Topic: curly kale and broccoli

[Borlotti]

curly kale is doing well, from a packet of reduced seeds.  Not sure that we liked it, but read the health benefits, so chopped the stems off and chopped it fine and it tasted good.  Have had it 3 days running as nothing much else, apart from a few courgettes (will be glad when they finish).  The broccoli seems covered in little white insects when I hit the plants, but I will leave it as last year I pulled it up and other peoples seemed to do OK.  Just chucked a few slug pellets around today as it was a bit wet.  Have done well with some things this year so think the allotment has paid for itself, in strawberries, raspberries, beans, peas, courgettes etc. etc. 

[small]

It's my first time for curly kale, only tried it cos the seeds were free, been a huge success and we absolutely love it. But it takes an age to prepare, first it was the caterpillars hiding in curly bits and now it's the aphids, like a cloud when you shake them, but worth doing for the taste and most especially the texture. To think I've gardened for 40 years and missed such a treat! I don't know how long it lasts, does it go through a mild winter?

[AlanO]

We keep our plants under mesh to keep the butterflies and bugs off. The White fly can be kept in check, but not eradicated, with regular blasts of water to the underside of the leaves (useful if you have a gun type nozzle on your hosepipe).

[lottie lou]

I grew red kale last year.  NOTHING but nothing touched it.  Ate it through the winter - a bit strong but nice.  Growing this year, red kale, a cavalo nero (both bug, pigeon and slug free) and a daubentons that was gifted by Galina, I think, at an A4A get together.  All three over winter well. 

Think white fly can be caught on yellow sticky traps or so I have heard.

[pumkinlover]

It's my first time for curly kale, only tried it cos the seeds were free, been a huge success and we absolutely love it. But it takes an age to prepare, first it was the caterpillars hiding in curly bits and now it's the aphids, like a cloud when you shake them, but worth doing for the taste and most especially the texture. To think I've gardened for 40 years and missed such a treat! I don't know how long it lasts, does it go through a mild winter?

The varieties which I have grown survive most winters. Pigeons get desperate and hammer it in a bad winter.

[ed dibbles]

I find aphids don't go for the plain leaved kales and they taste just as good. The tender new shoots in spring are just ambrosia!

Southerland kale from Real Seeds is a real find - pest resistant, hardy, with an exemplary taste.

But glad you found this wonderful vegetable at last.

Sometimes called borecole (farmers cabbage) and traditionally fed to cattle. The cows were actually being better fed then the humans!

[Silverleaf]

Kale is delicious! :) Both my rabbit and dog are quite keen too.

[Borlotti]

I will make a note to buy Southerland Kale, sounds good to me.  Thanks for the tip.

[Humbug carrot]

We grew kale for the first time this year .I have always been put off growing it because of the white fly that  infect my winter brassicas every year. However, this year I acquired a large piece of insect mesh, and grew them under it ,which has certainly reduced the problem,although some of the blighters still got in.
Picked the first last week and although we would not want to eat lots of it at once,(it is quite strong tasting) hopefully it will keep us in green through the winter, following our sprout disaster.

[strawberry1]

my southerland kale got hammered with whitefly, absolutely choked with it and also catterpillars. I have pulled it out and will not grow it again

[Digeroo]

White fly does not like washing up liquid, I spray with a week solution of Fairy.

I like the new young leaves of kale, I leave the bigger ones to feed the plant.

I personally prefer the Russian kale it has a much milder taste and only a rare plant gets white fly.  Very winter hardy.  It tends to self seed so I have lots of it all over the place.  Acts as a green manure as well.

[strawberry1]

I spray with garlic water plus washing up liquid but this year did not do any companion planting. Marigolds will be out in force next year. I still have one southerland and 3 dwarf curly kale on the allotment. I gave up on the black tuscan ones as the leaves just had a narrow channel up the back and the whiteflies got well tucked in. I am not that fond of kale but grow it because it is a good beneficial foodstuff. It juices very well btw and is lovely juiced with some apple and lemon. I am thinking I might well put them here and there amongst the flowers next year. Red russian is nice but didn`t prove very winter hardy for me. I`ll prob still grow a few dwarf curly next year but not more than four plants