Autumn Star Kalettes are a frost-hardy F1 hybrid that brings a distinctive, compact harvest to cold-climate gardens across zones 3-10. These Brussels sprout relatives mature in 110 days, offering early-season florets that thrive in the cooling temperatures of fall. With a growth habit that won't overtake your garden bed, they're engineered for steady production when you plant them in fertile, slightly alkaline soil and keep them consistently watered through dry spells.
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Moderate
3-10
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Moderate
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These kalettes produce the best florets when given fertile soil with a pH between 6.5 and 7.5, and they respond well to moderate, steady irrigation rather than feast-or-famine watering. The hybrid vigor built into Autumn Star means reliable, uniform growth across your planting, and their frost-hardiness means you can extend your harvest well into late autumn as temperatures drop.
Autumn Star Kalettes are eaten as the small, cabbage-like florets that form along the stalk. They're roasted, steamed, or sautéed, often treated much like Brussels sprouts but with a slightly different texture and flavor profile that emerges as the season cools.
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Start seeds indoors 6-8 weeks before your transplant date. Keep soil temperature between 65-75°F for reliable germination. Expect approximately 800 plants per 1,000 seeds. Harden off seedlings over 7-10 days before moving them to the garden.
Transplant into the garden when seedlings are 4-6 weeks old and soil has warmed. Space plants 18-24 inches apart in rows 24-30 inches apart to allow the compact growth habit room to develop without crowding. Plant in early summer for a fall harvest, timing the 110-day maturity to peak production as temperatures cool.
Autumn Star Kalettes reach maturity at 110 days. Begin harvesting florets once they reach about the size of a marble, working from the bottom of the stalk upward. Florets improve in flavor after frost, so wait for cool fall temperatures if possible. Twist or cut individual florets cleanly from the stalk; the plant will continue producing new florets from upper nodes for several weeks of extended harvest.
For maximum floret production, you may top the central growing point once plants reach about 18 inches tall, which encourages lateral branch development and denser floret formation. Remove any yellowing or diseased lower leaves as they appear to improve air circulation.
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