Crop guide
Growing kale
Growing kale means matching type, timing, and spacing on the cited sheets. There is no single national planting date.
Growing guidance is general information. Timing, spacing, and care depend on cultivar, weather, soil, and local conditions. Check the sources and adjust the plan for your garden.
Steps (range, not a promise)
- 01Know the type on the cited sheet. Acephala notes stay source-specific.
- 02Plant on the cited sheet’s timing. Regional dates stay on their own cards.
- 03Use in-row depth and spacing from one cited source.
- 04Log the bed so next season is not a guess.
Illustrative photograph — types, timing, and spacing stay on the cited sheets.
The season, on your ground
Save this bed — freeWhen to plantCareWhen to harvestGarden pests
What the sources say — at a glance
One source per card. Facts are not averaged.
Clemson HGIC 1329 (South Carolina)
Brassica oleracea var. acephala. Cooler spring or fall. Rows 18–36 in. Plants 6–18 in. Seed ¼–½ in. Thin at three-leaf.
Details and limits (4)
Types
Clemson HGIC 1329 (South Carolina): kale (Brassica oleracea var. acephala) is the often curly-leaved form of the species that includes collards, cabbage, and other familiar brassicas. Type notes — not a cultivar mill.
Timing
Clemson HGIC 1329 (South Carolina): as a group they are generally best grown in the cooler weather of spring or fall. Timing on their sheet — not a national plant date.
Spacing
Clemson HGIC 1329 (South Carolina): plant transplants in rows 18 to 36 inches apart. Space plants 6 to 18 inches apart on the row. Plant seed about ¼ to ½ inch deep. Thin plants to the desired stand when they are in the three-leaf stage. Spacing on their sheet — not a BioArva average.
Limit
South Carolina HGIC 1329. Cooler-weather wording and 6–18 in stay Clemson. Not fertilizer.
Maryland Extension (Maryland)
Biennial treated as annual. Hardy (heavy frost, attributed). Soil-worked 3–4 weeks prior to frost date. 12–24 in × 30–36 in.
Details and limits (4)
Types
Maryland Extension (Maryland): kale is a biennial treated as an annual. Kale, collards, and turnip are hardy (can withstand heavy frosts in spring and fall). Type notes — not a mill. Maryland’s attributed hardiness wording — not a planting-safety promise.
Timing
Maryland Extension (Maryland): in spring, plant seeds as soon as soil can be worked (3 to 4 weeks prior to frost date). Or start seeds indoors and plant 3- to 5-week-old transplants. Plant twice, in early spring and then late summer. Maryland timing — not a national plant date.
Spacing
Maryland Extension (Maryland): kale, collard, and mustard: 12 to 24 inches in-row by 30 to 36 inches between rows for large plants. Closer spacing, 2 to 4 inches apart, produces a higher population of small plants. Spacing on their sheet — not a BioArva average.
Limit
Maryland leafy-greens garden page. Hardy wording and 12–24 in stay Maryland. Not fertilizer.
UMN Extension (Minnesota)
Brassica oleracea var. acephala. Curly, ruffled, or lobed. April; fall June. ¼–½ in deep. Rows 18–30 in. Thin 8–12 in.
Details and limits (4)
Types
UMN Extension (Minnesota): collards and kale (Brassica oleracea var. acephala) are leafy forms of the same species as broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage. Kale leaves are curly, ruffled or lobed on the edges. Type notes — not a mill.
Timing
UMN Extension (Minnesota): direct seed or start indoors in April. For fall crops, start seed indoors in June. Sow seeds in the spring as soon as the soil is workable. Minnesota timing — not a national plant date.
Spacing
UMN Extension (Minnesota): plant seeds one-fourth to one-half inch deep, in rows 18 to 30 inches apart. Thin seedlings after they emerge allowing eight to 12 inches between them. Spacing on their sheet — not a BioArva average.
Limit
Minnesota collards-and-kale page. April/June timing and 8–12 in stay Minnesota. Not fertilizer.
Illinois Extension (Illinois)
Acephala group. Cool-season. Early spring and fall. Transplants 3–4 weeks before last frost-free date. ¼–¾ in. 12–18 in. Rows 24 in.
Details and limits (4)
Types
Illinois Extension (Illinois): kale is Brassica oleracea (Acephala group). A cool-season vegetable. Type notes — not a mill.
Timing
Illinois Extension (Illinois): plant in early spring and for the fall garden. Transplants can be planted 3 to 4 weeks before the last frost-free date. Illinois timing — not a national plant date. Illinois’s attributed frost-free wording — not a planting-safety promise.
Spacing
Illinois Extension (Illinois): seeds are planted ¼ to ¾ inch deep and thinned when plants have 3 to 4 leaves. Kale direct seeded or transplanted should be spaced 12 to 18 inches within the rows that are 24 inches apart. Spacing on their sheet — not a BioArva average.
Limit
Illinois Hort Answers kale page. Early-spring/fall timing and 12–18 in stay Illinois. Not fertilizer.
Make it yours
Save the bed in the Field Book so next season is not a guess.
Sources differ
When do you plant kale?
Compare timing on the cited sheets. Clemson HGIC 1329 (South Carolina): cooler weather of spring or fall. Maryland: as soon as the soil can be worked in spring. Minnesota: April, fall start in June. Illinois: early spring and fall. Not a national plant date.
How far apart do you plant kale?
The sheets do not agree on one grid. Clemson: rows 18 to 36 inches, plants 6 to 18 inches. Maryland: 12 to 24 inches in-row by 30 to 36 inches between rows. Minnesota: rows 18 to 30 inches, thin 8 to 12 inches. Illinois: 12 to 18 inches in-row, rows 24 inches.
What to record in the Field Book
Save the bed with the crop and the date. You may add a photo and notes. Compare entries you have recorded with each other — not with a diagnosis from this page. If you want an identification, bring the record to local Extension.
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When a partner is listed, it will be outbound and disclosed. Nothing to buy here. Fertilizer, soils, and pesticides stay off this slot.
How we know — methodology. Ranges and assertions are cited per source, not blended.