Sea kale

Sea kale: plant 45 cm (18 in) apart in the row and 60 cm (24 in) between rows, 1 per square. No known bad neighbours.

Key facts

Spacing in the row	45 cm (18 in)
Between rows	60 cm (24 in)
In a 30 cm (1 ft) square	1 per square
Sun	Full sun, 6–8 hours a day
Root depth	40 cm (16 in)
Height when grown	50 cm (20 in)
Crop rotation group	Herbs, flowers and perennials
Support	None needed

How it is started	From a bought plant, by dividing a clump
Cuttings per planting hole	1
When to plant	Indoors 8 weeks before the last frost; outdoors before the last frost; soil at least 8 °C

Takes transplanting	Only with care, keep the root ball
Hardening off	10–14 days
Life cycle	Perennial
Cold tolerance	Takes a light frost → hardy, takes hard frost
Soil	Rich, with compost, free draining, pH 6–7
In a pot	—
Watering	Water when the soil is dry two fingers down; while growing
Feeding	Moderate; in spring, after harvest
Support and training	None needed; blanch by covering

Open the free planner, drop Sea kale onto a bed and see how many plants fit.

Plant out	Mar–Apr
Harvest	Apr–May

My country Last spring frost where I live

Give the date once and this page, the sowing calendar and the planner all follow it.

Months for a temperate climate: about a month later in the north and a month earlier in the south. Give your own last frost date for exact dates.

Plants of the Brassicaceae family share diseases and pests, so they follow each other in the rotation only after a break.

Crops that need about the same room and care, from another family.

Crops that still have time to grow on the same spot once it is lifted, from another rotation group.