The Garden Line · heirloom · open-pollinated · untreated
Lacinato Kale (Cavolo Nero)
The Tuscan heirloom kale — narrow, blistered, blue-black leaves that sweeten after frost. Cold-hardy to the low 20s, ready in 60 days, and productive from one sowing until deep winter.
Days to maturity
60
Spacing
12–18 in
Sowing window
Mar–Jul
Tested by the seedsman
- Germination
- 97% · tested Jul 2026
- Lot
- KL-2606-D
- Treatment
- None — untreated
- Origin
- USA · open-pollinated heirloom
Signed off by Jon Emery, RN, trained in the Soil Food Web method. How we test →
How to grow
Sow, thin, wait for frost.
Direct-sow ½ inch deep from March through July, or start indoors four weeks before last frost. Thin to 12–18 inches. Harvest lower leaves from the bottom up; flavor improves sharply after the first frost.
Growing notesNutrition
Dense, and documented.
Kale is among the most nutrient-dense leafy greens by USDA FoodData Central measures — notably vitamin K, vitamin C, and the glucosinolates characteristic of brassicas (USDA FDC #168421).
We cite sources, not claims.
The variety
Eighteenth-century Tuscany.
Documented in Italian gardens since the 1700s and the backbone of ribollita ever since. We chose this strain for leaf uniformity and cold tolerance in our own trial bed — it outstood two hard frosts unprotected.
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Written by Jon Emery, RN · trained in the Soil Food Web method · Lot data updated Jul 2026