7/6/2023 0 Comments Kale seedlings![]() ![]() Here are a few varieties that are cold-resistant (because there’s nothing more soul-crushing than having a crop failure in the dead of winter). This explains why so many red-colored kale varieties made this list! Here’s a fun fact: vegetables that are red or purple contain a pigment called anthocyanin which makes them more resistant to rotting in winter. Generally, curly-leafed kale does better in winter, with quick-growing, fuller bunches. Some cultivars are designed to withstand wintry conditions. Not all types of kale are created equal when it comes to being cold-hardy. Kale is one hardy winter vegetable.Ĭredit: naturalflow / Flickr, kale still surviving The best varieties of kale for winter gardening ![]() Other vegetables that belong to this exclusive cold-resistant club include: beets, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrots, collards, kohlrabi, parsley, spinach, garlic, leeks, radish, mustard, and turnip. However if you live in an area with extended periods of cold below 5 degrees Fahrenheit (-15 degrees Celsius), sorry, you’re out of luck. Kale continues to do fine until soil temperatures hover around 20 degrees Fahrenheit (-6.7 degrees Celsius). Luckily, kale belongs to the hardiest, most cold-tolerant group of vegetables which can withstand air temperatures below 28 degrees Fahrenheit (-2.2 degrees Celsius). But this only applies within an air temperature range of 40-98 degrees Fahrenheit (4.4-36.7 degrees Celsius). There’s an informative article from Oregon State University that says as a general guideline, growth rate doubles every increase of 18 degrees Fahrenheit (7.7 degrees Celsius). When temperatures drop, kale and other cold-tolerant plants don’t die, they just slow down. However, if the same plant had experienced a bit of cold to toughen it up beforehand, it may do just fine. For example, if a plant has been basking in balmy weather for weeks, and the temperatures suddenly drop below 22 degrees Fahrenheit (-5 degrees Celsius), even the most hardiest vegetable may not survive. It’s important to note that a plant’s cold tolerance is dependent on its preconditioning. People are often wondering what the coldest temperature is that kale can tolerate. Your grasshopper friends might be envious of your harvest (sorry, grasshoppers). ![]() Like the old fable of the grasshopper and the ant, doing a bit of extra work lets you reap the benefits of fresh kale to brighten the cold winter months. Growing kale in winter takes a bit of planning and planting (but you already knew that). While there are many different cultivars of kale, some used ornamentally, it most closely resembles its cousin, the cabbage. ![]() Kale ( Brassica oleracea) belongs to the same family which includes cruciferous vegetables such as cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage, and mustard plants. Growing kale in winter is a great way to keep a source of leafy greens all year. Kale is a cold-hardy biennial vegetable that regrows after harvesting, can continue growing throughout winter in milder climates, and continue to produce more tasty leaves come springtime. When other vegetables wilt at the first signs of frost, kale is just finding its stride. Winter gardeners know that a touch of frost turns these leafy greens sweet. While some prefer to plant their kale in early spring to harvest before the peak summer months, others prefer to plant in late summer or early fall for winter harvests. ![]()
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