Scarlet kale is delicious cut in fine ribbons for kale salad and is a nutritious addition to soups and stews. Grow plenty and harvest some at baby stage, leave others to grow big and frilly, picking individual medium-sized leaves and tender stems. Add mulch for harvest into the winter months—an ornamental edible for containers, veggie gardens, and mixed borders.
Remarkably attractive dark green kale with red veined, frilly, tightly curled leaves. A vigorous performer with good cold tolerance. Leaves darken to deep scarlet in late season. Begin harvesting leaves when young, and allow plant to grow well into the early winter.
Scarlet Kale is an open-pollinated, curled variety with deep red color that intensifies in cooler weather. Multiple harvests for continued productivity. Brassica oleracea. 65 days to maturity.
The broad, frilly, purple leaves grow on 2–3' tall, upright stalks. Red color on a blue-green background, as compared to the red color on a bright green background of Redbor. Scarlet plant height is not quite as uniform as Redbor. Great for baby leaf and bunching.
Lifecycle: Biennial
Zone: 8,9,10
Hardiness: Hardy Annual
Size: 2' h x 2' w
Sun: Full sun to partial shade
Soil: Rich, moist, well-drained
Season: Summer to fall
Seed to Bloom: 50-60 days to harvest (30 baby)
Color: Dark purple red foliage
Type |
Kale |
Family |
Cabbage Family |
Temperature Soil |
55-75F |
Temperature Daytime |
45-65F |
Temperature Evening |
40+F |
Lighting |
Full Sun, 6-8 Hours Per Day |
Water |
Light, Up to 3 Gallons / Week |
Maturity |
Moderate: 50-80 Days Harvest |
PH Neutral |
6.0-6.5 |
Zones |
3A-9B |
Plant Placement |
4 Plants, 4 Per Row |