Rubybor Kale is a striking F1 hybrid that brings deep purple curly leaves to the cool-season garden, ready to harvest in just 55 days from transplants. This dark-hued brassica thrives in the Brassicaceae family and grows as a compact bush, making it manageable for most garden spaces. Johnny's Selected Seeds introduced this variety as a fresh addition to the kale lineup, combining reliable hybrid vigor with the cold hardiness that makes kale such a rewarding fall and winter crop.
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Moderate
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Dark purple curly leaves distinguish Rubybor from traditional green kales, offering both visual drama and the same hardy, sweet character that improves with frost. The 55-day timeline from transplant to first harvests keeps this variety on the productive side of the kale spectrum, while its bush habit means you won't need sprawling garden real estate. As a hybrid, it brings consistent performance and vigor across the patch, with leaves that continue producing well into late fall when protecting with row covers.
Rubybor kale works equally well as a fresh-picked salad green during early harvests or as a substantial cooking green once leaves mature. The curly leaves hold texture well when sautéed, braised, or added to soups, and the purple color persists through cooking, adding visual interest to the plate. Many growers use late-season kale as a frost-sweetened addition to fall and winter meals, when sugars concentrate and bitterness mellows.
No timeline data available yet for this variety.
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 degrees Fahrenheit until germination, then reduce air temperature to about 60 degrees Fahrenheit. Seedlings should be ready to transplant in 4 to 6 weeks.
Transplant outdoors when seedlings have developed true leaves, spacing plants 12 to 18 inches apart in rows 18 to 36 inches apart. Time transplanting for early spring or late summer, depending on your regional climate and target harvest season.
Beginning about 2 months after planting, harvest by clipping individual leaves from the plant. Pick outer leaves first, allowing the center to continue producing new growth. Kale is very hardy, and eating quality actually improves into late fall with light frost exposure. Row covers or cold frames can protect plants and extend the harvest window well into winter in milder climates, or in the open in truly mild regions.
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“Rubybor represents modern kale breeding at Johnny's Selected Seeds, where it was developed as a contemporary addition to their kale offerings. Rather than resurrect an heirloom, this F1 hybrid was engineered to combine the color appeal of purple varieties with the reliability and productivity that home gardeners and market growers expect. The hybrid designation means its parents were carefully selected to express vigor and uniformity, traits that make it particularly suited to succession planting and seasonal harvests.”