Lacinato Certified Organic Kale Vegetables Seeds - West Coast Seeds

PRODUCT DETAILS

Sow Lacinato Organic kale seeds in the spring and early summer. A most elegant looking vegetable, the long, dark green leaves shoot from the central stem like ostrich plumes. A stunning addition to the ornamental vegetable garden, it grows 1m (3') tall with deeply blistered, strap-like leaves that are frost hardy, but tender when cooked. Lacinato is often referred to as Dinosaur Kale due to its large size and distinctive, prehistoric look. It is an heirloom descendent of Mediterranean kale. Plant Lacinato Organic kale seeds in your organic vegetable garden and harvest this popular and nutritious superfood from summer to late fall.

• Upright growth
• Long, strap shaped leaves
• Certified organic seeds
• Nutritious superfood
• Matures in 65 days

All About Lacinato Organic

Latin

Brassica oleracea var. acephala
Family: Brassicaceae

Difficulty

Easy

Season & Zone

Season: Cool season
Exposure: Full sun
Zone: Winter hardy to Zone 6.

Timing

Direct sow in early spring to mid-summer for summer to winter harvests. Or start indoors 4-6 weeks before the last frost, and transplant out as soon as the soil warms up. Optimal soil temperature: 10-30°C (50-85°F). Seeds should germinate in 7-10 days.

Starting

Sow 3-4 seeds 5mm (¼”) deep in each spot you where a plant is to grow. Thin to the strongest plant. Space 45-60cm (18-24″) apart in rows 75-90cm (30-36″) apart.

Growing

Ideal pH: 6.0-6.8. Add lime to the bed 3 weeks prior to sowing. Kale likes well-drained, fertile soil high in organic matter. This plant prefers plentiful, consistent moisture. Drought is tolerable, but quality and flavor of leaves can suffer. Mix ¼ cup of complete organic fertilizer into the soil beneath each transplant, or use 1 cup beneath every 3m (10′) of seed furrow.

Harvest

Kale and collards can both be grown as a cut and come again crop for salad mixes by direct-seeding and cutting baby leaves. They will re-grow if you pick leaves from the bottom up, as you need them. Continue harvesting lower leaves as they mature—plants will keep producing all season. Kale can overwinter in many areas. In fact, the leaves get sweeter after frost, though growth will slow. In spring, the surviving plants start to flower, so eat the delicious flowering steps and buds.

Diseases & Pests

Protect from cabbage moths and other insect pests with floating row cover. Prevent disease with a strict 4-year crop rotation, avoiding planting Brassicas in the same spot more than once every four years.

Companion Planting

All Brassicas benefit from chamomile, dill, mint, rosemary, and sage. Avoid planting near eggplants, peppers, potatoes, or tomatoes, as the acidic soil these plants thrive in can cause problems for Brassicas.