[maxibo]

Hmmm Paws I think you may be the Kale expert here!  Perhaps you can help me?  I was kindly given some Nero Di Toscana by another forum member back in July.  I dutifully sowed the seeds and all looked ok.  I then went on hols and left them with neighbour.  Sadly, I don't know what happened but they didn't survive my absence (luckily the cat and guinea pigs are ok!).  I am too late to sow some more?  We have a netted tunnel on our plot so the mature plants would be fairly sheltered once they were established and I don't mind a windowsill of pots if necessary.  Cheers! 

[devonbarmygardener]

I would give it a go tbh.
They are quite swift growing plants and are winter hardy if you can get them to a decent size

[Grubbypaws]

I am glad about the cat and the guinea pig 

I would probably start them off in pots so that if the weather turns bad you can move them inside and get them to a good size before planting them out. Having said that I am in the north not in Bristol.

What do you think Devonbarmy gardener?

[devonbarmygardener]

They would probably do fine in pots outside your back door for instance. I know perpetual spinach does ok like that

[maxibo]

Thanks Paws and DBG  I shall give it a go then. I was looking forward to some kale to pick and throw into winter soups and I do rather like pasta with kale, bacon and lots of garlic so wouldn't want to go without!

[Godhelm]

Went to pick some kale yesterday but seem to be covered with tiny moth-like flies (whitefly I think) which seem to have laid eggs and covered them with a web-like cover. Not exactly appetising. Any way to deal with this? I'm rapidly going off the whole brassica family!

[diospyros]

What do people do about build up of disease who grow genuinely perennial cabbages then?  I would guess if you keep mulching/feeding it you could carry on as long as you like.

[seaside]

Went to pick some kale yesterday but seem to be covered with tiny moth-like flies (whitefly I think) which seem to have laid eggs and covered them with a web-like cover. Not exactly appetising. Any way to deal with this? I'm rapidly going off the whole brassica family!

On occasion kale can attract whitefly big time. I have seen some big infestations, but it's all a bit erratic and some years the whitefly just don't bother. Mealy aphids are another brassica delight you might not have met yet.
Best thing to do with brassicas like kale, apart from properly netting with enviromesh that is, is keep a regular eye on them, tap the plants and look for whiteflies hanging around, and deal with the problem before it gets more advanced. Best to sluice off with a hosepipe... it does work with most of these very small pests in the early stages. If done 4 or 5 times during the Summer as and when necessary, then it defeats them and they fly off somewhere else.
Letting them establish a colony over 2 or 3 weeks without dealing with them is the mistake, and easily corrected.
Brassicas certainly do take a bit of tending.

[Auntiemogs]

Really sorry guys but I just don't have the energy to do a backward trawl...

What's the best way to harvest and freeze?  I have a few kale plants going great guns but my son doesn't like them and I'll be jiggered if I'm going to waste them. 

[maxibo]

Really sorry guys but I just don't have the energy to do a backward trawl...

What's the best way to harvest and freeze?  I have a few kale plants going great guns but my son doesn't like them and I'll be jiggered if I'm going to waste them. 

Hello Auntie M!  Paws says to just chop it up and freeze it in portion sized bags - no mention of blanching 

[Auntiemogs]

Really sorry guys but I just don't have the energy to do a backward trawl...

What's the best way to harvest and freeze?  I have a few kale plants going great guns but my son doesn't like them and I'll be jiggered if I'm going to waste them. 

Hello Auntie M!  Paws says to just chop it up and freeze it in portion sized bags - no mention of blanching 

Aw, fankoo Maxi (and Paws  ). Would be a shame to waste it.  xx

[devonbarmygardener]

The presence of small marigolds among your kale can ward off whitefly. Otherwise just a good washing and rubbing of the webby stuff with your thumb - it won't kill you

The enviromesh also helps

[gobs]

OK guys and girls'; help  . It is July and my Tuscany kale planted last July is still producing more then we can safely eat; plus the freezer is getting full! There is no signs of bolting. What do I do? The space has been pre-allocated to PSB which is arriving tomorrow, what do i do? if the kale is going to bolt tomorrow, no problem but how can i kill such  productive plants?

All kales are maximum biennials.