DibbleGrowing kale: from seed to harvest
Start seeds indoors about 4 weeks before planting out, and set the plants out in the cool part of the year. It's hardy and gets sweeter after a light frost. Pick the lower leaves and it keeps producing for months.
Planting dates for kale by zone
| Zone | Start seeds indoors | Sow or transplant | Harvest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zone 3 | March 21 | April 18 | June 17 |
| Zone 4 | March 14 | April 11 | June 10 |
| Zone 5 | March 7 | April 4 | May 30 |
| Zone 6 | February 23 | March 23 | May 24 |
| Zone 7 | February 1 | March 1 | May 2 |
| Zone 8 | July 28 | August 25 | March 2 |
| Zone 9 | August 14 | September 11 | March 2 |
| Zone 10 | August 10 | September 7 | March 2 |
| Zone 11 | October 10 | November 7 | March 2 |
Each date is the start of the best window from the same climate engine the Dibble app uses, run at typical places in each zone. Dibble tunes them to your garden's own location and lets you adjust frost dates for your own yard.
Companion plants
Good neighbors for Kale:
Better kept apart:
Family and rotation
Kale is in the brassicas family. Hungry leaf crops. Follow legumes; avoid following other brassicas. Learn about crop rotation.
Related crops
Broccoli
When to plantRadish
When to plantCabbage
When to plantCauliflower
When to plantBrussels Sprouts
When to plantTurnip
When to plant
Questions
When should I plant kale?
It depends on your zone. Kale is a hardy crop, so the timing follows your last spring frost. Look up your zone in the table below for exact start, sow, and harvest dates, or open Dibble and set where your garden is to get your own calendar.
How long does it take to grow kale?
About 60 days from transplant to the first harvest, with a picking window of roughly 60 days after that.
What grows well with kale?
Good companions include Onion, Beet, Potato, herbs. Keep it away from Tomato, Strawberry.
Plant at the right time this season
Dibble builds your calendar in under a minute. Free to start, no account needed.