How to Grow Chinese Kale
Chinese kale, or Brassica alboglabra, is a plant that more closely resembles broccoli than kale. The stems are longer and the heads are smaller than those of broccoli. Chinese kale and broccoli produce similar large yellow flowers. Commercial growers cultivate Chinese kale as a food crop, and home gardeners also raise it a garden vegetable. The procedure for growing Chinese kale is generally the same for all cool-weather plants in the Brassica genus. Does this Spark an idea?
Other People Are Reading
Instructions
-
-
1
Select a planting site with rich, well-drained soil. The soil pH should be slightly acidic to neutral. Chinese kale grows best in full sun for cooler climates, but it may benefit from afternoon shade in warmer climates.
-
2
Plant Chinese kale whenever you anticipate two months of cool weather, with daytime temperatures between 60 and 65 degrees Fahrenheit. This generally means you should plant Chinese kale in spring for cool climates and fall for warm climates.
-
-
3
Plant the Chinese kale seeds 1 inches deep in the soil. Space the seeds 1 inch apart, and separate the rows by 1 foot. Water the seedbed immediately after planting.
-
4
Water the seedbed often enough to keep the soil moist. The seeds should sprout in about two weeks. Remove the smaller seedlings as they grow to maintain a spacing of about 6 inches.
-
5
Place aged compost around the Chinese kale plants once they reach a height of 6 inches. This keeps dirt off the plant's leaves.
-
6
Harvest the stalks on the plants just before the flowers open, usually within two months after planting. Chinese kale can continue to produce additional stalks as long as the weather remains below 80 degrees Fahrenheit but above freezing.
-
1
