Crop lessons · Brassicas (cabbage family)
Brassica oleracea var. acephala · Brassicaceae (cabbage family)
Kale is a sweet, nutritious leafy green for Florida's cool months, picked a few leaves at a time from late fall into spring. Florida-suited varieties are slower to bolt in mild winters, and Tuscan (lacinato) kale often lasts into summer. Take only the lower leaves, never more than a third of the plant at once.1, 2
| Region | Months on the UF/IFAS calendar |
|---|---|
| North Florida | January transplant · February transplant · August transplant · September transplant · October transplant · November transplant · December transplant |
| Central Florida | January transplant · February transplant · September transplant · October transplant · November transplant · December transplant |
| South Florida | September transplant · October transplant · November transplant · December transplant |
Months follow UF/IFAS Gardening Solutions, "What to plant by month"; "transplant with care" is their wording for crops that resent root disturbance. Not sure of your region? Find your county.
| How to start | seed or transplant (easily transplanted) |
|---|---|
| Seed depth (inches) | ¼ to ½ |
| Spacing in the row (inches) | 8 to 12 |
| Between rows (inches) | 18 |
| Days to harvest | 50 to 70 (SP 103); Gardening Solutions says 70 to 80 from seed or about 55 from transplants |
SP 103 planting dates: north Sept to Feb, central Sept to Feb, south Sept to Jan. Gardening Solutions says seed can be sown any time from September through January or February.
| Sun | A sunny spot. |
|---|---|
| Soil pH | 5.8 to 6.3 (SP 103's general target for vegetable gardens on sandy soil; no change is needed anywhere from 5.5 to 7.0). No crop-specific figure was found. |
| Water | Water regularly. |
| Fertilizer | SP 103 notes that leafy crops such as lettuce, kale and collards benefit from side-dressings of a nitrogen fertilizer during the season (general advice for leafy vegetables). |
Not fussy about soil and grows in a wide range of types. 'Winterbor' reaches about 2 feet. Ornamental kales are edible but usually bitter.
Pick lower leaves as they reach usable size, taking no more than one-third of the plant at a time, and keep harvesting into spring. Kale keeps a few days to about a week in the refrigerator, stored whole and unwashed (FY1548).
suited with care
The FAO manual groups kale with the cabbages that have medium nutrient demand and lists it among other crops commonly grown in aquaponics; its cover photo shows curly kale growing on a deep-water raft. No detailed kale guidance is given.
Your county extension office and its Master Gardener volunteers can fill these in for your garden.
Every fact above is restated in our own words from these documents, written 2026-11-02. Independent of the University of Florida.