Topic: Kale

[peanuts]

Thank you Goodlife, that's very helpful advice.

[ancellsfarmer]

Thanks for the recommendations I am now on a Kale mission 
Taunton deane cuttings any one know of a supply please

Try pennardplants.com

[galina]

i now have four successfully growing different perennial kale (thank you Galina!).  They are so useful as people are saying. 
What I'd like to know is how I should care for them now.  Should I cut them back, trim them, prune them in any way, or just let them grow shoots and get bigger?

Sorry I missed this post, Peanuts.  All I do is to remove the ancient leaves that have shrivelled and dried.  Nothing else.  Well my original plants are now very crowded as I planted them too close, so I have staked them or they would have taken over the path.  They now lean into the bed and only take up half the path 

I think you can do pretty much anything you want and they will 'forgive' you.  My pruning is just harvesting young shoots by the saucepan-full.  And sticking a few shoots into the ground to root one fresh plant of each variety.  I do not prune before winter, because they might need all foliage to survive a hard frost, but at the moment they are growing like mad and you can take off as much as you want, the plants will regrow.

Forgot to say, about a month ago, just at the beginning of the growing season I gave them a liberal sprinkling of fish, blood and bone meal, just to give them a boost and they have taken off like crazy.

[peanuts]

Thanks for all the advice - I'm off to attend to them now! We are really enjoying eating them

[Robert_Brenchley]

When did you take them? It's tough stuff so they should be OK. Mine was hammered by the pigeons, but it's bouncing back fast now with the warmer weather.

[Digeroo]

I gave them a liberal sprinkling of fish, blood and bone meal

Maybe they need a good feed.

[galina]

I gave them a liberal sprinkling of fish, blood and bone meal

Maybe they need a good feed.

Not if they didn't grow that well for you in the first place.  I only gave them a feed in anticipation of harvesting tonnes of greens. Mine are in a pretty sheltered place and by now they are crowding each other too, which means they give each other shelter.  My next generation (3 plants out in the open no protection) is not as big and lush as the first ones that are a bit more protected but they are not bad either.  Taunton Dean and Variegated seem a little hardier than ordinary Daubenton.  MIL's plant out in the open is growing fabulously, but she has a more sheltered town garden.

I had the plants from the A4A meeting under netting the first year as a previous attempt had failed over winter.  Took goodlife's advice to grow them on as well as possible in order to get them big and strong before winter.  We are on an exposed hill location too, but there is shelter from fences and hedges.  They cope fine with a slightly shady location. 

Good to hear of a 5-year old Daubenton still going strong. 

[BarriedaleNick]

and now I have had to buy Red Russian Kale seeds! Which meant buying several other packets as you cant just order one packet on its own!

[gwynleg]

I wonder if I should try again reading these posts. I found that the kale was bitter and not what I wanted to eat, hungry gap or no hungry gap! The mention of sweet leaves and being blown away by the taste doesnt fit with what I thought of them. Is there a huge difference between varieties?

[goodlife]

I wonder if I should try again reading these posts. I found that the kale was bitter and not what I wanted to eat, hungry gap or no hungry gap! The mention of sweet leaves and being blown away by the taste doesnt fit with what I thought of them. Is there a huge difference between varieties?

Bitterness could have something to do with growing conditions, did you eat some older leaves..?! I should imagine that kale, that is producing really lush growth, will taste lovely.
I would say there is definite difference between varieties...maybe not 'huge' but so much so, that I have my favourite ones.

[galina]

I found that the kale was bitter and not what I wanted to eat, hungry gap or no hungry gap! The mention of sweet leaves and being blown away by the taste doesnt fit with what I thought of them. Is there a huge difference between varieties?

