What it is
Kale (Brassica oleracea acephala) is in the Brassicaceae (Mustard) family. Cold actually makes it sweeter. A cut-and-come-again green that can feed you through a Texas winter.
How to grow it
It wants full sun to part shade, water it even, and give it rich, well-drained soil. Target a soil pH around 6.0–7.5. Space plants about 18 in apart. Expect roughly 55–75. Cool-season; frost-sweetened.
How it's used
Kale is used: raw, sautéed, chips, soups.
🔎 How to identify it
- Thick blue-green or curly leaves
- Grows from a central stalk
- Lower leaves picked first
Edibility
PartsLeaves
UsesRaw, sautéed, chips, soups
CautionNone.
🌤 Before you plant: check the live 7-day garden weather to time it right for frost and heat.
Part of the free Texas Roots plant database, compiled by Jordan Polasek from his greenhouse in El Campo, Texas. Free to read and share. If it helped, the best thanks is to grow something.