How To Cut A Kale Plant
When you plant a kale seedling dig a hole in the soil about the size of the plants root ball.
How to cut a kale plant. To do this cut just below where the stem connects to the larger leaves. The video above from Renees Garden Seeds shows you an easy way to harvest baby kale leave. As the weather warms up keep an eye on the central stalk for signs of bolting.
Make sure you dont cut the main stem off because this will stop plants from producing. Kale is grown for its leaves not its flowers so it can handle full sun to partial shade. Kale requires regular waterings though some varieties tolerate drought better than others.
You can continue to harvest the leaves of the kale plant using the cut and come again method. Burpee Seeds recommends waiting to harvest your kale plants until after a frost. Kale is easy to grow and is also recognised as a super food.
Leave about 2 inches of stems intact and your kale might produce another harvest. Cut the largest leaves off with your pruning shears. The best way to harvest kale is to cut off the mature leaves starting from the bottom of the plant and moving towards the top.
The largest and oldest leaves on a kale plant are always near the bottom. You can begin to cut individual leaves off the kale when the plant is approximately 8 to 10 inches high starting with the outside leaves first. It can be cultivated as a cut and come again crop meaning you harvest what you need while the plant continues to grow.
So you might only require a few kale plants depending on how often you include it in your diet. You want the base of the plants stem to be level with the ground. Cut all the stems with hand clippers if you want to harvest the whole plant.
Kale is grown for its leaves not its flowers so it can handle full sun to partial shade.
How to cut a kale plant. Kale plants will bolt naturally in their second year shortly after the winter ends and warm weather returns. Leave about two inches worth of stem on each plant so that the leaves can grow back. Do NOT cut where you see me pointing in the picture below.
Leave about 2 inches of stems intact and your kale might produce another harvest. You can begin to cut individual leaves off the kale when the plant is approximately 8 to 10 inches high starting with the outside leaves first. Always remove the lowest largest and outermost leaves first.
Carefully place the plant in the soil filling in the hole. Pick the leaves one by one and be sure to leave the smaller central leaves on the plant along with the bud at the center. But if you harvest the leaves from the top they you will stunt the plants growth.
The largest and oldest leaves on a kale plant are always near the bottom. Burpee Seeds recommends waiting to harvest your kale plants until after a frost. As the weather warms up keep an eye on the central stalk for signs of bolting.
So long as you continue to harvest in this fashion the plant will continue to produce new leaves from the top as it grows taller. When choosing where to cut consider the growth point. Give around 1 to 15-inches of water per week.
You want the base of the plants stem to be level with the ground. If kale gets too tall you need to chop its head at about 4-5 inches from the soil. To do this cut just below where the stem connects to the larger leaves.
The largest and oldest leaves on a kale plant are always near the bottom.
How to cut a kale plant. Make sure you dont cut the main stem off because this will stop plants from producing. And more importantly how to pick kale so it grows back all season long. Kale requires regular waterings though some varieties tolerate drought better than others.
But if you harvest the leaves from the top they you will stunt the plants growth. You can begin to cut individual leaves off the kale when the plant is approximately 8 to 10 inches high starting with the outside leaves first. Then use your other hand to cut the stem of that leaf with your shears.
Hold the leaf you want to cut with 1 hand. Kale plants will bolt naturally in their second year shortly after the winter ends and warm weather returns. During this video Steve discusses how you can grow kale in your vegetable garden or in a pot in.
You can also snap leaves off at the stem by pushing down with your thumb and pulling away from the plant. Alternatively you can harvest the entire plant cut 2 inches above the ground. I plant my kale in full sun and the topsoil tends to dry out quickly.
Harvesting After a Frost. As the weather warms up keep an eye on the central stalk for signs of bolting. You want the base of the plants stem to be level with the ground.
On a kale plant this is the central portion of the plant where stems converge and new growth emerges. To do this cut just below where the stem connects to the larger leaves. I mulch around the base of the plant to conserve water.