Perennial kale

[Buzz Foster]

Hello everyone. To cut a long story short, I started 'veg gardening' last year when the covid stuff started, and put in lots of spuds. Watering was required daily as they were in black tubs, and the results were poor (so I don't want to try again!). Anyway, someone suggested I try perennial kale, instead (in my tubs) as they just keep giving. Great...but I can't find any! I've tried 16 websites and all are out of stock. Can anyone offer some links where there is stock, please? Thanks. Seems Daubenton's kale is best, but I can't find ANY perennial kale, let alone that one.

[Bren In Pots]

Hello and welcome to the vine Buzz

I've found Taunton Kale plants for sale here, not actually what you wanted but the closest I found.

https://www.pennardplants.com/proddetail.php?prod=Ed581

Hope this helps.

[Fat Tattie]

I got my ones from eBay, try there

[Buzz Foster]

Bren, thanks, I'll order a couple. Apparently, you can root a leaf to grow your own stock.

I forgot all about ebay! I'll have a look, thanks.

[Snoop Puss]

Hello and welcome, Buzz. Good luck finding what you're after.

[Bren In Pots]

Buzz you'll have to let us know how you get on with your Kale.

[Buzz Foster]

Just an update. Ebay orders were a bit of a nightmare. THREE didn't turn up (lost in post) and when seven finally did they were virtually dead. However, after encouragement from the sellers, and in bitter frosts, I potted them up and left them outside as advised. To my amazement, and after some six weeks, they have picked up and are now looking fairly healthy for cuttings. I still cannot believe that a plant cutting has sprung to life left in such cold conditions. Evidently kale is extremely robust, and not matching my experience of normal flower and plant cuttings at all. I will leave them for a few weeks, and then put them into their large pot homes.

Thanks again for your help and advice.

[Bren In Pots]

Buzz after a bad start it sound like your plants are going to be fine

[MelanieSW]

That sounds good! They are indeed a rather hardy winter veg, and so useful.
I grow Daubentons and Taunton Deane, the Daubentons cuttings usually take a bit longer to get going, the Taunton Deane you just point at some soil and it takes off . Suddenly you have a kale hedge.
They sulk a bit when being moved. As most of the cuttings take, I now usually put them straight into the ground in their permanent spot.

[Babru]

Wow, sounds like they're hard to kill! If they taste good too, that would be amazing.

[Teds Mum]

They are killable, I lost one plant through persistent drought plus snail attack but the other two pulled through. Replaced with a cutting.

[CurlyGreen]

I managed to find 5 Perennial Kale type things on ebay. I'm not very good at just getting one sort of anything :-) The first ones to arrive were one Daubenton and one Taunton Dean in pots. The instructions said to keep inside the house! I thought they must be mad. And a few days later Daubenton was covered in grey aphids. And got chucked outside unceremoniously after an orgy of aphid squashing. Complained and the seller offered to refund or send another. I suspect if I leave it out it will be fine though.

Then a Purple Tree Collard arrived. Probably the finest looking of the bunch.

Finally today two rather sad Panache Daubenton cuttings. The courier seems to have hung on to them for a week. These were plain cuttings so I have jabbed in pots outside. The leaves are very yellow but I guess as long as they can still root they may still be ok. I've let the seller know but it isn't their fault really. At least this seller said to put outside.

It's a nightmare growing Kale around here so will be interesting to see if I can get them established past all the pigeons, caterpillars and slugs.

Hopefully there are still cuttings available on ebay Buzz and I didn't buy them all!