Planting Tips: Kale can be planted quite early in the garden. Sow the seeds about ¼ inch deep in moist, weed-free soil, spacing them roughly four inches apart. Once the plants have developed three sets of leaves, thin them to stand about a foot apart for best growth.

Harvesting Tips: You can begin harvesting baby leaves when they’re about the size of a soup spoon — just take one or two leaves from each plant so they aren’t stressed. As the plants mature, harvest leaves as needed. Kale grows sweeter after it has been touched by frost, so many gardeners plant two or more succession crops to enjoy fresh kale well into late fall. In milder climates, kale can even be harvested after a light snowfall or grown under cloches for use throughout winter.