Grow Kale for your Eyes!

Kale is my favorite green, because it's easy
to grow and very nutritious, and I saw today
on the news that it was part of a successful
study on reducing macular degeneration (along
with spinach, which I find hard to grow.) In
honor of this I'd like to pass along something
I've found in my many years of growing kale.

Kale will normally last only a year or so in
the garden and then flower and fade away, even
if you are just using a leaf or two from each
plant and harvesting continuously.  However,
I've found that if you trim a plant almost to
the ground, before it flowers or just because
it's gotten too buggy with aphids or cabbage
worms, it will often come back and grow another
year.  I have some plants (Red Russian variety)
that have been in place for at least two years
and I'm still enjoying my weekly-or-so leaf-
pilfering from them.

My favorite varieties are Red Russian, a some-
what new reddish-tinted variety, and the good
old Siberian Improved that you can get in
small or large quantities at feed and seed
stores.  Neither of these have curly leaves,
which makes it easier to check for bugs and to
wash the leaves after picking. 

--Anne 


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