It is a cold-hardy crop, the best time for planting it in early spring or late summer. It is good to grow it in autumn because the temperature is low in autumn. Cool-weather helps to develop the sweet and nutty flavor of nutritious leafy green kale.
It is a nutritious veggie that is a good source of vitamins C, A, and K, magnesium, potassium, calcium, and fiber. The botanical name of kale is Brassica oleracea var. Kale belongs to the Brassica family such as cabbage, broccoli, and brussels sprouts.
It is the most important plant in your kitchen garden, you can use it in salads, stir-fries, omelets, and different other dishes.
WHEN TO PLANT KALE?
Cold weather is needed for the healthy growth of kale. As you are growing kale in water so the temperature in your room or kitchen or where you are placing the jar, should below. The best time for growing kale is
- SPRING: You can easily grow kale in water in early spring before the last frost so you can harvest it in summer.
- SUMMER: If you grow kale at the end of summer 6 to 8 weeks before the first frost. You can harvest it in the fall or winter.
- FALL: If you want to harvest kale in winter then plant it in the fall.
BEST VARIETIES OF KALE
There are many varieties of kale that you can easily grow indoors in water. Whenever you need kale, fresh green nutritious leaves will enhance the taste of your dishes. Kale is a fast grower which is a good option for beginners. Following are the best varieties you can grow indoors.
Lacinato
The other name of this variety is Tuscan Kale or Dinosaur Kale. The long dark green leaves will give you great taste.
RED RUSSIAN KALE
This variety has attractive bright green leaves. The leaves have purple veins. The color of the leaves of this variety is red and it is an early crop.
REDBOX KALE
The color of leaves of this variety is dark crinkly. The leaves of this plant have ornamental looks.
DWARF CURLY BLUE KALE
This variety has frilly leaves and it is ideal for making kale chips. The blue-green leaves are curly and do not turn yellow in cold weather.
SIBERIAN KALE
It is a hardy variety that likes to grow at very low temperatures.
HOW TO GROW KALE IN WATER?
Kale is a versatile plant, you can grow it in traditional beds or raised beds. You can easily grow it in containers or pots but in this article, we are going to talk about how to grow kale in water.
Most of the beginners want to know that they can grow kale from store-bought kale. For the answer to this question, you should experiment to see if it is possible or not. You can grow spring onions, mint, and oregano from the cuttings.
Growing kale indoors in water does not need special equipment. Now we will explain all the steps of growing kale from cuttings.
REGROW STORE BOUGHT KALE
It is not difficult to grow kale from cuttings that you bought from the store. The steps are quite simple, after following it you will succeed in growing kale from the stem of kale.
STEP 1: GET READY STEM AND DIRECTLY PLACE IT IN A JAR OF WATER
First, cut off all the leaves from the stem, use the leaves in your salad. Place the stem directly into the jar which is full of water. Fill ¾ of the jar with water, leaving one part empty. Keep your jar in a sunny place so the stem starts growing. A windowsill is the best place for getting appropriate amounts of sunlight.
STEP 2: SOAKING IN WATER FOR A WEEK
One week is enough for growing leaves on the stem (which is soaked in the water). The leaves appeared on that part of the stem which is out of the water.
STEP 3: CAREFULLY EXAMINATION OF ALL STEM WHICH YOU KEEP IN THE WATER
When you notice all the stems which you have soaked in the water you will observe.
- You will see all the leaves grow from the main stem.
- Some secondary stalks will start turning yellow and loosened enough to drop off the main stem of the kale.
STEP 4: TAKING ROOT
After two weeks, you will see the roots emerging from the bottom part of the main stem which is in the water. Now your stem is ready to transplant in the raised bed or the ground. But you can also keep them in the water but add some small amount of soil into the water.
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TEMPERATURE AND LIGHT:
It is best to provide sunlight to your kale plant. Daily 4-6 hours of sunlight is needed for the healthy growth of kale plants. You should keep the jar next to the south-facing window for healthy and quick development in your plant.
As you know it is a cold lover plant so too much heat is not good for them. So morning sun is better than afternoon sun because heat can damage the plant or scorch the leaves.
If you are living in a hot climate then you should provide partial shade to your plants, if the temperature exceeds 70F. The best temperature for growing kale inside your home.
PESTS
Kale is also attracted by many pests such as aphids, cabbage worms, cabbage loopers, and flea beetles. Some diseases such as black rot and clubroot are also a danger for them. Pests and diseases are big problems for kale plants. The most common pests are
CABBAGE WORM
It is the most common pest. If you see holes it means this pest attack on your plant. If you see cabbage worms then pick them along with their eggs and put them in soapy water. You can also use bacterial insecticide sprays.
FLEA BEETLES
You can use insecticidal soap to control this insect. You should keep an eye on these tiny bugs. These bugs will cluster between the leaves. It will eat your plant so use diatomaceous earth (DE). You can use the product which has pyrethrin.
HARVESTING
Kale can mature within 30-40 days. The best time of harvesting is when the size of the leaves is about the size of your hand.
To harvest kale:
- First harvest the oldest and lowest leaves from the lowest section of the plant. This is the best to start picking with the oldest leaves. If you see any yellow or torn leaves on the plant, at once discard it. One by one pick the leaves from near the base.
- Don’t touch the central and new leaves of the kale plant for picking. The terminal bud is at the center of the plant, don’t pick it because this helps to keep your kale plant productive.
- Repeat this activity every week or whenever you need leaves for cooking purposes or salads. The small and tender leaves are edible. If you are using larger leaves of spinach then first remove the ribs and after that cook them.
HOW TO STORE KALE?
You may have kale which you don’t want to use, in that case, you can store kale like any leafy green vegetable. For storing kale, you need a loose plastic produce bag. Keep the fresh kale in the bag and now place it in the refrigerator. Use the kale within 1 week.
