The general rule of thumb for anyone who loves kale and wants fresh harvest regularly is to grow 3 to 4 plants per family member.

Grow your own at home saves money, as this is a cut and grow plant.

As a gauge, a 10 weeks old plant will yield 5 big leaves every week.

Cost to grow this superfood can be as little as $1 per week or zero if we have our own compost.

Additional perks as home growers are we get to decide when to harvest, whether younger more tender leaves, or the bigger foliage from more mature plants.

In any case, our own grown is always best, as we grow them without harmful pesticides and there is no waste.

We only harvest when we need to and how much from the plant. When parents grow, children learned as well.

Learning and being able to grow superfood is a blessing.

We are always grateful there is available healthy whole food at home when the weather is bad, and there is no need to dash to the supermarkets.

Having these instant fresh salads also means that we are very conscious of what needs to be harvested, thus increasing the chances of healthier options for our meals.

Last but not least, there is NO carbon footprint from our gardens to mouth! 

However, space may be a major constraint to grow enough of these wonderfully delicious and nutrients packed greens for urban high rise dwellers like ourselves in Singapore.

To solve space challenges, I chose to grow in PET bottles with Kratky’s non circulating hydroponic instead of soil to save space.

 

Fresh vegetables on Minimal space
2018 January 8 – squeeze for space

 

Small net cup like these supported each seedling in their individual or shared reservoir, and recycled plastic bottles at the same time.

 

Cold seasoned salads from seeds
1 week old Kale

 

STEP 1 – Germination Method

It is important to keep seeds moist at all times. They can be sowed on wet tissues and lightly covered with another tissue.

Cling wrapped or ziplock in a bag to maintain moisture on seeds bed.

Germination speed is faster on tissues (2 days) than on soil (9 days).

 

Grow kale from seeds
October 17 2017 – Germinated (2 days)

 

Kale benefits
1 day after germination

 

 

STEP 2 – Transplanting Seedling

After a few days, the seeds will show 2 leaves (called seeds’ leaves or cotyledons ) like the following picture.

The third leaf is called true leaf and carried the characteristics of future mature leaves.

 

 

Grow Grow Kale from seeds in containers
Seed Leaves showed

 

Transplant seedling when true leaves (the second pair of leaves) emerged and about 4 cm long.

At this stage, it needs more sunlight.

TIP – For speedier seedling’s growth, keep grow lights on longer while maintaining moisture with foliage misting.

In Hydro – Make sure roots reach the nutrient feed.

In Soil – kept moist and the seedling is upright.

 

Kale benefits
1 week old Green Curly Kale

 

Behind the scene of a local documentary (Go, Go, Grow) part on how to transplant these seedlings into hydroponic sponges.

 

 

 

Grow colored Kale varieties from seeds in Singapore

 

 

STEP 3Adjusting Sun Exposure

For better tasting kale, where leaves are tender and less bitter, adjust sun exposure when seedlings are one month old.

Grow in morning sun which is not hot or remove from direct afternoon sun to grow in partial shade, made for better-tasting leaves.

 

Grow Kale from seeds in bottles
January 2 2018 – First harvest

 

STEP 4 – HARVESTING

Cut bigger or outermost leaves stem as close to the main stem as possible.

Keep younger smaller leaves on the plant until they grow bigger, usually within 10 days.

 

Grow Kale in Singapore
Cut and Regrow Leaves

 

After harvest, the cut parts will not regrow new leaves.

The stem will continue to grow taller while the harvested area remained bald.

Thus, cut the leaf stalk as close to stem as possible to reduce waste.

Only the higher midsection will regenerate new leaves.

 

Grow Kale varieties from seeds in Singapore
Harvested leaves

 

Grow Kale varieties from seeds in Singapore
Bald below

 

When Kale is harvested young, less than 2 months old, leaf stalk and leaves are more tender.

To find the texture and taste preferred, we encourage tasting as the plant grew.

There is no right or wrong time to harvest, as Kale can be enjoyed as microgreens or mature.

For a raw salad, we preferred the less bitter and tender leaves of less than 2-month plants.

 

Kale benefits
Fresh kale salads

 

Eating well at home can be as simple as this, adding freshly harvested Kale to cheeseburgers.

 

Cold seasoned salads from seeds
Kale with Burgers

 

We encouraged our daughter, my niece and their friends to harvest vegetables for their meals whenever they want, all over our apartment, on our D.I.Y (Do It Yourself) vertical gardens.

It’s always an unusual play date activity for their friends, as most do not garden or cook at home.

 

Cold Seasoned Salads from seeds
Harvesting fresh salads

 

CUT and GROW BACK PLANT

 

Kale Care and Health Benefits
Grow back within 10 days

 

I love how mobile my vegetables “garden” is, that they are all grown in jars and PET bottles. in natural sunlight and feed.

Garden to table in a minute when we harvest our salads!

 

Fresh Kale health benefits
January 20 2018 – another harvest

 

ADDITIONAL KALE VARIETIES –

SCARLET, RED, GREEN CURLY, TUSCAN KALE – 

SEEDS ARE AVAILABLE IN SHOP

 

SCARLET Kale showed its purple tint early.

The seeds took about 6 days to germinate, thus a tad longer than other Kale varieties ( 3 days).

 

Grow Kale varieties from seeds in Singapore
2019 November 23

 

A startlingly beautiful colored Kale!

Can you see the purple?

