Kale is a go to vegetable for Auckland gardeners
Any Auckland backyard gardener will love how well kale thrives in our local climate. While standard summer salad greens wilt or bolt, this hardy plant pushes through every season. It tolerates the damp winter months with ease and handles the sunshine without turning bitter. Because it suffers from very few pest issues when the weather cools down, it provides a highly reliable food source. For low-maintenance gardening in east Auckland, you simply cannot beat this productive leafy green.
Best Kale Varieties for Auckland
If you're looking to grow kale in Auckland, consider these varieties:
Winterbor, known for its curly leaves and cold tolerance;
Lacinato, or dinosaur kale, which has a unique texture and flavor; and
Red Russian, celebrated for its vibrant color and sweet taste. These varieties thrive in Auckland's mild climate and can be sown in late summer or early autumn. Ensure they receive plenty of sunlight and regular watering for optimal growth. With the right care, you'll enjoy a bountiful harvest of nutritious kale throughout the cooler months.
Getting started
Regardless of which Kale variety you choose, getting started growing kale couldnt be simpler. Plant seeds direct where they are to be grown. About 1cm deep. Thin out excess seedlings when they are at the point of havnig 3-4 leaves. Thin to the point of having plants 30 to 45cm apart.
To care for your kale. Water deeply but infrequently and add mulch at the base to maintain moisture.
Aphids can be a problem so natural insecticides or even just a strong spray of water can deter them. Nasturtiums planted nearby (but not too near) will attract aphids and hopefully keep them away from your kale, as they much prefer nasturtium flowers and leaves to kale.
Harvesting Kale in Auckland
The great thing about kale is you can harvest as needed from the base up or outside in. You can keep your kale in ground for the winter and they will continue to supply you greens during the winter months. In fact Kale usually tastes best in winter It loves the regular rain and cool air or autumn and winter and cold winter nights actually turn the starches in the leaves into natural sugars, making your winter harvest taste much sweeter.
At the end of winter your kale will have a growth spurt, flower and go to seed. Space your planting to ensure are year round supply. Note you may need to plant in different areas during different seasons for best growth, eg full sun in winter, more shady area in summer.
Cooking Kale
Kale is considered a 'superfood', its rich in iron, vitamin C, K,A magnesium and calcium.
However kale does have a very strong taste and isn't for everyone, but with the right cooking decisions kale can be a free, nutritious and tasty addition to your plate.
Even in areas where kale is a dietary staple, its hardly ever eaten raw. In Italy and Portugal, it is slow simmered in soups.
In East Africa , the stems are cut away, the leaves rolled and finely shredded and then sauted with tomatoes, onions and oil
In Ireland, Colcannon blends boiled, chopped kale (or cabbage) into creamy mashed potatoes along with plenty of butter and green onions
