Westlandse Winter Kale is an open-pollinated, organic green curly kale that brings Dutch winter-growing tradition to your garden. This bush-form variety reaches harvest in just 60 days from transplants, making it one of the faster kales available. Its real magic happens as temperatures drop: the eating quality improves dramatically with light frost, turning the leaves sweeter and more tender as autumn deepens. Sown in late summer and protected with row covers or cold frames, it can extend your harvest well into winter in most regions.
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The flavor of Westlandse Winter Kale actually gets better as the weather turns cold, a trait that justifies its name and makes it invaluable for fall and winter gardening. At 60 days to harvest from transplants, it's remarkably quick compared to many kale varieties. The curly green leaves are classic and productive, especially if you harvest by clipping individual leaves rather than removing the whole plant. Its hardiness and improved eating quality with frost make it far more than just a cold-hardy variety, it becomes a season-extending workhorse.
Westlandse Winter Kale is grown primarily for fresh harvest and continued culinary use through fall and winter months. The leaves are clipped individually as needed, allowing the plant to keep producing fresh greens over an extended season. Its hardiness makes it suited for fresh eating during cool weather when other greens have faded, and the improved sweetness after frost makes it particularly desirable for raw preparations and salads during autumn.
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Sow 2 seeds per cell in 50- to 72-cell plug flats, or 3 to 4 seeds per inch in 20-row flats, at a depth of 1/4 inch. Keep soil temperature above 75°F (24°C) until germination, then reduce air temperature to about 60°F (16°C). Seedlings should be ready to transplant in 4 to 6 weeks.
Transplant outdoors 12 to 18 inches apart in rows spaced 18 to 36 inches apart. Early spring transplanting suits warm-season production, though Westlandse Winter Kale is especially valuable when sown in late summer for fall and winter harvest. Protect with row covers to extend the harvest period, or use cold frames and hoophouses in cooler regions.
Beginning about 2 months after planting, harvest by clipping individual leaves rather than removing the entire plant. This method encourages continued leaf production throughout the season. The variety is very hardy, and eating quality improves with light frost during late fall. Row covers can extend the harvest period further into winter, or in mild regions the kale can be wintered in the open.
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