Kale

Nutritious & Delicious Kale

Today, it's nearly impossible to read something about nutrition or cooking and not come across kale.  What is kale? The kale vegetable is a nutrition superfood that you can grow in your own backyard.  Growing kale is incredibly easy and beneficial to your health. 

What is kale good for? There is an almost endless list of the nutritional benefits to eating kale. Kale is a low-calorie food which is high in fiber.  It is full of vitamins, minerals and powerful antioxidants that provide countless benefits to your body. Though kale is sometimes thought to have a bitter taste, there are many different varieties to try. Purple kale and Red Russian Kale are just two of our most popular kale plants.  With all of the health benefits kale provides, it’s worth investing the time to find a kale vegetable that works for you.

The kale vegetable is a hearty plant that can be planted anytime.  It prefers temperatures between 20° and 80°F, so you may need to adjust your garden location depending on your planting season.  In the warmer Arizona summers, you will have more success growing kale in partial shade, or in a container where you can adjust the location. In the cooler winter months, full sun is preferred. The kale vegetable needs regular watering.  Space your plants 12-24 inches apart when planting. 

Kale Vegetable Facts:

Type: Annual
Height: Varies by type
Bloom Time: Varies
Sun-Shade: Full Sun
Soil Condition: Rich, Well-drained Soil

At SummerWinds Nursery, we offer a number of kale (Brassica oleracea) varieties to choose from. including these local favorites listed below.

Local Kale Favorites:

• Curly Kale (A) – (Brassica oleracea Acephela) Green tightly curled leaves. This kale has a mild flavor and is good for salads and chips .
  
  
• Dwarf Blue Curled Kale (B) – (Brassica oleracea var. sabellica) This is a compact plant with blue-green leaves that are tightly curled.  This kale vegetable is good in salads or cooked.
  
  
• Lacinato/Dinosaur/Toscano Kale (C) –(Brassica oleracea ’Lacinato Dinosaur’/‘Toscano’) Dark green slightly crinkled leaves, great for kale chips.
  
  
• Purple Kale: Purple kale is popular for its color, texture and flavor!  Purple kale is available in edible and ornamental (decorative; not edible) varieties. 
  
  At SummerWinds Nursery, we offer these great edible purple kale varieties:
• Redbor Kale (D) – (Brassica oleraceae 'Redbor')
• Red Russian Kale (E) – (Brassica oleracea ‘Red Russian’)

---

At SummerWinds Nursery, we offer this great ornamental purple kale:

• Purple Ruffle Kale (F) – (Brassica oleracea 'Purple Ruffles') This ornamental variety is decorative only and is not edible.