 

Grow colored Kale varieties from seeds in Singapore
2019 December 27

 

The edges of the leaves and stem were purple.

 

Grow colored Kale varieties from seeds in Singapore
2019 Dec 26

Grow colored Kale varieties from seeds in Singapore

 

 

RED RUSSIAN KALE

 

Grow colored Kale varieties from seeds in Singapore
3 days old – red hint
Grow colored Kale from seeds
2 weeks old Red Russian
Cold seasoned salads
2018 August 25 – Scarlet & Red Kale

 

RED Russian Kale has a reddish tint on leaves from the one-month-old seedling.

 

Grow scarlet kale from seeds in Singapore
2019 June 21 – Outdoor

 

TUSCAN KALE

Seeds viability is good, about 90% germinated within three days.

Newly sprouted seedlings were yellow in color.

 

Grow cool seasoned salads from seeds in Singapore
2018 December 25

 

How the seeds progressed within the day – 

 

Grow cool seasoned salads from seeds in Singapore
Sowed on December 23 2018

 

Some seedlings were planted in liquid and others in soil-based to compare the rate of growth.

It was observed to be faster in liquid base.

 

Grow Kale from seeds in containers indoor
10 days old Tuscany

 

Grow Kale from seeds in containers
2019 January 03

 

Grow Tuscan Kale from seeds in containers
2019 February 15

 

All spare containers at home were recycled to grow food in liquid using net-cups or soil in vertical hanging gardens.

 

Grow Kale varieties from seeds in Singapore
2019 Nov 24

 

BLACK TUSCAN KALE

The color of the mature leaves is a unique blue tint!

Can you see it?

 

Grow Kale varieties from seeds in Singapore
2020 January 21

These young seedlings started out looking normal, the blue only appeared in the second month.

 

Grow Kale varieties from seeds in Singapore

 

The seeds germinated in 5 days and grew rapidly.

 

Grow Kale varieties from seeds in Singapore
2019 November 03

 

When we ran out of space at home to grow them, we made a tower like this out of PET bottles!

 

Grow Kale varieties from seeds in Singapore

 

 

How to grow Vegetables + Herbs Workshops at home available!

Learned First + Bring Home Instant Gardens Testimonial

 

Learn how to grow vegetables and herbs workshops
Veggies Workshops

 

Grow colored Kale varieties from seeds in Singapore

Notes on KALE

  • Likes moist , well drained and loamy soil
  • Grow in partial shade if there is too much sun
  • Temperature over 27C or under strong direct sun will turn leaves bitter and tough
  • Seeds to harvest is 70 – 90 days , estimated height 10 inches tall
  • Harvest big (outer facing) leaves and the plant will regrow new leaves from the middle. The lower stem will have no new leaves
  • Young kale leaves are best for salads
  • Older leaves are usually cooked or baked
  • Hardy biennial plant (2 years to complete its life cycle, to bolt , to decline)
  • Belongs to cabbage family

 

HYDROPONIC to SOIL

This experiment showed that hydroponic kale can adjust to soil environment gradually and thrive.

 

Grow Kale from seeds in Singapore
2019 Sept 28

Other hydroponic plants such as above purple Pak Choy died very quickly.

 

Grow Kale from seeds in Singapore
2019 October 28

Another hydro kale transplanted to soil adapted well after a month.

 

Grow Kale varieties from seeds in Singapore
2019 Jan 30

 

Kale Benefits

  • Most nutrients packed vegetable (Vitamin A, B6, C, K, Manganese, Calcium, Magnesium, Copper, Potassium)
  • High anti-oxidant (beta carotene, quercetin, kaempferol)
  • Lowers cholesterol, reduce heart disease
  • Zero Fat
  • Protects eyesight
  • High Fiber content

 

Delicious Juice Recipes

  • Pineapple-Kale-Blast (Prolific Juicing) – 8 Kale leaves with stem, coriander, Pineapple, half cucumber and 1 medium apple
  • Simple Kale – Kale leaves, lettuce, cucumber, lemon, apples (adjust sweetness with apples)
  • Kale + Coconut Juice (Alan Tan, urban farmer)
  • Green Goddess (Prolific Juicing) – 8 Kale leaves, 2 cups spinach, 12 strawberries, 1 lime, 2 apples, mint, optional – ginger

 

Kale goes very well with citrus fruits in salads and we love them for light breakfast any day!

 

Cool seasoned salads from seeds
Power Packed Salads

 

We prefer to harvest young Kale leaves (less than 2 months old) instead of waiting till its bigger.

Growing our own Kale means we decide when to harvest to suit our preference.

 

Cool seasoned salads from seeds
2 months old Kale

 

 

 

 

 

 

12 thoughts on “KALE – SO EASY !”

  1. Hi, this is inspiring! I adopted a little kale plant from my urban farmer friend. It’s been 3 months and my baby kale is growing fine (tiny, but healthy). But, because there’s only one of it, I get only 2 leaves each time (while leaving the young leaves to grow out) I try to harvest. Wondering if there’s a way to do duplicate more of the same plant from what I have. So I have a little kale garden to harvest from instead of one lonely plant. Can you share your experience?

    1. If it’s in soil, very mature plants can be propagated by stem cutting. There are videos of how to in YouTube. But I still prefer to grow from seeds for the fresher taste of young plants.

  2. Hi!
    For germination, kale seeds need wet tissue and keep them in a warm & dark area? Or warm & bright area? Is the above method suitable for all types of kale? Hope u can help me, thankU so much!

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