Brassica oleracea var. palmifolia
`Red Russian` was brought to Canada by Russian Traders in 1885. Red Russian is one of the tenderest kales available and a sweeter taste than most traditional varieties. With deeply cut, slate green oak-like leaves that are significantly softer than curly kale, the veins and stems have an unusual deep purple venation, a colouring that intensifies as winter approaches.
Red Russian is delicious raw in hearty salads, e.g. with walnuts, roasted peanuts or chilli flakes, and excellent when used in soups and stir-frying. Canalso be cooked like spinach. Harvest as baby-leaf for salads or full grown for cooking.
Besides its versatility and simple cultivation, kale is an incredibly healthy and highly basic vegetable. It provides a lot of calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium, vitamin A, B, K and vitamin C plus a lot of antioxidatively active plant materials. Its high-quality protein and the contained omega-3 fatty acids also ensure that it is always recommended as an alternative to animal fat and protein.
Kale is very easy to grow and and one of the hardiest plants in the wide and varied Brassica tribe. It tolerates poor soil conditions and very cold temperatures. But Kale does not tolerate heat. Therefore, it is sown in early spring or late summer (end of August) directly outdoors.
Protect early with netting against butterflies, moths and flies.
Pre-cultivation: Feb-April, 4-6v before planting out. Sow on moistened seed soil. Cover thinly with soil. Set warm (+22°C). Keep moist. After emergence, bright and cooler. When the plants are big enough to handle put 1 per pot in fertilized soil. Harden off the plants before planting out.
Direct sowing, Spring: April - mid June. Can be sown directly when soil temp. is at least +5°C, but pre-cultivation is recommended.
Direct sowing, Late Summer/Fall: Sow densely directly outdoors or in greenhouses in late summer for a harvest of small leaves. Harvest by cutting off the leaves. Protect with non-woven fabric for an extra long harvest period. Can also be sown in trays for later planting out.
Sow depth, cm: 1
Harvest: Aug - Dec
Height, cm: 40-50
Spacing: 30 cm / 1 plant per GreenStalk pocket (more for harvest as baby leaves)
Annual
Number of seeds: approx 100
