Crops › Kale
How to grow Kale
in the UK
Sow April to July, plant out August, harvest September to March. About 90 days from seed to plate.
Kale, what a cracking veg, especially when it's cold outside. It's easy to grow, proper hardy, and gives you fresh greens when there's not much else about on the plot. To be honest, it's a staple on my allotment and it crops right through the winter months.
Sowing
You can sow kale seeds from April right through to July, either direct into the ground where they'll grow, or like I often do, into modules in the cold frame. Just push 'em down about 1cm deep, give 'em a good drink, and they'll be up in no time. If you're sowing direct, make sure the soil's well prepared first, you know, a nice bit of compost dug in. For a continuous supply, sow a small batch every few weeks. They like a bit of warmth to get going, but not too hot, around 10-20°C is grand.
Growing on
Once your seedlings have got about four to six proper leaves, they're ready to go out. Harden them off first if they've been indoors, mind, especially if it's still a bit nippy. Plant them quite firmly, about 45-60cm apart, as kale gets big, so give it space. You can pop 'em in big containers too if your plot's a bit on the small side, just make sure they've got enough room for their roots.
Looking after it
Kale likes a good drink, especially when it's dry, so keep on top of the watering. A bit of general purpose feed every now and then won't hurt, but to be honest, a good rich soil at planting is usually enough. Keep the weeds down too, they'll just compete for nutrients and water. A bit of mulch around the base helps keep the moisture in and the weeds down.
What goes wrong
The main bother with kale is usually the usual Brassica suspects. Cabbage white butterflies love 'em, their caterpillars can munch through leaves quick smart. Netting is your best bet, really, to keep those butterflies off. Aphids and whitefly can turn up too, a good blast of water can sometimes shift 'em, or if it's bad, a bit of insecticidal soap as a last resort.
Harvest
You'll be picking your first leaves about 90 days after sowing, usually from September onwards. Just snap off the bottom leaves first, that way the plant keeps on growing from the top. The flavour, like I say in the app, actually gets better after a good frost, proper sweetens 'em up. Best picked fresh as needed, but if you've got loads, blanch and freeze 'em for later, like in a winter soup.
I always make sure to plant some kale near my onions on the plot, seems to help keep some of the nasties away, and the kale gets a cracking start.
Dates for your plot
Type the first half of your postcode and the plant-out advice shifts to your area's typical frost dates.
Varieties, and whether the club would grow them again
| Variety | Club verdict |
|---|---|
| Cavolo Nero (Black Tuscan) This one's a classic Italian variety, dark crinkled leaves that look proper smart. Great for a gourmet touch in your cooking and holds up well to the cold. | No club votes yet |
| Dwarf Green Curled A compact type with lovely curly green leaves, very hardy indeed. Perfect if you want reliable harvests through the winter. | No club votes yet |
| Redbor F1 You'll get deep purple-red frilly leaves with this one, looks amazing in the winter garden. It's not just a pretty face though, it tastes good too. | No club votes yet |
| Nero di Toscana This is another Italian beauty, long strap-like dark leaves that really sweeten up after a frost. A proper gourmet choice for those winter soups and stews. | No club votes yet |
| Winterbor F1 Very curly blue-green leaves on this one, it's one of the hardiest kales you can grow. Gives you consistent crops even in the grimmest North East winter. | No club votes yet |
| Red Russian Flat grey-green leaves with distinctive purple veins, this heritage variety is surprisingly tender. A good choice if you prefer a milder kale flavour. | No club votes yet |
| Hungry Gap This variety is a lifesaver, designed to fill that tricky spring gap when not much else is ready. You'll be picking fresh leaves from March right through to May. | No club votes yet |
| Scarlet Vivid purple curly leaves make this one a real showstopper in the winter garden, proper stunning. Sow this one indoors early for best results. | No club votes yet |
| Pentland Brig A cracking Scottish variety, very curly and incredibly hardy, bred for our colder climates. If you're up North, this one's a winner for dependable winter harvests. | No club votes yet |
| Starbor F1 A compact curly type, so it's brilliant if you've got a smaller plot or even want to grow in containers. Still gives you a good crop of tasty leaves though. | No club votes yet |
| Westland Winter This is your traditional tall curly kale, proper old-fashioned and extremely frost hardy. You can rely on it to keep producing all through the coldest months. | No club votes yet |
| Midnight Sun F1 This specialty kale has dark leaves with striking pink midribs, making it very ornamental. It looks fantastic and you can eat it too. | No club votes yet |
Votes are members rating varieties in their Seed Tin, one vote per gardener. Tap a variety for the full page and where to buy.
Buy Kale seeds
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Cook the harvest
This is a proper southern Italian storecupboard supper — punchy, savoury, and on the table in under 30 minutes. Kale wilts into the pasta cooking water to form a silky, garlicky sauce bolstered by melted anchovies and finished with golden, garlicky breadcrumbs for crunch. It is the kind of dish that tastes like you planned it all along.
28 min · easyCaldo verde is Portugal's most beloved soup and kale is completely non-negotiable in it — not a garnish, but the soul of the dish. Silky potato broth is loaded with fine ribbons of kale and slices of smoky chouriço, the whole thing finished with a glug of olive oil. Simple, deeply comforting, and the kind of soup that gets better the next day.
50 min · easySaag paneer is usually made with spinach, but kale — especially the younger leaves you get in autumn — gives the sauce a slightly more robust, mineral flavour that stands up brilliantly to the warm spices. The paneer is fried until golden before being folded into the silky kale sauce, and a final tempering of cumin, garlic, and dried chilli poured over the top finishes it properly.
55 min · mediumKale is a far better Caesar salad green than soft lettuce — it stands up to the bold dressing without wilting and the massaging technique transforms it from tough and chewy into something genuinely silky. Proper jammy soft-boiled eggs, shatteringly crisp Parmesan croutons, and a deeply anchovy-forward dressing make this a main-course salad worth making on a proper occasion.
45 min · mediumWatch for, and grow alongside
Companions: beetroot, onions, potatoes
Questions people ask
When do you sow Kale in the UK?
Sow Kale from April to July. Plant out August, after the last frost.
How long does Kale take from sowing to harvest?
Roughly 90 days, with the harvest September to March.
Which Kale varieties do gardeners grow again?
Club members rate every variety they grow. This page shows the grow-again votes for Cavolo Nero (Black Tuscan), Dwarf Green Curled, Redbor F1, Nero di Toscana and more.
Track your Kale from packet to plate
Sowing reminders and harvest forecasts for your own frost dates, the Seed Tin, Scan Centre for any label or packet, and the Potty Mouth Garden Club. Free to start.
Allotment keeper in the North East of England, the voice behind the Tony C Smith YouTube channel, and the gardener who built GrowMore CookMore. Club numbers on this page update as members log their plots. Last updated 3 September 2026.