Bitterness could have something to do with growing conditions, did you eat some older leaves..?! I should imagine that kale, that is producing really lush growth, will taste lovely.
[/quote]

Can't remember whether we discussed it on this forum, but apparently there are huge differences in how much 'bitterness' people will eat.  At the extreme spectrum you get the nail-biting kid who enthusiastically licks off the bitter nailbiting-stop lacquer, whereas some people find broad leaf endive lettuce too bitter for their liking.  I happen to have relatively high bitter tolerance, a little bitter (like many kales) is tasty for me, whereas PSB is positively sweet tasting.  Often the tolerance or even liking for slightly bitter flavours comes later in life.  There is a reason why kids (not the ones who like anti-nailbite laquer obviously!) detest Brussel Sprouts, whereas for most adults they are essential for Christmas dinner if not more often.

Growing makes a big difference too.  Homegrown is often more nutrient-dense rather than the farm plants that are pushed into maximum production and largest size.  And that usually affects flavour and even bitterness.   

[goodlife]

I found that the kale was bitter and not what I wanted to eat, hungry gap or no hungry gap! The mention of sweet leaves and being blown away by the taste doesnt fit with what I thought of them. Is there a huge difference between varieties?

Bitterness could have something to do with growing conditions, did you eat some older leaves..?! I should imagine that kale, that is producing really lush growth, will taste lovely.

Can't remember whether we discussed it on this forum, but apparently there are huge differences in how much 'bitterness' people will eat.  At the extreme spectrum you get the nail-biting kid who enthusiastically licks off the bitter nailbiting-stop lacquer, whereas some people find broad leaf endive lettuce too bitter for their liking.  I happen to have relatively high bitter tolerance, a little bitter (like many kales) is tasty for me, whereas PSB is positively sweet tasting.  Often the tolerance or even liking for slightly bitter flavours comes later in life.  There is a reason why kids (not the ones who like anti-nailbite laquer obviously!) detest Brussel Sprouts, whereas for most adults they are essential for Christmas dinner if not more often.
[/quote]
Yes, how we taste bitterness is very individual thing. I don't mind little bit of bitterness from my Brussels, but I'm not fond of endives or chicory...I don't like bitterness that some broadbean varieties have, but I don't mind bitter chocolate or drinks  In kale I don't taste bitterness at all, some kale just taste that little bit sweeter than others.. !? And yet, sometimes fresh carrots that lack of sweetness can have bitter edge to their flavour..YUCK

[ancellsfarmer]

I found that the kale was bitter and not what I wanted to eat, hungry gap or no hungry gap! The mention of sweet leaves and being blown away by the taste doesnt fit with what I thought of them. Is there a huge difference between varieties?

Bitterness could have something to do with growing conditions, did you eat some older leaves..?! I should imagine that kale, that is producing really lush growth, will taste lovely.

I knew my years of training on Goldings, Fuggles etc would help appreciate the finer points of................. kale! Has anybody tried it in a mashpot. Please advise.

Can't remember whether we discussed it on this forum, but apparently there are huge differences in how much 'bitterness' people will eat.  At the extreme spectrum you get the nail-biting kid who enthusiastically licks off the bitter nailbiting-stop lacquer, whereas some people find broad leaf endive lettuce too bitter for their liking.  I happen to have relatively high bitter tolerance, a little bitter (like many kales) is tasty for me, whereas PSB is positively sweet tasting.  Often the tolerance or even liking for slightly bitter flavours comes later in life.  There is a reason why kids (not the ones who like anti-nailbite laquer obviously!) detest Brussel Sprouts, whereas for most adults they are essential for Christmas dinner if not more often.

Yes, how we taste bitterness is very individual thing. I don't mind little bit of bitterness from my Brussels, but I'm not fond of endives or chicory...I don't like bitterness that some broadbean varieties have, but I don't mind bitter chocolate or drinks  In kale I don't taste bitterness at all, some kale just taste that little bit sweeter than others.. !? And yet, sometimes fresh carrots that lack of sweetness can have bitter edge to their flavour..YUCK
[/quote]

[Paulh]

People who detest Brussels sprouts can have a gene that is linked to this - I think they find the taste generally nasty, not just bitter. My daughter has never liked sprouts but likes (cavallo nero) kale very much.