How To Grow Killer Kale In Containers
Best Soil For Kale in Containers
Growing kale in containers is easy if you use soil with a Ph 6.0-7.5 in a roomy pot. The soil must be well-drained since kale does not like soggy roots. Containers are great because kale likes sunny locations but does not like to get too hot. In the hottest part of the day, you can move them into a partially shady spot on hot, hot days.
Direct Seed Or Transplant Kale Into Pots
Kale seed is sewn into the garden before the last frost about 1 cm deep. Seeds should germinate in 5-8 days. But, growing kale in containers indoors or in a garage during the winter allows you to have kale very early in the season, or year-round. Containers make growing flexible. I suggest you plant seeds in a large container outdoors in early spring. Wrap your container in bubble wrap to protect the pot. The thawing and freezing of spring can damage the container.
Mix soil with several shovelfuls of aged compost or organic matter. Keep the soil moist with 1″-1.5″ of water per week. You can also add a layer of mulch once the seedlings appear. My article Top Tips To Easily Mulch For Winter gives good ideas to help you mulch kale properly. If you transplant from peat pots, use 1-2 hardy seedlings per pot as kale will spread 18-24 inches.
How To Plant And Care For Kale In Containers
Kale in containers gives you the flexibility to keep kale in cooler areas of the yard. Kale tastes sweeter in cooler weather. Ornamental kale in containers can also be used as a landscaping complement to your flowers or flowering bushes. You can add a marigold or two to the kale container to discourage pests. Kale is very hardy and will mature in 55-75 days after planting seeds. Transplants will mature in 30-40 days. Kale benefits from an application of liquid fertilizer 10-10-10 throughout the growing season.
Diseases And Pests Of Kale In Pots
While kale in containers allows you to keep an eye on the entire plant, kale as a cousin to cabbage has many of the same pests. Moths, aphids, snails, and slugs are all common pests. The snails and slugs can easily be deterred in pots since you can put salt along the rim of a pot. Aphids and moths can be removed by hand or discouraged by companion plants.
Companion Plants Of Kale
The best companion plants for kale are onion, potato, beetroot, and artichokes. Grow a few onions and beetroot around the base of kale in a container. Keep the soil well mulched to keep down weeds. Mulch also helps to keep lower leaves clean for harvesting.
Harvesting Kale
Your kale is ready to harvest when the leaves are approximately the size of your hand. Lower leaves can be regularly harvested, allowing the central leaves to continue producing. Once there is cool weather in the fall, kale perks up and gets a sweeter flavor.
Great Kale Recipes
There are many delicious kale recipes. Love and Lemons website has 33 delicious kale recipes. Growing kale in containers allows you to have easy access to a yummy snack. My favorite is kale chips. Wash and dry the kale. Massage lightly with light oil. Add your favorite seasonings. Some suggestions are:
- salt
- garlic powder
- curry powder
- black pepper
- maple syrup
- chili powder
Choose your seasoning, sprinkle over the top and mix well. Lay the kale leaves on a cookie sheet with space between the leaves (they get crispier when not touching). Bake for 15 minutes then stir lightly. Bake 5-10 minutes more watching carefully. You want them crispy and maybe a little brown but do not burn them.
Allow chips to cool on the baking sheet, if they do not get as crispy as you like, lower the oven temperature and put them back in the oven to draw out more moisture. Cool completely and eat now or put in an air-tight container for 2-3 days.
Conclusion
Kale is a very hardy plant that is a good year-round plant in cooler locations. Or you can grow kale in containers indoors if you have a big sunny window. It is worth growing kale for this tasty kale chip snack. Extremely healthy and delish. Let me know if you have tried growing kale in the comments below.