The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Growing => Vegetables => Topic started by: cloddopper on May 07, 2017, 02:51:03 am
-
A few weeks ago I took 20 " slips " off the oldest largest of the kales I had in the garden to clear a couple of square foot beds for carrots .
I've taken three for myself the rest are available in pairs for any one that wants some .
By the end of May they will be going intothe compost heap if no one asks for them
So itf you want a cpuple drop me a pm with yoyr full name addrss 7 post code & I'll post them off on a first come first served basis till they run out.
To make new replacement plants let th main plant run to being leggy . There will be thirty or so 6 mm thick X 250 mm long stalks with leaves at the ends. Tear one of these leggy pieces back down the plants stem so you get a heel on the slip . You can either dip it in hormone powder first or pop it neat in moist soil .
Once you notice the larger leaves dying off the new ones will form & the plant will start putting out new fine hair roots.
Once the new plant is about 100 mm tall transplant it in to a well manured soil & 1 mtr apart in all directions .
If you have the mycrohizial ( sp ) fungi that enhances root growth , a half teaspoon down the planting hole will give your plant an amazing root ball . Water it in well after you have transplanted the new plants & filled the hole up
The kale is best eaten when the leaves are soft & new green .
We boil ours in salted water then toss them in a knob of butter & a couple of twists of black pepper once they have been drained off .
Some folks are also heavily into juicing them , making kales crisps , eating it in stir fry's , fine cut & added in tiny bits in to a home made minestrone soup or having some fine shredded in a salad .
Pigs , goats & chickens love them raw . if you take three or four sets of cuttings over April to late September , water them in well you can have plenty of this kale all year round .
Cabbage whites only seem to attack them as a last resort if there are other greens growing in the garden .
With a bit of thought it would not be difficult to plant up a 30 x 30 mtr bed of this kale to give you a cheap stock feed . Each plant can get about 1 mtr in diameter by about 800 mm high . Sometimes I've had to use branch loppers to cut the 40 mm thick stalks at their bases to allow me to dig out the root ball .
A fully mature plant left to make slips should give you forty or more at the first slip harvesting session & another set of similar numbers of slips about 8 weeks afterwards .
-
I have a selection already but if anyone's not sure, I can confirm that the plants are pretty indestructible, young leaves tender enough for salads, pests not yet been a problem, etc et
-
Four requestfor the Kale so far .
This is what I hope to do .. I'll pick the plants early Monday morning , get them packed in wet paper toweling , inside a tied off poly bag . I'll put them in small strong cardboard boxes & get in the post at a big Post Office half an hour or so before the noon collection .
This should see that they are delivered to you guys & gals before the weeks end .
-
Im excited! Thank you! :garden:
-
All picked , packed in a clean untied polybag & posted 15 May 2017
Stand them in clean cool water for 24 hrs when you get them & plant them at least 3 foot ( one metre ) between the plants.
Put the plants in well cultivated weed free soil almost up to the leaves & water them in well ... if it ever starts to dry up , ensure they are well watered each day till you see new growth appearing.
Where to plant ... ?
Full open sun shine is best .
They will tolerate slight shade for four or so hours during the day time but not heavy all day shade .
-
Have you any more Clod ? PM'd address
-
Yes , come & collectthem along with all the old plants .
I've PM''d you , it's likely to be cheaper than the postage , if you come & visit wet dreary Ammanford for a supermarket shop at Tesco's or Lidl's as you live quite close to our place .
-
Kale just arrived and they look great. Thanks very much!
-
Kale arrived safely.
Thanks again
William :thumbsup:
-
Thank you kale all planted now
-
Arrived on Wednesday! Postman left the parcel outside at the back of the house - completely soaked :roflanim: