Is Kale an Annual or a Perennial?

[@BackToReality]

Thanks for all of the comments everyone! As usual, I learn so much from you guys! For example, it looks like biennials are a little less strict about the TWO-year life-cycle than I had thought. Many of you have reported that your kale plants are on their third or fourth season, and still going strong. So it sounds like it would be more accurate to think of biennials as "short term perennials". They typically require more than one year for full maturity, may last for several, but won't last indefinitely... And most biennials are also good self-seeders, so you could potentially keep a patch of kale going for many years, if you allow them to reproduce undisturbed. Plus, as some of you pointed out, there are a few kale varieties that ARE true perennials and will come back year after year anyway. Oh, and a few of you described kale as a vile weed. lol Either way, thanks again for sharing your experiences (and preferences) with us all!

[@Youdontknowmeson1324]

You should get daubentons kale or kaliscopic homesteader hardy tree kale Also you should try sea kale which isn’t a true brassica but a crambe which is related to brassicas but much more hardy and Turkish rocket is Also good to.

[@vikingbeard]

15 years ago I got a few Red Russian kale plants from a friend (we're both in Norway). He's had it growing for 20 years after sowing once. It drops seeds the second year and there will always be plenty of new plants. Mine has later mixed with another Brassica, all varieties are hardy with delicious flower buds/stalks. If harvesting before flowering, it will keep producing new buds/stalks all season. My favorite plant. If anyone wants to try it out and can't get Red Russian (or similar) seeds where you live, I will send some for free.

[@VeganPrepper]

I live in zone 9b according to USDA hardiness zones, in the Phoenix, Arizona area. My goal is always to get my kale plants to last through summer (our harsh season) so I can have two solid years of growth. I plant lacinato or dinosaur kale exclusively and they get anywhere from 1-2 meters tall with several branches. One plant can give an insane amount of kale if it makes it for its second season. I'm not sure you guys could grow that variety through a winter, but even in its first season I find lacinato kale to be such a beautiful (both figuratively and literally) space saver as it tends to grow vertically very quickly compared to other varieties, and doesn't bush out quite as much. I adore my little kale towers. The base, even at its biggest, will be maybe 4 cm across and the leaves are usually at least a half a meter off of the ground if they haven't been picked yet, leaving a lot of room for planting other things underneath. The height of the leaves doesn't usually seem to block much sun. Anyway, thank you for an amazing video.

[@Samuel-yi5eo]

I sowed kale in the late summer early fall a couple years back. They were tiny sprouts by the time the snow hit. Despite the -20C lows over winter they survived and were early greens next year. Lots of seeds from this plants by the end. Now kale is a weed in those beds 😂

[@KatherineKoroluk]

Kale flower shoots are one of my favourite spring veggies - so good stir fried! They are super productive too. Blue curled scotch kale and red Russian kale have performed best for me in London Ontario, I haven’t been able to get lacinato kale to survive the winter yet… it’s also fun to save the seed and use it for micro greens (usually they will cross-pollinate so may not grow true)

[@rom4217]

We have kale going strong for 3 years now, flowering for the second year straight. The largest has an 8cm thick stem. It has gone through -21C winters without protection. Sadly, most gardening information online is useless, excluding wonderful channels like yours, of course.

[@BackToReality]

Oh cool! Do you know what the variety is? I wonder if it's an actual perennial (seems like there might be a few) or just a fluke?

[@rom4217]

@@BackToReality The variety is called Scarlet Kale. We’ll be testing it with another variety called Dazzling Blue. Also, absolutely DO keep the seed! We always keep ours and over a single season you will notice how the following generation grows better as it adapts to you soil and climate conditions.

