Kale 

Companion planting:  
Likes: beans, chamomile, celery, coriander, cucumber, dill, marigold, lettuce, marjoram, mint, nasturtiums, onions, peas, potatoes, tomatoes  
Dislikes: strawberries  

Sow November to February, harvest January to October  
Varieties used:  
Red Russian  
Chinese  
Try ‘Nero di Toscana’  

Sow four or five seeds in a clump, space clumps at least 60 cm apart. Then gradually thin out seedlings. Thinning should be completed when the best seedling has made three true leaves. Side-dress heavily to encourage side-shoots  

All brassica are attacked by the cabbage moth and the cabbage white butterfly. Companion-planting with marigold, dill, celery, sage, oregano helps, also scattering crushed eggshells around the plants. If infestation is heavy spray with Dipel (try mixing in a drop of detergent to help the droplets to cling to the leaves).  

Use as a salad green or in stews  

We don’t preserve any of the Brassica as we have a steady supply throughout the year.