Practical
Plants

Brassica oleracea ramosa

Perpetual Kale

a biennial or perennial member of the Brassica genus in the family Brassicaceae.

No photo available

Taxonomy and growth

Life cycle
biennial, perennial
Height
0.9 m
Fertility
Self fertile, Bees
Flower type
hermaphrodite
Pollinators
Bees

Uses

Edible uses

Leaves - raw or cooked[8][7][9]. A strong cabbage flavour, they are delicious if used when fairly young though they can become tough with age[K]. The leaves are usually available from autumn to late spring, and can be harvested all through the winter in all but the very coldest of seasons[K]. Young flowering shoots - raw or cooked. Picked before the flowers open, they are fairly tender and can be used as part of a mixed salad. When cooked, they have a delicious flavour similar to sprouting broccoli[K]. There are no edible uses listed for Brassica oleracea Ramosa Group.

Environment

Range
A cultivated form of B. oleracea.
Habitat
Not known in the wild.
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
light shade
Water
moderate
Soil textures
sandy, loamy, clay, heavy clay
Soil pH
very acid, acid, neutral, alkaline, very alkaline
Drainage
well drained
Tolerances
high wind, maritime exposure
Wind
Yes
Maritime
Yes
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
intolerant

Propagation

Seed - sow in a seedbed outdoors in April/May. Plant out into their permanent positions in the summer as space permits. Do not let the seedlings get overcrowded or they will soon become leggy and will not make such good plants. If your seedlings do get leggy, it is possible to plant them rather deeper into the soil - the buried stems will soon form roots and the plant will be better supported. The perennial forms can be increased by cuttings. These can be taken at almost any time that they are available. Use shoots about 8cm long of the current year's growth and place them in individual pots in the cuttings frame. They root very quickly and easily[K].

Cultivation

A very easily grown plant, succeeding in full sun in a well-drained fertile preferably alkaline soil[1][3]. Prefers a heavy soil[1]. Succeeds in any reasonable soil[5] and will tolerate quite poor conditions[4]. Shade tolerant, growing well on a north border[5]. Succeeds in maritime gardens[3]. Tolerates a pH in the range 4.2 to 8.3. A very hardy plant, tolerating temperatures down to about -15°c[3]. It also tolerates high summer temperatures[3]. Although at one time this group of kales was quite widely grown as a winter leaf crop, it has fallen out of favour somewhat because the leaves are considered be coarser than other vegetables that can be imported from warmer areas in the winter. This is a shame since the plants are very easy to grow, tolerate adverse conditions and are very productive. In addition some of them, particularly the form 'Daubenton', are reliably perennial and will remain productive in the garden for many years[183, K]. Kale plants are less likely to be eaten by pigeons than the other members of this genus[4].

References

  1. Simons. New Vegetable Growers Handbook. Penguin 1977-00-00 ISBN 0-14-046-050-0

    ↩1↩2

  2. Hedrick. U. P. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications 1972-00-00 ISBN 0-486-20459-6

  3. Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4

  4. Phillips. R. & Rix. M. Vegetables Macmillan Reference Books, London. 1995-00-00 ISBN 0 333 62640 0

    ↩1↩2

  5. Thompson. B. The Gardener's Assistant. Blackie and Son. 1878-00-00

    ↩1↩2

  6. Uphof. J. C. Th. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim 1959-00-00

  7. Simons. New Vegetable Growers Handbook. Penguin ISBN 0-14-046-050-0 (1977-00-00)

    ↩

  8. Hedrick. U. P. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications ISBN 0-486-20459-6 (1972-00-00)

    ↩

  9. Uphof. J. C. Th. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim (1959-00-00)

    ↩

Edit this page