds in the usa or find a country that can ship them to me in Oregon. Thank you if you can help me.