Russian Blend Kale Seeds

The only thing better than growing a Siberian Kale is growing two, and that's what you'll do with our custom blend of White and Red Russian varieties. These are the flavorful favorites for succulent, sweet goodness, and both types are adaptable to use as baby greens as well as mature leaves. You can't go wrong with Russian Blend!

White Russian is simply the cold-hardiest, most moisture-tolerant Kale we have ever grown. Pale silvery-gray leaves sport white veins and frilly, cut edges on plants about 2 feet high. Grow it in containers or the garden bed, setting out in late summer for fall harvest, then successively sowing all autumn for winter crops in mild climates. It works well in spring, too. White Russian is far more tolerant of damp soils and rainy winter weather than other Kales. It doesn't mind wet feet, making it far more suitable for winter crops. Frost only improves its flavor.

Red Russian is an oakleaf-shaped variety with dark green leaves sporting purple veins and stems. Very showy, it reaches 2 to 3 feet high, much larger and bushier than most other Kales. Like White Russian, its flavor is improved by frost, and it will continue through winter in most climates. Highly productive and very succulent, it remains a taste-test favorite decades after its introduction.

To prepare kale for cooking (though it is also delicious raw in salads), blanch it first. Then add it to soups, stews, casseroles, and side dishes. It holds up well to reheating, keeping its color and flavor nicely.

Kale may be sown indoors or out. If begun indoors, transplant the seedlings when they have at least 2 sets of true leaves. Space the plants about 1½ feet apart in sun-soaked, light soil (damp conditions are okay!). To direct-sow outdoors, begin about 12 weeks before first fall frost. Sow the seeds about 8 inches apart and 1/2-inch deep. Kale will taste best when flavored with a bit of frost, and in many areas can be grown all winter long.

Cabbage and Kale are cool-season vegetables high in nutrients, low in calories, and very tolerant of frost. They are used in many of the world's cuisines -- think egg rolls, sauerkraut, and stuffed cabbage, to name just a few! -- and some varieties are ideal as ornamental annual plants. They come in a wide range of colors, head shapes, and flavors, so you are certain to find a favorite among the many delicious (and beautiful) varieties!

Choosing a Variety

When you're deciding what variety of Cabbage or Kale to plant in your garden, your decision will be mainly based on your taste and storage needs. Large-headed late Cabbages usually store well and are good for cooking, proving especially appropriate for turning into sauerkraut. Savoy and conical types are more tender and therefore good for slaws and salads, while Chinese cabbage is heat tolerant and quite versatile -- it's delicious cooked or raw! As far as choosing a Kale, green ones tend to be sweeter while red varieties are somewhat more appealing to the eye. Red Kale also contains anthocyanins, an antioxidant!

When to Start

Cabbage seeds are best started indoors eight to ten weeks before the last frost, at a temperature of 70 to 75 degrees F. If you want a fall crop, sow outdoors in midsummer. In zone 8 and warmer, if you want a winter crop of Cabbage, sow outside in early fall.

Expect germination in 10 to 14 days.

How to Start

Sow your Cabbage seeds at a depth of 4 times the size of the seed, or ½ inch deep, in a sterile starting mix and water thoroughly. Once the seeds have sprouted, be sure to keep the soil lightly moist, and feed them with a liquid fertilizer at half strength every two weeks.

Make sure the plants receive plenty of light -- fluorescent light for around 14 to 16 hours a day is also ideal for the fastest growth. You will want to keep the seedlings just a few inches below the light so they don't“stretch”and get“leggy". If you don't have fluorescent lighting, a south-facing window will do just fine.

Chinese Cabbage and Kale do well direct sown into the garden. In cool-weather climates, other Cabbages can be started outdoors as well, up to four weeks before the last frost date. If you want a fall crop, sow seeds in midsummer.

To conserve seeds, group 3 or 4 together at the desired plant spacing instead of the traditional method of sowing in continuous rows. Water well and make sure the topsoil stays moist, especially if planting during the drier midsummer. Once your seedlings have reached several inches and have at least two sets of true leaves, pull up all but the strongest one in each group.

Harvest is usually within 50 to 90 days from sowing, depending on the variety.

Planting Out

Once the seedlings have two sets of true leaves, you'll need to start the“hardening off”process. Do this by setting them outdoors in a lightly shaded area for an hour or two. The next day, give them a longer visit outside until they remain outdoors overnight, still in their pots. Naturally, if a cold spell hits, bring them indoors again to wait for the temperature to rise.

