Kale
Dates below are counted from the average last spring frost or the average first fall frost. Enter a ZIP in the calendar for NOAA 1991–2020 station averages, or pick a zone and use the zone table.
When to plant
Soil and site
Rich soil with plenty of nitrogen — compost generously at planting. pH 6.0–7.0.
Seedlings
Ready to transplant at 4–6 weeks with 4 true leaves. Harden off over 5–7 days, and bury the stem to the first leaves.
In the garden
The workhorse green. Watch for cabbage worms early; row cover at transplant stops the moths entirely.
Picking
Pick lower leaves and let the crown keep producing. Flavor sweetens dramatically after hard frost.
Harvest
First harvest is about 55–65 days after transplanting. The picking window often runs about 12 weeks.
Pick lower leaves and leave the crown. Flavor is sweeter after a hard frost.
Preserving
USDA's tested pressure-canning method for spinach and other greens is the one to use for kale. It is not a boiling-water process. Follow the linked tables.
National Center for Home Food Preservation: Spinach and other greens →Freeze kale with the NCHFP method for greens, including the blanch on that page.
National Center for Home Food Preservation: Freezing greens →Dry leaves with the NCHFP drying guide, then condition them so leftover moisture does not mold the jar.
National Center for Home Food Preservation: Drying fruits and vegetables →Canning, pickling, and fermenting notes here are summaries of tested USDA and National Center for Home Food Preservation methods. Times, pressures, and amounts live only on those pages. This site does not publish home-invented processing times.
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Dates by zone
These pages turn the same frost offsets into calendar dates for each zone the calendar covers.