[@frimfrim9689]

Hello. I experienced the same thing. I am in Québec in zone 5b. Last autumn, after watching Huw Richards (he is in Wales), I decided to let my kale hibernate in my raised bed, hoping that it would survive and go to seed. Huw Richards says that the kale flower shoots are just as good as brocoli. Well, when the snow melted, my kale looked all yellow and dead, so I made the mistake of cutting it. BIG MISTAKE. A few days later, on the top of the compost pile, the cut stalks were pushing out new green baby leaves. Next year, I will know better! BTW, I never get tired of watching you. You are so great, funny and interesting! 👍👍👍

[@cristofersiech4692]

short and sweet, with all the info and non of the bs : ]

[@nickthegardener.1120]

It’ll flower this year, my kale survived winter and flowered in spring. I saved the seed and sent some to Canada and USA, Florida.👍🏻🤠

[@BackToReality]

Oh that's awesome! I'm looking forward to this unexpected opportunity. :)

[@nickthegardener.1120]

@@BackToReality wait until the seeds are brown and fat! I germinated some and they popped in a couple of days and almost 100% germination.👍🏻🤠

[@kaigogolin515]

Actually we can have our kale for several years here on the west coast of Canada. Location is Quadra Island ... east of Vancouver Island. They will put more effort to seed after the first year but we just cut off the flower buds early... They taste very good too....... and they are actually also good self seeder and we need to just weed the excess seedling out of the garden. Keep up making great videos... I love them... And thanks a lot for the videos on Quack Grass. 🌻 🌻

[@BackToReality]

Ok, maybe this WILL mean never sowing again! :) Gotta love plants that do the work for us! lol Now I'm really looking forward to tasting some of the flowers too!

[@annjones3672]

My brother spent every summer for years in the 70's on Quadra Island at the Sea Cadet camp. They were the best years of his life.

[@kaigogolin515]

@@BackToReality We pick the flower buds as long as they are still closed... when they look a little like broccoli...just not as dense

[@kaigogolin515]

@@annjones3672 I came from Europe (germany).... just can't leave anymore... too beautiful here and the community is very lively and lovely

[@nicolasbertin8552]

I thought everybody knew cultivated cabbages are biannuals, like carrots and beets. But a few are not. Daubenton cabbage is a true perennial, just like wild cabbage (also called maritime cabbage).

[@BackToReality]

Alas, I did not know that prior to this season. But I do now! :)

[@gpirespires]

I have three kale plants which are very much alive and producing really good in their 4th year. Charles Dowding has similar experience with a kale plant: given the right support, they actually grow incredibly tall. The same goes for other more traditional cabbages in Portugal, such as the Portuguese couve penca: these can become perennial plants and grow to enormous heights. I live in Portugal, Sintra, close do Lisbon, where we have a microclimate which is colder and more humid than in the rest of the country, similar to the South of England.

[@kaigogolin515]

I'm at the westcoast BC and the best self seeder is the Russian red variety. The seedlings are everywhere... even on some path and in / around the compost pile. It's actually like growing MIcrogreens ... just instead of in a tray it's right in the garden.

[@Youdontknowmeson1324]

There is more perenial kales like Michigan tree collard kale, kaliscopic kale, walking stick kale, tree collards. There also is sea kale which isn’t a true kale but a crambe species which closely related to true brassicas.

[@shevlin2650]

My wife and I just came across your channel two weeks ago and watch a few episodes during and after breakfast. We truly enjoy your videos, especially the no-till potatoes. Have you ever tackled planting sweet potatoes in the hay method? Plus, with all the wildflowers around you should try raising honey bees. Craig and Jean from SW VA, USA

[@BackToReality]

Thanks so much Craig and Jean, I'm really glad that you've been enjoying our videos. :) We've not yet grown sweet potatoes in this way, but hope to in the future. We'll be sure to post a video about it when we do!

[@ivacheung792]

Flower stalks from overwintered kale are some of my favourite springtime vegetables. They are tender and delicious!

[@carolschedler3832]

We love to eat the seed stalks. A delicacy and then we let it go to seed. My sister had some (seedlings were from me) that grew a third season(year). We are zone 6b. So just depends on the harshness of the winter. Mine are unprotected. I also had one spinach that overwintered and some mustard greens. This a real benefit to our pollinators.

[@bradhafichuk]

Did you consider setting aside a patch of garden to see what would happen if the Kale were to self-seed over a 4-5 years? I wonder if you could get a reasonable germination rate to make this worthwhile. I'm also curious as to what happens with the 3rd year "growth", does it rot and become worm food or continue the seeding cycle?

