Picking Kale

[tumbling tom]

This is going to sound a bit daft, but when do I start picking my kale leaves.

They have been in the ground about 6 weeks now and are about 50 cm tall.

I have read differing things online from picking the lower leaves early to waiting till January as the frost makes them sweeter.

So which is it?

[WendyC]

If they are big enough and you would eat them, you could start picking when you like. I have other brassicas now so my kale wasn't sown til a few weeks ago and the plants small.

[Coopers]

I wasn't sure either. But today I picked a few of the outer leaves as I couldn't wait any longer

[greenishfing]

Mine are still tiny as I try to plan things so that I get kale in the Winter when there is little else available but if it has grown and you fancy it now............get picking.

[kris1960]

My Sutherland and east friesian kale both have decent sized leaves so have been picking one or two from each plant( there are probably about 20) and they don't seem bothered by it. They taste wonderful.

[chefgage]

With start picking mine as soon as the leaves are about the size of my hand or just a bit smaller. I have just read somewhere that you are supposed to pick the top leaves to encourage the plant to grow side shoots. I have always picked the bigger lower leaves but the plant ends up being a tall plant which is all stalk!! Might try picking the upper leaves as I have read this year

[tumbling tom]

Thanks for the answers guys.

It would be interesting to know if picking from the top does indeed encourage it to bush

[Potstubsdustbins]

Thanks for the reminder............must set some seed tomorrow.

[alldigging]

It would be interesting to take leaves off some plants and leave others intact for winter use only. Just to contrast and compare.