Kale

Kale is grown as an annual, either direct-sown or started as transplants. It grows best in full sun, though it will tolerate partial shade, and prefers nitrogen-rich soil with good drainage. As a cool-season crop it is propagated from seed and fits into spring, fall, and winter planting windows.

Kale is subject to aphids, slugs, snails, and white caterpillars. Downy mildew can develop where the plant is not grown in full sun, making adequate light a factor in avoiding this disease.

Kale is best picked after the first frost, since cold exposure gives the leaves a sweeter flavor. Once harvested, unwashed leaves can be kept in the refrigerator for up to five days, and the crop is typically in season during spring, fall, and winter.

Kale's fleshy, thick leaves are grown as a food crop and can be eaten raw or cooked, including boiled or steamed until tender, though cooking can release a strong odor. Fresh leaves are also commonly added uncooked or lightly cooked to soups, stews, salads, sandwiches, and smoothies.

Kale traces back to wild cabbage, a plant native to western Europe that has been selectively bred over many centuries into the group of related crops known as cole crops, which today includes kale, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, and kohlrabi. This long history of selection from a single wild ancestor produced kale's loose, leafy form alongside its heading and floret-bearing relatives.