Brassica oleracea, Acephala Group
Family: Brassicaceae
Common Name: Curly Kale

Curly kale has attractive, curled and crimped leaves which are cooked as a vegetable or used in salads. There are also decorative cultivars which have coloured foliage.

Cultivation

Grown as a cool-season annual for autumn and winter cropping, seeds are sown in late spring in an outdoor seed bed. Transplant seedlings to cropping positions when 8-10 cm (3-4 in) high, spacing them about 60 cm (24 in) apart each way. Pick leaves as required. Frost often improves the flavor.

Climate

Zone 8 is best, but very hardy kales should survive zone 7.