Ornamental Kale Seed

Ornamental Kale (Kamome Red) provides beautiful ornamental color from early fall well into December with fringed leaves in red (dark almost purple outer leaves), and white (lighter green outer leaves). As the rest of the flowers in the garden are dying down, ornamental Kale is just getting started! It takes the cool weather for ornamental kale to start showing their true colors. While a sudden cold snap can kill the plant, light and moderate frosts will intensify the beautiful coloring of these plants. If the winter is moderate, it can survive all winter.

Ornamental kale seeds should be planted 6-10 weeks before the first frost. If you plant too early, the warm weather will keep the color from forming. You can either plant in trays and transplant once the plant is large enough, or plant directly outside. Plant 1/8 inch deep, 6 inches between seeds, and 18-24 inches between rows if planting directly outside. Keep soil moderately moist during germination. This frost tolerant annual should be grown in full sun in a moist, well-drained soil. Any plants that don't look the way you want, feel free to eat!  While not as tasty as the normal garden kale, the plants are still edible.

Season: Annual
Zones: 4 - 9
Soil Type: Moist, Well drained
Sun Exposure: Full sun
Propagation: Propagation is by seed. Chilling the seed for 3 days prior to planting may help germination.