Leafy greens · cool season
Kale
Brassica oleracea var. acephala
The backbone of an Ohio fall garden. Winterbor and Red Russian ride out November.
- When to plant in Ohio
- Start indoors March or direct sow April; fall crop mid-July
- Harvest window
- May through December; sweetest after frost
- Days to maturity
- 50–65
- Spacing
- 12–18 in.
- Light
- Full sun
How to grow it
Transplant spring plants after the hardest freezes. For fall, sow in July. Harvest outer leaves and leave the growing point. Flea beetles hit spring seedlings—use row cover. Flavor improves after the first October frost.
Related leafy greens
Leaf lettuce 30–45 for baby; 45–55 full
Romaine lettuce 60–75
Spinach 37–50
Swiss chard 50–60