Kale: Vitamin donor in winter time

Classic or exotic: Kale can do more than just hearty! We give tips on cultivation and show you the best recipes.

The kale (Brassica oleracea var. sabellica) comes from wild cabbage, which in its original form still occurs in some Mediterranean countries and on the English Atlantic coast. The Romans were already growing the vitamin-rich kale in the time before Christ. According to historical literature, Cato described kale as "the very best vegetable" in 235 BC. In the meantime, kale has shed its reputation as poor people's food and is considered a seasonal winter delicacy. Kale is particularly popular in northern Germany as a vitamin-rich side dish for hearty dishes. Some localities even offer public kale meals and vote for kale king and queen every year. Unlike white, blue and Chinese cabbage, the plants can be harvested multiple times. For this purpose, the leaves are harvested from below. Kale is also used in so-called biomonitoring to measure harmful aromatic hydrocarbons. It is particularly used for this at and around airports and petrochemical plants.

Grow kale in your own garden

Like black cabbage and various other types of cabbage, kale is a biennial plant. The kale does not develop its flowers until the second year. The yellowish flowers are slightly reminiscent of rapeseed. Of the Growing kale Having a few tips in your own garden is easy and very rewarding.

Kale feels good in a sunny to partially shaded location. After cultivation, it should not be grown in the same location for the next four years. This avoids infection from diseases that are still in the ground. Green and brown cabbage have very little soil requirements. It needs a nutrient content in the middle, which is why very barren soils with somewhat nutrient-rich organic soil like our Plantura Organic tomato & vegetable soil should be enriched. Alternatively, compost is also suitable. If it is dry it must be watered regularly.

Plant the cabbage outdoors from mid-May to mid-June: It is usually not worth the effort to drive it as it is usually harvested after the first frost. This promotes the aroma. From the beginning of August, the young plants will be transplanted to their final location. Kale requires a relatively large amount of space: depending on the vigor of the kale variety, you should plan with a distance of 35-55cm between the plants and 60cm between the rows. In general, it is important to ensure that the young plants are planted deep enough to prevent possible infestation of the Cabbage fly mitigate. If kale is grown on the balcony, the individual plants must be moved to larger pots from August onwards.

Kale should only be fertilized cautiously. The plant has an increased need for potassium, which is why a fertilizer with a corresponding concentration of potassium such as our Plantura Organic tomato fertilizer should be applied. In the middle of September it should be fertilized one last time.

Kale varieties

You can find an extensive overview of varieties here: Kale: choosing the right variety to grow.

• Vitessa: vigorous variety; half height with deep dark green leaves.
• Half-height green curl: half-height, hardy and proven variety with finely curled leaves.
• Lark tongues: low and very hardy variety with narrow and short leaves; particularly aromatic taste. A traditional variety that, unfortunately, is hard to find on the markets.
• Redbor (F1): very decorative variety with finely curled leaves and a semi-high habit. The leaves have a red-bluish tinge with pink-reddish leaf veins. There are higher-yielding varieties than Redbor, but few that are so visually appealing; well suited for culture on the balcony or terrace.
• Brown cabbage Red kale: New breed with red-brownish leaves, which is particularly valued for its ingredients (flavonoids).
• Winter bor: medium-high-growing variety with strongly curled and green-bluish leaves; tolerates frost particularly well.

Kale: Everything you need to harvest and store

You can harvest from the end of September. Lovers of the tasty green, however, wait until the first frosts. As soon as the temperatures drop, metabolic processes increase the sugar content. Newer varieties generally have a higher sugar content, which is why farmers start harvesting kale even before the first frost. Harvesting can continue even after the first frost. If the temperatures are very low below -10 ° C, the kale must be harvested. Alternatively, you can also leave the heart and some leaves. These sprout in spring - the first tasty vegetables in the new garden year. You will appreciate it. More about Harvest and storage of kale You will find here.

Once harvested, the kale will keep in the refrigerator for a few days. If you have enough, you can also freeze it well. It should be boiled beforehand so that the volume is reduced.

Diseases and pests of kale

In general, kale is a hardy and grateful vegetable. Some pests can still make life difficult for the hobby gardener.

Cabbage white butterfly: The caterpillars of the cabbage white butterfly can eat all the leaves within a short time. As a preventive measure, the plants should be checked regularly for the butterfly's yellow eggs. If there was an infestation of the cabbage white butterfly in your own garden in previous years, bird protection nets can also be stretched over the plant. The cabbage white butterflies are too big for the fine-meshed net.

Whitefly: An infestation with the small flies can be very annoying. These lay the eggs on the underside of the leaves of the kale. The larvae of the whitefly feed on the leaf, thus damaging it and also secreting a sticky liquid. This liquid promotes a fungal attack as a result.

Carbonic hernia: A bad and dreaded fungal disease in cabbage species, in which the roots thicken. The leaves wilt and dry up due to impaired water absorption. It can lead to a total failure. In the private garden, you cannot take chemical action against the clubbed. Preventive measures are important. If the pH value is low, the soil should be improved with 1 kg / m² quicklime or 2 kg / m² carbonate lime. If the infestation occurs, cabbage can no longer be grown at this point in the garden for five, sometimes even ten years. Infested cabbage must not be put on the compost and must be disposed of in the residual waste.

Use and ingredients

In addition to the biomonitoring use mentioned at the beginning, kale was used in a variety of ways in the past. The upper leaves were processed in the kitchen in autumn while the lower leaves were fed to the livestock. During the winter, the kale rose petals were a popular change on the plate. At the beginning of the second year of the site, the buds of the kale represented the first vegetable of the new year. The stalk contains white pulp, which was also processed and eaten. While such a use of the pulp can still be found in grandma's old cookbook, nowadays hardly anyone knows how the pulp can be prepared.

Kale is very rich in vitamin C and vitamin K. In addition, this type of cabbage is rich in fiber. Kale is particularly popular with hearty dishes. In northern Germany it is prepared with a Mettwurst, the so-called Pinkel, or Kassler. Most often, the greens are steamed with onions and garlic for an hour to an hour and a half. The Mettwurst or Kassler is added in the last half to three quarters of an hour.

Kale has also gained a new status in the health food movement. It is often used in the green smoothies to ensure a vitamin-rich start to the day. It is best to combine the kale with bananas and, if you like, with other fruit, put everything in a blender and you have a healthy smoothie at hand.