• DELIVERY INFO: Now taking pre-orders for Spring Plants for 2024. Bare-Rooted Fruit plants will be shipped in Dec/Jan. See FAQs for further info.
red russian kale

Kale – Red Russian

£5.99

This is one of our favourites!

You get really lovely tones of colour on this kale plant as it grows, making it a very attractive addition to your veg patch and of course, it’s super healthy and easy to grow. We’re sure you will enjoy it just as much as we do! Growing kale is very easy from plug plants – just pop them in the ground and keep them well watered. It is best to net them to protect from birds and butterflies, but full growing advice is in the guide included with your plug plants and makes it super simple.

Number of plants: 10 plug plants

Variety: Red Russian (organic*)

In the kitchen: Red Russian Kale is the sweetest of the kale types. An incredibly nutritious vegetable, it can be enjoyed steamed, baked in a gratin or used in stir-fries, stews or even smoothies.

THESE PLANTS WILL BE SHIPPED IN SPRING 2024

Delivery Info: Please see FAQs for up-to-date delivery info.

Planting Advice: Plant plugs approx 30-40cm apart. Protect from slugs and cover with insect proof netting to protect from cabbage white butterflies and pigeons.

Harvesting: Harvest individual kale leaves throughout the season and the plant will keep growing for months. Or harvest an entire head of kale once mature in late autumn/winter.

*Transplants suitable for organic growing.

Kale

Choose a sunny site with fertile soil

A sunny spot with fertile & moisture-retentive soil is ideal. Partial shade is ok too. Add plenty of compost or organic matter before planting.

Kale

Raised beds or a traditional veg patch

Kale is best grown in raised beds or a well dug veg patch. You could plant curly kale in pots or planters as this is a small plant, but Red Russian Kale and Cavolo Nero are better suited to growing in beds.

Kale

How far apart

Plant Curly Kale about 20-25cm apart, and Red Russian Kale and Cavolo Nero about 30-40cm apart.

Kale

Protect with a brassica collar

You can make these easily out of cardboard. Cut a 10cm diameter disc, cut into the centre and make a slit so that you can pop it around the base of the plant. This is to prevent cabbage root fly larvae from hatching by the base of the plant and burying under the soil to eat the roots.

Kale

Net against pigeons and butterflies

Pigeons love brassica plants and will easily destroy a crop of young plants in a morning. Meanwhile, cabbage white butterflies are attracted to brassicas and lay eggs on the leaves. When the eggs hatch, the caterpillars are quick to nibble away the leaves and strip the plant bare. To protect against both these pests, cover plants with fine mesh netting or horticultural fleece.

Kale

Water well

As weather warms up it is important to keep kale cool and to give the plants enough water. Try to keep the soil consistently moist rather than allowing it to dry out. During dry spells, water well, once or twice a week.

Kale

When to harvest

You can harvest leaves as they grow for a continuous crop throughout the season. Pull the leaves downwards at the stem to harvest. Start with the larger leaves towards the base of the plant (particularly for cavolo nero which keeps producing new leaves at the top of the plant – the others are a little more bushy so you can take your pick!) You should be able to keep the plant going through autumn and sometimes through winter too.

Pigeons

Pigeons will eat the foliage right down to the ribs/veins. Keep plants netted if you have a lot of pigeons around.

Caterpillars

Lots of holes appearing in leaves is a sure sign of caterpillars. They soon grow, and the holes grow too. Check the underside of leaves and you may see tiny eggs – wipe them off with kitchen paper – or caterpillars themselves. Keep plants netted against butterflies.

Slugs & Snails

Protect plants well from slugs, especially when they are young and vulnerable. Beer traps work well and you may need to to do a dusk patrol with a head torch and bucket to remove slugs if they get really bad!

Club Root

Cabbage flies lay eggs at the base of brassica plants. When the eggs hatch, the larvae bury into the ground and feed on the roots. The plants eventually wilt and die. Prevention is key – use brassica collars (see growing advice section)

Bolting/Early Flowering

Sometimes, if the plants get too hot or too dry, they can bolt and start producing flowers. To avoid this, keep them well watered and cool in hot/dry weather. A mulch really helps. If they do start to bolt, you can harvest the broccoli-like spears and cook them up as well.

Symptom Checker

Leaves eaten entirely apart from veins = Pigeons (or a lot of caterpillars)

Holes eaten in leaves – no slime trail = Caterpillars

Holes eaten in leaves with slime trails = Slugs/Snails

Stunted growth/wilting = Cabbage root fly or Club Root

Flowering = Too hot/dry

Storage Tips

Harvest kale as you want to eat it – it will store in the fridge for a few days, but is much better cooked fresh.

Ways to cook

We quite like cooking up a super kale and potato hash with a poached egg for brunch. A great start to the day!

Recipe Idea

Coming soon..

Do I need to sign for them?
All our plug plant orders are dispatched with an overnight courier* to mainland UK and do not need to be signed for when they are delivered, but will be left somewhere safe. When placing your order, please let us know where you would like the plug plants left if you are not in when the courier delivers.

We will keep you posted
You will receive an email approximately a week before your order is dispatched and another on the day your plug plants are packed and leave us so you know to expect and prepare for their arrival.

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