Tuscan kale

Sun

Full sun; light afternoon shade helps in hot climates.

Water

Keep the root zone evenly moist, especially while seedlings establish and during dry weather. Water deeply when the soil surface begins to dry, without leaving the ground waterlogged.

Soil

Fertile, moisture-retentive, well-drained soil, ideally pH 6.0-7.5. Avoid acidic soil and beds with a history of clubroot.

Height

2-3 ft (0.6-0.9 m)

Spread

1.5-2 ft (0.45-0.6 m)

Foliage

Long, narrow, blue-green to nearly black leaves with deeply blistered surfaces and prominent pale midribs; leaves grow along an upright stem.

Growth

Fast in cool, moist conditions.

Care needed

Medium

• Low allergen
• Edible

Northern hemisphere months. In Australia, shift them by six.

Difficulty

Moderate

Toughness

Fairly tough

Pick your zone, country, light and whether you have pets.

1. Planting day

   0.5 ft (0.15 m)

2. After 1 year

   2.5 ft (0.75 m)

   full size

Full size in one season.

From a typical nursery size, at an average rate for this kind of plant. A rule of thumb, not a forecast.

Cats and dogs

Mildly toxic: may upset a stomach

Native to

the UK

Growth rate

Fast

• Space plants 18-24 in (45-60 cm) apart so leaves have room and air can circulate.
• Work mature compost into the bed before planting; feed lightly with a nitrogen-rich vegetable fertilizer if growth slows or older leaves become pale.
• Water at soil level during dry spells to maintain steady leaf growth.
• Mulch established plants to conserve moisture, keeping mulch clear of the stems.
• Cover young plants with insect mesh, sealing the edges against cabbage butterflies and other pests.
• Stake tall plants in exposed gardens before autumn winds loosen their roots.

Pruning. Remove yellowing or damaged lower leaves as they appear. For continued leaf harvest, leave the central growing tip intact; remove flowering shoots if you want a short extension of cropping, although bolting plants are usually replaced.

Pick baby leaves when about 4-6 in (10-15 cm) long, or harvest larger outer leaves once the plant is well established, often around 8-12 weeks after sowing. Snap or cut individual leaves from the bottom upward, leaving the central rosette and several healthy leaves to support new growth. Leaves are often sweeter after light frost; remove tough midribs from mature leaves before cooking.

Early spring

Sow under cover in cool climates, or directly outdoors once the soil is workable; protect seedlings from hard freezes.

Mid-spring

Harden off indoor-grown seedlings, plant them out at their final spacing and fit insect mesh.

Late spring

Begin picking outer leaves when plants are established; check leaf undersides for caterpillars and aphids.

Summer

Water and mulch during dry weather. Sow another batch for autumn and winter cropping; in hot regions, delay sowing until late summer.

Autumn

Continue harvesting, stake tall plants and use fleece or a tunnel where severe frost is likely.

Winter

Pick sparingly from surviving plants because replacement growth is slow. Remove failed plants and plan next season's brassica rotation.

• Plant in rows or blocks in a kitchen garden for a strong upright shape and repeated harvests.
• Repeat among herbs and flowers in a potager, where dark leaves contrast with calendulas and pale foliage.
• Use as a temporary architectural accent in an edible border with chard and lettuces.
• Grow in a large container near the kitchen, allowing enough room for its spreading leaves.

Garden styles it suits: Potager (kitchen garden), Edible landscape, Cottage garden, Homestead, Architectural minimal and Winter interest.

Plant it with: Swiss chard, Lettuce, Calendula, Dill, Chives and Nasturtium.

Wildlife: Leaves feed cabbage butterfly and moth caterpillars. If plants are allowed to flower in their second year, the yellow flowers provide food for bees and other insects; birds may also peck the foliage.

• Cabbage caterpillars: inspect leaf undersides and hand-pick eggs and larvae; prevent egg-laying with securely fitted insect mesh.
• Cabbage aphids: check crowded young leaves, wash small colonies off with water and remove heavily infested leaves.
• Clubroot: swollen roots and wilting despite moist soil indicate trouble; remove affected plants, avoid moving contaminated soil and use a long brassica rotation.
• Slugs and snails: protect seedlings, remove nearby hiding places and use wildlife-conscious slug controls where needed.

The leaves are edible for people and are not known to be toxic in normal food portions. Small amounts are not generally considered poisonous to cats or dogs, but larger amounts can cause digestive upset. Do not offer it as bulk feed to horses: large quantities of brassicas can cause digestive and blood disorders.

• Curly kale (Brassica oleracea (curly-leaved cultivars))

  Curly kale has frilled or tightly curled leaf margins; Tuscan kale has long, narrow leaves with relatively smooth margins and blistered surfaces.

• Collard greens (Brassica oleracea (Collard Group))

  Collards generally have broader, flatter, smoother leaves rather than the narrow, deeply textured leaves of Tuscan kale.

Cavolo nero is Italian for 'black cabbage', referring to the plant's very dark leaves, while Tuscan kale refers to its association with Tuscany.

Propagation. Grow from seed, sown about 0.5 in (1 cm) deep in modules or a prepared seedbed. Seed saved from flowering plants may not come true because kale readily cross-pollinates with other flowering Brassica oleracea crops.

Accepted botanical name

Brassica oleracea

In the US and Canada

Introduced in the lower 48 states, Pacific Basin and Puerto Rico.

Native range

France, Great Britain and Spain.

Measured

Soil pH 7 to 7.5. Average height 50 cm.

Sources: GBIF (CC BY 4.0), USDA PLANTS and Trefle (CC BY 4.0). The care and design notes are LandscapeGPT's own.