[rowlandwells]

we bought some kale the other day [curly kale] to try i have to say it tasted quite nice i only grew kale once it was tough and had a thousand whit aphids on it that looked like snow when i picked the kale so i said never again


but I fancy having another go at growing kale next season but not sure what variety to grow and maybe i planted the other kale to close so what variety to grow that is the question  an early or late cropping variety and the crop will probably need a good environmental fine mesh to stop the aphids moving in

looked at 2 varieties kapitan and pentland brig  but unsure what to grow any advice much  appreciated

[mumofstig]

Pentland Brig is my favourite, it is less curly than most kales and tastes more cabbage-like, I find some of the others quite bitter. You can eat it all through winter, as long as you don't pick it too hard.
In some years the aphids are bad, in other years there are very few, I find. Nothing that a soak in salt water won't put right though...

[Dev]

I find that Red Russian is easy to grow and tasty. Dwarf green is also pretty good. Some of the purple kales are decorative as well as good eating. Whitefly is the major problem for us. Cavolo Nero is a nice kale, but try getting the little b*****rs out of the dimples. You need to go over each leaf gently with a nail brush. I've saved seed from Red Russian as well - that turned out to be quite successful.

[rowlandwells]

I think I mite give pentland brig a try from what your saying Mum its probably not so curly as some with an open habit and as i nderstand its an old variety

would i asume you can sow from  May to mid July so the Kale matures to pick overwinter ?
 planting space around 2ft apart i

[mumofstig]

I just follow the packet instructions....
https://www.dtbrownseeds.co.uk/Vegetable-Seeds-1/Kale-Seed_2/Kale-Pentland-Brig-Seeds.html

[rowlandwells]

no probs MUM many thanks for that RW