Planting timing · Cool-season
When to plant kale
Plant kale in spring and fall on the cited sheets — not on a national calendar month. Regional dates stay source-specific.
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.
Spacing lives on the kale hub. Timing stays on the cited sheets.
Types and spacing live on growing kale.
What the sources say — at a glance
One source per card. Facts are not averaged.
Clemson HGIC 1329 (South Carolina)
Cooler spring or fall. Piedmont Mar 12–June 30 and July 15–Sept 30; Coastal Feb 1–June 15 and Aug 1–Oct 30.
Details and limits (3)
Timing
Clemson HGIC 1329 (South Carolina): kale is grown in the cooler weather of spring or fall. Timing on their sheet — not a national plant date.
Regions
Clemson HGIC 1329 (South Carolina): transplanting dates on their sheet — Piedmont March 12 to June 30 and July 15 to September 30; Coastal Plain February 1 to June 15 and August 1 to October 30. South Carolina regions — not a national plant date.
Limit
South Carolina HGIC 1329. The regional table stays on this sheet. Not a ZIP calendar.
Maryland Extension (Maryland)
Soil-worked 3–4 weeks prior to frost date. Early spring and late summer. Maryland timing — not a national plant date.
Details and limits (2)
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.
Limit
Maryland leafy-greens garden page. Soil-worked spring and late-summer timing stay Maryland. Not a ZIP calendar.
UMN Extension (Minnesota)
April; fall start in June. Soil workable. Minnesota timing — not a national plant date.
Details and limits (2)
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.
Limit
Minnesota collards-and-kale page. April and June start stay Minnesota. Not a ZIP calendar.
Illinois Extension (Illinois)
Early spring and fall. Transplants 3–4 weeks before last frost-free date. Illinois timing — not a national plant date.
Details and limits (2)
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.
Limit
Illinois Hort Answers kale page. Early-spring/fall timing stays Illinois. Not a ZIP calendar.
Sources differ
Make it yours
Save the bed in the Field Book so next season is not a guess.
Verified suppliers only
No supplier on this page
When a partner is listed, it will be outbound and disclosed. Nothing to buy here. Fertilizer, soils, and pesticides stay off this slot.
When do you plant kale?
Compare timing on the cited sheets. Clemson HGIC 1329 (South Carolina): cooler spring or fall; Piedmont March 12 to June 30 and July 15 to September 30; Coastal February 1 to June 15 and August 1 to October 30. Maryland: as soon as the soil can be worked. Minnesota: April, fall start in June. Illinois: early spring and fall.
Do the sheets agree on a fall window?
No. Clemson’s table lists July to September (Piedmont) and August to October (Coastal). Maryland names late summer. Minnesota names a June start. Illinois names the fall garden. Four cards — not averaged.
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.
How we know — methodology. Ranges and assertions are cited per source, not blended.