[@BackToReality]

Well shoot, NOW I'm considering it! lol A bunch of people have commented that their plants have survived into a third year, so now I'm curious too! I've also read that kale is an excellent self-seeder, so perhaps a good patch of kale COULD just come back year after year if it was left to its own devices. Technically it would be new plants, but who cares, as long as it keeps producing. :)

[@vcie515]

​@@BackToReality That's exactly what I'm doing! I let my Kale bloom, then it self-seeds, and I just transplants the tiny new plants, so they have enough space in the following season. Much less work, and more robuste plants. And no kale seedlings in my living room anymore! 😅

[@glennwilck5459]

Yes give it a spot to self seed and it will thrive!

[@AndreasGav]

Simply the best channel! Thank you again!

[@sarkasmyth5422]

I'm growing variegated Daubenton kale for few years now. It looks stunning on the plate and in the garden.❤ an awesome edible ornamental! The Taste is not as good as the "annual" but who cares if this lady is happy to grow I'm happy to eat 😁 Each year I take cuttings in the case of very cold winter, but so far I just multiply this beast and spreading it everywhere 😅. Winter gets rarely under -10⁰C in my place (UK). And chickens loves it too 🎉

[@JacobClayton09]

Definetely collect seeds when you can. It is often super easy and very rewarding. You can get 100x the seeds you would get in a $2 seed packet for relatively low effort. So you always have a ton of backup seeds if you have a failed planting and for future years if need be. I also found that for biennials, such as carrots in my experience so far. You can stress them out and some will produce viable seeds the first year, if you are in need of seeds a year earlier.

[@C-Hirsuta]

You gotta try the flowers! They're so sweet and delicious, before and after they bloom. Before they bloom they're like tiny broccoli.

[@bobg5362]

After reading many of the comments here, it sounds as if kale is not so much biennial as two staged. Stage one is the first year where it establishes itself. Stage two, the reproduction stage, happens every year afterwards, with the plant focusing on reproducing instead of growth. From a commercial farming standpoint, this reproductive focus may result in less output. Combine that with a potential nightmare scenario of cabbage worms setting up shop in a permanent brassica patch, and it make sense that commercial farmers began treating it like an annual. I'm also sure the big seed companies don't mind selling them fresh seed every year.

[@OldSchoolPrepper]

in my area of the world (Oregon zone 8B) it both reseeds AND the old plants will over winter and come back (year 3 on the Kale, year 8 on the swiss chard, year 10 on the onions)....so I guess it's both? BTW the tomatoes I buried and over wintered in situ are popping up ALL OVER, I think I will have about 1 billion plants :)

[@jmacd8817]

As a recent Texas transplant, im envious. We go from way to cold foe anything but seed starting, to too hot and dry for most things to grow. It doesn't help that out soil is a tough clay, almost kalichi. Slow trying raised beds, but very slow going... Regardless, i enjoy watching your guys' progress.

[@glennwilck5459]

If your soil is bad amend it or build beds and find shade for it if too hot if too dry eater is key

[@Muizepluisje]

Love your channel and how you talk about stuff! Easy, entertaining, well thought, and interesting! Follow!

[@amayatheperson1074]

Very interesting! Thank you for clarifying this concept! Have a happy growing season! 🌱

[@BackToReality]

You're welcome. And thanks, you too! :)

[@Blackhuf]

Hey, that kale on the thumbnail looks exactly like most of my kales from last year :D I always keep them 2 years. One of them in a favorably spot even lived 3 years! I didn't know this was possible ;) Keep up the great videos and I'm looking forward to hear from your experiences with the second year kale

[@BackToReality]

Thanks Blackhuf! Have you ever tried saving the seeds? This will be a new learning experience for us...

[@Blackhuf]

@@BackToReality Yeah, I actually save the seeds of all of my vegetables :D This year I sowed the seeds of the 3 year old kale plant and they came up lovely! Have fun with saving seeds, it is very fulfilling :)

[@nefariousyawn]

If you have an excess of seeds from your 2nd year plants, you can turn them into mustard!

