Curly Kale

[HayleyB]

I'm giving up on caulis and cabbages - they are so cheap to buy and to grow such a pain. My savoys are nets although I might get to eat a few of them now the birds are keeping sluggies away. And after hours of picking off caterpillars and nurturing my caulis most have got black stuff on the curds and will probably end up in the chooks.

Now towards the end of last year I sowed a few curly kale in the conservatory and the seedlings are surviving well so I aim to plant out in spring.

Please, please, please tell me that slugs and Cabbage whites steer clear of Kale.

It worked with the Swiss Chard which has even survived to now but problem is I have found I don't like the stuff. But I do like Kale.......

[Two_Sheds]

Cabbage whites, whitefly, mealy aphid and pigeons will all eat kale. It's still a brassica, so attracts the same pests as cabbage does.
Slugs will eat any small, weak plant, whatever it is.

It's a constant battle against the pests

[Garyw]

Hayley was antislug measures have you tried?

[SlugLobber]

My ONE germinating Curly Kale (well, maybe the others were eaten before I spotted them), is STILL not flourishing, despite a cloche. I might join you and give up, too. I certainly haven't bought any seeds this time round. Two packets is quite enough, I think!

[Nicos]

It's one plant I seem to be able to grow

The batch in UK are under fleece ( cos they are on a a brassica patch, and here are just open to the elements.
Have to say though that I bought a tray of seedlings - so skipped the most vulnerable stage!
For the price of the seedlings , they've been exceptional value- 6 plants in all ...and they just go on and on and on!!!!

[Two_Sheds]

Now towards the end of last year I sowed a few curly kale in the conservatory and the seedlings are surviving well so I aim to plant out in spring...

Um, are you a bit premature?
Kale is sown in spring for planting out in summer, for cropping over winter. I think you've confused 'em
RHS: Grow your own Veg

[Two_Sheds]

My ONE germinating Curly Kale..., is STILL not flourishing, despite a cloche.

but ... nothing is growing at the moment. Too cold, too dark. Don't give up. Sow it at the right time, and you might be surprised how good it is for eating in the dark days of December and Jan.

[lynda66]

i grew some last year, it's still going, i keep taking leaves off for the chooks and bunny (it doesn't do it for me, but they love it) ...... there have been a few slugs sat on the plants, but in comparison to the broccoli there has been just the odd nibble ....... i'm gonna grow loads for them this year ....... they've started getting new leaves too, despite the weather.

oh and i grew some black cabbage too, the slugs haven't bothered with that really either.

[Two_Sheds]

oh and i grew some black cabbage too, the slugs haven't bothered with that really either.

Cavolo Nero / Nero De Toscana / BLACK CABBAGE

It's lovely, but my crop this year was poor (pigeons, whitefly)

[lynda66]

cavolo nero that's the one, i only grew it for OH, but he wasn't keen, haven't had any problems with pigeons since asbo caught one of the wood pigeons, i rescued it and it flew off in a cloud of feathers, for some strange reason they haven't been back in the garden since

[kate&rob]

i'm glad you posted on here two sheds, i've got some seed to plant for this year and reading the first few posts i thought i'd missed the sowing time! i'll be planting mine under enviromesh as i did all my brassicas last year, a god send against pests, but unfortunately not the slugs.

[Flummery]

I love kale - I do much better with it than with cabbages (except spring cabbage). I do have to protect from pigeons though. They love it too! I also do well with chard - even the pigeons don't like that but we both love it - it seems to go on forever too.

[HayleyB]

Kale it is then, I do use organic slug pellets but I'm aiming to use slugs and caterpillars as chook food so might have to stop that, will probably get enviromesh though and give it a bash, my chard has even survived the frosts so maybe I'll be as successful with Kale. Cavolo Nero makes good 'seaweed' which we love.....

[lynda66]

my kale has had no protection and it's been under snow, and heavy frosts that killed off the rest of the turnips, and it's still going

[gojiberry]

I usually find that the cabbage whites leave curly kale alone but they did go for westphalian kale which has leaves more like cabbage. Still managed to keep them at bay and have a good crop at present.


Ian