Red Russian, Kale Seed Seed

Red Russian Kale Seed

Purple-stemmed leaves stay tender from baby to bunching size
Gray-green foliage carries attractive violet veining
Flat serrated texture diversifies salad mixes
Easy plants deliver colorful repeated harvests

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Key Attributes

Botanical Name

Brassica oleracea

Days to maturity

50 Days

Sun

Full Sun

Packet

1000 Seeds

About Red Russian, Kale Seed, Kale Seed

The Red Russian Kale is a very tender, colorful specialty kale for salad mix and bunching. This variety is a special, refined strain. Its stems are purple and leaves are deep gray-green with purple veins. This flat, noncurled, and tooth-edged kale has a wonderful taste. Red Russian matures medium-tall and leaves are tender compared to other kales.

Growing details

Planting

Sow Depth

1/2"

Days to Germination

3–10 days

In-row plant spacing

12-18"

Row Spacing

18-36"

Plant profile

Maturity

Spring, Fall, Winter

Life Cycle

Annual

Plant Height

36 inches

Growth Habits

Rosette

Seed & variety

Seeds Per Ounce

8,900

Color

Red

Seed Type

Open Pollinated

Growing Season

Cool-Season Crop

Before Planting

Kale benefits from a full-sun site with fertile, well-drained soil where brassica crops have not recently grown. Incorporate compost and use a soil test to adjust pH and nutrients, supplying lime before planting only when needed. Prepare a firm, weed-free bed and harden transplants gradually before setting them outdoors.

Planting

Kale may be direct-sown in cool weather or started indoors 4–6 weeks before transplanting. Maintain about 70–75°F until germination, then give seedlings bright light and cooler conditions. Harden transplants gradually and set them out before summer heat for spring crops, or sow in midsummer for fall harvest. Thin direct-sown seedlings after true leaves develop.

Watering

Kale performs best with consistent moisture, generally 1–1½ inches weekly. Irrigate deeply during dry periods and direct water toward the root zone to keep foliage drier.

Fertilizer

Kale is a moderately heavy feeder. Apply balanced fertilizer according to soil tests, with a light nitrogen side-dressing as leaves, heads, or stems begin enlarging.

Harvesting

Cut kale leaves at the desired baby or mature size while they remain crisp and well colored. Harvest outer leaves repeatedly, or remove the whole plant before flowering begins.

Tips

Protect young kale with row cover before pests arrive. Maintain cool conditions with mulch, rotate crops regularly, and avoid letting old plants or weeds host brassica insects between seasons.

AVG. Seeding Rate

For bunching: 1,000 seeds/220', 1 oz./1,110', 1 lb./24,000'.

Pests & Diseases

Black rot, clubroot, downy mildew, Alternaria, and blackleg can persist through repeated kale harvests. V-shaped yellow lesions with dark veins indicate black rot. Use clean seed, rotate brassicas, remove infected leaves before handling healthy plants, and keep diseased kale volunteers from bridging seasons.

Monitor kale for caterpillars, flea beetles, aphids, and root maggots. Use row cover before pests arrive, remove eggs and larvae by hand, and clear brassica residue after harvest.