An Alphabet of Kales (almost).

As you probably know, I have a weakness for Kale - growing it, not necessarily eating it!
So many different colours and leaf shapes, curly and flat. Some large, some small, some annual, others perennial. 

I have a vague plan to sow a few varieties a week until I've worked my way through my Kale Collection (including some other brassicas that resemble kales - like Tree cabbage). 

This week its the A kales:-
Asparagus
Afro
Altmarker Braunkohl
Asturian Tree Cabbage.

Have you sown any more letters of the kale alphabet yet?
I like growing kale. It produces for ages in most cases and like you am drawn to all the different colours, shapes & textures. I’ve not really noticed much if any difference in flavour. A bit like the great sprout experiment of 2018.

As you probably know, I have a weakness for Kale - growing it, not necessarily eating it!
So many different colours and leaf shapes, curly and flat. Some large, some small, some annual, others perennial. 

I have a vague plan to sow a few varieties a week until I've worked my way through my Kale Collection (including some other brassicas that resemble kales - like Tree cabbage). 

This week its the A kales:-
Asparagus
Afro
Altmarker Braunkohl
Asturian Tree Cabbage.

Hiya Veggie,

What perennial Kale do you/have you grown?

I've grown Daubenton's from seed - it flowered, even though its not supposed to! Its also died but I have a few seeds left that I must try.
I treat all kales as perennials until they prove me wrong - and die. I've found most of the sturdier ones will survive for a year or two as long as they're not stripped of leaves.
The nameless kales I'm growing I grow from sideshoots.

The Asturian tree Cabbage is an interesting one. I have seen this grown and I think its a perennial that can be grown from cuttings. What impressed me was the lime green leaves which the pigeons weren't too keen on munching. Seeds are hard to get.

Have you sown any more letters of the kale alphabet yet?
I like growing kale. It produces for ages in most cases and like you am drawn to all the different colours, shapes & textures. I’ve not really noticed much if any difference in flavour. A bit like the great sprout experiment of 2018.

Of the  4 "A" Kales, only Afro has germinated. The other seeds were quite old.
I'm going to resow those modules to give them another chance - otherwise, all the remaining seeds will go in the random seed pot.

I'm sowing some B kales tonight, modules at the ready. Not sure what they'll be yet. Watch this space.

I'm not sure that I understand the terms Grex or Landrace but it seems to be about growing a variety that grows well for you in your garden. They're the result of cross pollination between your kales and, subsequent selection of the ones you like best. Sort of happy mongrels..
People are crossing kales with Daubenton's (and others) to breed more perennial kales with different characteristics - like purple leaves or curly/flat/toothed/smooth.

I'm sure this accounts for why there are so many different kales, many of which seem to be identical when you grow them. Its also a good excuse for not knowing what kales I''m growing as they could also be crosses after all these years.

Does that explains why Afro is very very similar to dwarf green curled. I grew them both one year and they were pretty much identical.

Maybe its a catchier name.

Interesting blog at https://scottishforestgarden.wordpress.c...-breeding/

Seeds available too on a swap/donate/pay it forward basis.