Kale 'Black Toscana'

Black Toscana Kalep produces long dark green leaves, formed from the middle of the plant. Highly nutritious. Sweet flavour. Eaten fresh or steamed. High in vitamins, & minerals, pick leaves as required. Black Toscana produces over a long period even into the hot summer months.

Kale is a hardy vegetable green that will grow under most conditions, including part shade which is useful in the heat of summer. Enriched soil is desirable but most soils are acceptable, as long as they are well drained. Slightly alkaline soil will be tolerated. Full sun will generate the best results, because kale tastes better when grown quickly. This can be helped by regular watering, adding fertiliser and having rich soils. Kale may survive drought or irregular watering but the leaves are likely to end up tasting bitter. Kale is one of the larger growing vegetables, so a good space allocation is required.

Kale has a very wide range of suitable climate zones, with the main consideration being that the leaves must mature during the cool weather. This means that the timing of planting will vary a little because kale does not tolerate hot weather once it is growing. Kale is not a tropical region vegetable, but it does tolerate frost and snow very well. Due to its cold tolerance, kale will germinate from 5C up and up to 35 C. Seeds may be planted when the weather is warm to enable growth to occur in the cooler period. Kale is usually grown annually from seed planted in spring or autumn, although it is classified as a hardy biennial and may produce for two years.

The flavour of kale is sweetened when it is grown through a period of frost or even a cold snap. It even survives under snow, enabling the northern hemisphere to have kale in cold winters. After a cold snap the leaves will curl or wrinkle, become textured and strengthen their form. When cold weather is approaching kale will benefit from mulching to offer some root protection. If you are in a particularly cold area, the blue-green forms may have an association with increased cold tolerance. The leaves should be mature after 53-65 days, or picked as baby leaves after 6-7 weeks.