[@BackToReality]

wait, what?! Are you serious? lol Oh my goodness, I just looked it up. I had no idea! I am totally doing this if we have enough. Thanks for the tip!

[@nefariousyawn]

@@BackToReality I just learned about this myself, so I was really excited to mention it. Brassicas are useful and delicious all the way to the seed.

[@hansmaulwurf6805]

That was new for me, thanks! Cheers from Germany

[@lambsquartersfarm]

Blue Scotch Curly / Vates kale is my best performer for overwintering in Canadian winters.

[@BackToReality]

Thanks for the tip! I'll keep those in mind for this year!

[@kmathis2352]

I planted brussel sprouts and fennel over a year ago. I just cut back the fennel a few weeks ago back to the stock, and they're already growing back again. I cut back Brussel sprouts, and they're sprouting back up, too. My Brussel sprouts haven't really developed good sprouts. But I eat the large leaves.

[@IlkkaVuoristo]

Brassica flowers, seed pods and seeds are edible.

[@BackToReality]

Nice! More free food! :) We'll have to try them this year. Thanks! Do you eat them, and if so, how would you recommend (raw, cooked, etc.)?

[@IlkkaVuoristo]

@@BackToReality When I get them I'll have a salad.

[@Youdontknowmeson1324]

Perenial varieties of kale are better sea kale is very good it is not a true kale but it very cold hardy it member of the genus crambe. Tree collards like kaliscopic kale, daubetons, kosmic kale and Michigan tree collards are also Perennial kales that have been bred for being Perenial and are true brassicas. I have sea kale at my house which is not a true brassica and I have Turkish rocket Perenial broccoli mustard similar to kale to they’s aren’t true kales but are closely related so you can’t really tell different between them except for Turkish rocket which is more mustard and broccoli. Sea kale is almost like kale but animals don’t eat as much and just needs some perlite and sand in the soil to grow better. Sea kale is native to coast of cold England and Europe it has bluish leaves and seeds are hard to sprout but easy grow root cuttings. It leaves are beautiful and have big white flowers. There is a rare gaint sea kale called flowering sea kale that can get as big as a horse when it flowers. It is also edible sea kale is hardy to zone 3 or 4 which can make it great for your climate.

[@HelenRullesteg]

For a minute there I was getting all excited thinking that I would now have kale for years to come without replanting ;-) - the plants that we have been eating the leaves from all winter are now flowering, well the buds we didn‘t eat, they taste great.

[@BackToReality]

Lol, I was pretty excited for a bit too! ;) Glad to hear they still taste great. I'm really hoping ours do too.

[@eleanorcramer7986]

Mine wintered over with great leaves and no cover but now it’s flowering. I’ve not cut tops off. May cultivate seeds.I think I’m seeing tomatillos sprouting from so many seed pods or lanterns. They reseeded themselves last year but not till late July. I’ve got seeds to start in pots.

[@BackToReality]

Did you continue eating the leaves during the winter?

[@bajoelsolverde]

Well, my kale (all 3 varieties) are still alive after 4 seasons. They bloom every spring, massive amount of flowers , bees love them. After they go to seed, the brunches with the top drys up and in the fall they start sprouting again from the base and they grow huge again. I thought they were bi annual also but they proved me wrong.

[@Barnaclebeard]

Maybe "bi-annuals" include perennials with two phases, when the first phase happens to be a year long

[@AJPemberton]

But 4 seasons is only one year? :-)

[@bajoelsolverde]

@@AJPemberton I meant to say 4 years. Actually 4 springs...or 4 winters...Pick one, any one 🌻

[@myrrhidian3166]

Florets of all brassicas (turnips, kale, mustard etc) can be eaten like broccoli. I prefer mine fresh or stir fried. There are true perennial kales out there as well which are generally propagated by taking cuttings. I've never had luck getting any kale plants to survive more than a few months before they're demolished by caterpillars, sadly.

[@TSis76]

Love your videos!

[@kidsalphabets]

Great video. Thx.