Plant out as soon as the soil can be worked in spring, setting the plants at least 8 inches apart, in rows spaced 24 to 36 inches apart. (Exact spacing depends on the mature size of the plant.) Site your Cabbages in full sun in a rich, fertile, moist, well-drained soil, and feed them with 5-10-5 (or higher) fertilizer or nitrate of soda. Fertilize when first planting out and then every 4 weeks.

Special Considerations

• To avoid cutworm damage, place a tuna fish or cat food can (with top and bottom removed) around the young plant, buried halfway into the soil.
  
• Cabbage can be harvested anytime after the heads form. Just be sure to cut them when they are solid (firm to the touch) but before they split or crack.
  
• Be very careful when weeding as Cabbage roots are easily damaged by cultivation. If you fear the roots could be damaged by the removal of a large weed, clip it off instead of pulling it out.
  
• Carrots, Lettuce, Onions, and Spinach are all good companions to Cabbage.
  
• Dark green, leafy Cabbages contain a lot of Vitamin C, iron, and folate. Cabbage is also a good source of beta-carotene, potassium, and phytochemicals (plant-derived chemical compounds that are non-essential nutrients but still considered to be important to human health), such as glucosinolates, which are believed to help prevent lung cancer.
  
• Don't overcook your Cabbage, as this reduces its nutritional content.

Growing Tips

• Cabbage and Kale prefer cool weather and can tolerate light frosts.
• They perform best in full sun in moist, well-drained soil that is rich with plenty of organic material.
• If you can avoid it, do not plant Cabbage or Kale where they or other members of the Cabbage family were previously grown -- rotate the growing areas. Members of the Cabbage family include Broccoli, Cauliflower, Kohlrabi, Brussels Sprouts, Mustard, and Rapini. They are all susceptible to the same diseases, which can be passed through the soil from year to year.
• It's important to keep your plants moist, but it's especially important for crops that are started in summer.
• Mulch your Cabbage and Kale with up to 2 inches of organic material, being sure to keep the mulch about an inch away from the stem. This will keep the soil moist, control weeds, and provide some food for the plants.

Pests and Problems to Watch For

Aphids and cabbage loopers are some of the most common pests you will find bothering your Cabbage and Kale.

• Cabbage loopers are the caterpillar stage of a type of nocturnal moth, and their name comes from the way they arch their bodies as they crawl, inchworm style. They're very destructive to plants, as they have a voracious appetite for leaves. Covering the plants with screening or a row cover can prevent the presence of these pests.
  
• Aphids are often found on the underside of leaves and on stems and young buds. You can wash them off with a strong stream of water or use an insecticidal soap (be sure to follow the label instructions). Check the plants regularly, as aphids can be a recurring problem.

Rotate your crops to avoid soil-borne diseases.

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Brassica Germination Information

• Sow indoors, covering the seeds with 4X their thickness in soil
• Maintain the temperature of 68°-70° F during germination
• Germination takes takes 3-10 days
• For early spring color, sow in late winter
• When sowing seed outdoors, we recommend a maximum planting depth of 4X the width of the seed

Decorative, ornamental plants for beds, borders, and edging. Brassica is beautiful in containers. Ornamental Kale can also be eaten or used as a garnish.Plants display thick green leaves held in rosettes 12 inches across with centers of white, rose, or purple in fall and winter

Note: These seed counts are estimates. The actual number of seeds per ounce/pound may vary slightly.

* A few varieties may have a different (P) Pkt seed count than the quantity listed; check the specific variety's description for the number of seeds per pkt.

Superior Germination Through Superior Science

First of all, we have humidity- and temperature-controlled storage, and we never treat any of our seeds with chemicals or pesticides. Nor do we ever sell GMO's (genetically modified seeds), so you always know the products you're buying from us are natural as well as safe for you and the environment.

Superior Standards - University Inspected

Hand Packed By Experienced Technicians

When packing our seeds, the majority are actually done by hand (with extreme care!), and we often over-pack them, so you're receiving more than the stated quantity.

The Park Seed Gold Standard

Heirloom Seeds are open-pollinated -- they are not hybrids. You can gather and save heirloom seed from year to year and they will grow true to type every year, so they can be passed down through generations. To be considered an heirloom, a variety would have to be at least from the 1940's and 3 generations old (many varieties are much older -- some 100 years or more!).

Hybrid seed are the product of cross-pollination between 2 different parent plants, resulting in a new plant/seed that is different from the parents. Unlike Heirloom seed, hybrid seed need to be re-purchased new every year (and not saved). They usually will not grow true to type if you save them, but will revert to one of the parents they were crossed with and most likely look/taste different in some way.