Best time to plant kale in Australia
Brassica oleracea (acephala)
Also called leaf cabbage
Also called leaf cabbage, kale is a group of Brassica oleracea cultivars grown mostly for eating the leaves, with some used as ornamentals. Those leaves may be flat, curly or bumpy, in shades from green to purple. Unlike headed cabbage, the centre stays open rather than forming a head.
On a shared plot: suits a plot
Finishes in a season and stays within its space, so it suits most plots.
When to sow
| Zone | Months | How well checked |
|---|---|---|
| Cool | Jan to Apr | Broadly matches local guides, with some differences |
| Temperate | Aug to May | Matches local guides |
| Subtropical | Mar to Jun | Broadly matches local guides, with some differences |
| Tropical | Mar to Aug | Not yet checked against a local guide |
| Arid | Mar to Aug | Not yet checked against a local guide |
Your local conditions can shift any months shown here, so treat them as a guide.
Growing details
- How to start
- Raise seedlings, then transplant
- Sowing depth
- 12mm
- Plant spacing
- 75cm
- Row spacing
- 45cm
- Height
- 75cm
- Germination
- About 10 days
- Time to harvest
- 60 days from sowing
- Frost
- Hardy, takes a light frost
- Sun
- Full sun
- Life cycle
- biennial, usually grown as an annual
These are typical figures, and varieties differ. Your seed packet takes priority.