[@patkonelectric]

Here in Wisconsin zone 5a, my kale will serve the winter. And are self sowing. So all I I do is give them fresh mulch and water. They do the rest.

[@MeliponiculturaenCostaRica]

Those plants are really interesting, here it is way too hot for them to survive long enough, so I have tried saving in the fridge for a couple of months some beets and they didn't make seed. Kale just simply dies after some months outside. But onions should be giving good seed, and they don't, it is way too wet as well, so with those I have been letting them reproduce by divisions, and every now and then one makes seed and I can sow new ones.

[@NorthernMontanaHomestead]

Have you had any luck with lavender being a perennial?

[@BackToReality]

We did maintain a few lavender plants for several years but transplanted them a few times (we could never figure out where we wanted them long term) and they eventually failed. However, Paula is (excitedly) planning to grow them again this year! So we'll keep you posted on that!

[@gpirespires]

Oh, and the variety of the kale plants is Nero di Toscana.

[@Not_So_Weird_in_Austin]

In Austin I have walking stick Kale coming up 8n late July after cutting the stalk at ground level and leaving the roots in place. My LaCinato did not come back.

[@judifarrington9461]

The seed pods are very tasty.😊

[@KnowledgeNerd123]

Charles Dowding has a few perennial Kale varieties, there must be a couple or perhaps it's not a true kale

[@BackToReality]

Interesting, I'll check his out, thanks!

[@mikeharrington5593]

In the second season the new florets, which precede full blossom, are very sweet & tender & very tasty raw

[@Margatatials]

This is great news for me. I grow Kale to feed my pet rabbit, so the drop in taste quality wont affect me.

[@timbassett9132]

My kale and collard greens are three years old. Jacksonville Florida

[@1stbadger700]

I found that when I cut the stem of the kale they branch which provides even more leaves.

[@danennis3078]

Kale flowers are delicious. Don’t miss.

[@ajayasir5272]

I’m in zone 5b. I have purple kale that’s been growing for over 5 years. It’s never gone to seed.

[@FatherFH]

Can you try Yuzu amd Mayer Lemons in Canada

[@hxhdfjifzirstc894]

You're moving around so much, it looks like you have ants in your pants, LOL.

[@tysonschymizek5432]

Hope you guys are doing good. Been a LONG time since a video. Hope to see some new stuff soon. Take cars and be safe out there.

[@BackToReality]

Thanks for checking in! We're both doing really well. AND we just uploaded our latest video! :)

[@rajs2836]

All the best...

[@BackToReality]

Thanks Raj, same to you! :)

[@katherinepatrisha5379]

I have seen that kale flower bunches taste like broccoli robe

[@glennwilck5459]

Just let the kale drop it's seed and it'll come up on its own every year! Well if you let it

[@tarapayne4945]

On Kauai it’s a Perennial or at least a biannual 😊❤

[@SidecarBob]

Personally, I'd consider kale a weed. I don't know how anyone would choose to eat that stuff, let alone waste garden space growing it.

[@carolinejackson9405]

it contains some very health nutrients ..

[@SidecarBob]

@@carolinejackson9405 Perhaps, but the same nutrients can be found in other plants that you can enjoy eating.

[@wmp3346]

DEPENDS

[@bajoelsolverde]

Well, my kale (all 3 varieties) are still alive after 4 seasons. They bloom every spring, massive amount of flowers , bees love them. After they go to seed, the brunches with the top drys up and in the fall they start sprouting again from the base and they grow huge again. I thought they were bi annual also but they proved me wrong.

[@veganpowergirl]

I’ll try that 😍 Thank you so much for sharing your experience 🙏

[@dlsdyer9071]

In our area, celery and parsley are also biennial. What normally would winter over died off this year because it got abnormally cold. We even lost a potted bay tree and a lilac. Even the citrus suffered in the heated greenhouse. So, this year a new greenhouse will be installed with the ability to add extra insulation. Our wintered over peppers that were up potted a few weeks ago are loaded with blooms. We are looking at making a lot of our growing more permanent to reduce waste that comes with annual planting.