Brassica oleracea alboglabra
Chinese Kale
a perennial member of the Brassica genus in the family Brassicaceae.
Taxonomy and growth
- Family
- Brassicaceae
- Genus
- Brassica
- Life cycle
- perennial
- Growth rate
- vigorous
- Height
- 0.5 m
- Fertility
- self fertile
- Flower type
- hermaphrodite
- Pollinators
- Bees
Uses
Edible uses
This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.
Young flowering shoots and small leaves- raw or cooked[2][1][5]. Delicious if used when fairly young though they can become tough with age[4]. Older stems should be peeled[4]. All parts of the growing plant are used, including the developing inflorescence[3]. Plants take about 3 months from sowing to their first harvest[3]. Either the whole plant can be harvested, or, if a further harvest is required, just the terminal shoot is harvested which encourages the development of lateral shoots[3]. Yields of 2 kg per square metre can be obtained[3].
- Plant part
- Flowers
- Plant part
- Leaves
Environment
- Range
- A cultivated form of B. oleracea.
- Habitat
- Not known in the wild, it probably originated in the Mediterranean and is very close to B. oleracea costata, the Couve tronchuda[4].
- Light
- full sun
- Shade tolerance
- light shade
- Water
- moderate
- Soil textures
- sandy, loamy, clay, heavy clay
- Soil pH
- acid, neutral, alkaline
- Drainage
- well drained
- Tolerances
- high wind, maritime exposure
- Wind
- Yes
- Maritime
- Yes
- Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
- No
- Drought
- intolerant
Propagation
This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.
Seed - sow in succession from late spring to late summer or even early autumn in favoured areas[4]. The heaviest yields are from the mid to late summer sowings[4]. Early sowings may bolt if there is a period of cold weather[4]. Cuttings of lateral shoots root easily and can be used to produce more plants[3].
Cultivation
This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.
An easily grown plant[8], it succeeds in full sun in a well-drained but moisture-retentive fertile preferably alkaline soil[6][7][8]. Prefers a heavy soil[6]. Plants prefer a pH in the range 5.5 - 6.5[7]. Succeeds in any reasonable soil[10].
Plants tolerate several degrees of frost once they are past the seedling stage[8]. They also tolerate higher summer temperatures than most members of this genus[8]. Closely related to broccoli (B. oleracea italica), this species is often cultivated in the Orient for its edible leaves and flowering stems[8][9]. There are several named forms[8]. A perennial plant, it is usually cultivated as an annual[7]. It is fairly slow-growing, but it provides a crop over a long period in the summer and autumn[8]. In a suitable climate they can crop for a period of six months[9]. Most cultivars have been developed in the warmer parts of China and are best suited to warmer conditions than usually occur in Britain, though some forms have been developed that are more suitable for cooler conditions[7].
Plants can be transplanted, if moved under cover in the autumn they will continue to grow slowly and provide a crop all winter[8].
References
Simons. New Vegetable Growers Handbook. Penguin 1977-00-00 ISBN 0-14-046-050-0
Hedrick. U. P. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications 1972-00-00 ISBN 0-486-20459-6
Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Larkcom J. Oriental Vegetables John Murray 1991-00-00 ISBN 0-7195-4781-4
Uphof. J. C. Th. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim 1959-00-00
Simons. New Vegetable Growers Handbook. Penguin 1977-00-00 ISBN 0-14-046-050-0
Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Larkcom J. Oriental Vegetables John Murray 1991-00-00 ISBN 0-7195-4781-4
Phillips. R. & Rix. M. Vegetables Macmillan Reference Books, London. 1995-00-00 ISBN 0 333 62640 0
Thompson. B. The Gardener's Assistant. Blackie and Son. 1878-00-00