White Winter Sprouts - CO

Brassica oleracea

About 10 years ago we crossed a Brussels sprout with a variety of ornamental hybrid and open pollinated kales. Since then we have been selecting for a very winter hardy white laced kale that produces beautiful white sprouts in the winter and early spring. From a June planting, the large green leaves can be used as you would collards in the late summer and fall. After frost, the small inner white streaked leaves develop a sweet flavour and can be added to salads. From mid winter to early spring white sprouts can be harvested from the stalks to stir fry or use in salads. This is still a diverse landrace with a fair bit of variation in leaf shape and colour as well as distribution of sprouts on stalk. We have had fun trying to tame and refine this breeding project over the years, and wanted to release it so you might try your hand at seed selection too. 

Certified Organic

Growing kale
Kale prefers a well-draining fertile soil with high organic matter (compost) and a pH range of 6.0–7.5. Plant from early spring to ~3 months before expected fall frost. For bunching, sow 3–4 seeds every 12–18", ½" deep, in rows at least 18" apart. Thin to 1 plant per group. For baby leaf, sow tighter (60 seeds/ft) in a 2–4" wide band. If starting indoors, seedlings should be ready to transplant in 4 weeks. Kale prefers cooler growing temperatures, 55–75°F (13–24°C) as a minimum, optimal of 60–70°F (16–21°C), but will still produce in warm summer conditions. Consistent moisture will produce the best quality leaves. For fall crops start seedlings in May transplanting out in June–July. To ensure maturity, seed early in areas where heavy freezes occur early in fall. Can be grown successfully where winters are mild;(temperatures rarely below 32°F/0°C), transplanting out from September to February in such climates.

OSSI pledged variety. For more info about our involvement with OSSI see here.