Black Magic Kale Seed | Territorial Seed

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Brassica oleracea, Acephala Group Fast becoming known as the "Queen of Greens", kale is one of the healthiest vegetables on earth. Kale is a true super food rich in carontenoids and flavonids, which are two powerful antioxidants that protect our cells from free radicals and are reported to specifically fight against the formation of cancerous cells. One cup of kale has just 36 calories, zero grams of fat, a whopping 684% of RDA of K, 206% of A, and 134% of C vitamins.

Days to maturity are calculated from date of direct seeding; subtract 15 days if transplanting.

Direct Sowing
• Cover seed with loose soil, vermiculite, or sifted compost and water evenly
• Sow June—July for a fall crop

Transplanting
• Start indoors 4-6 weeks before anticipated transplant date
• Work in 1/2 cup of TSC's Complete Fertilizer around each plant
• Start May—July for transplanting June—August for a fall crop

From Seed

Soil Temp for Germ 55–75°F
Seed Depth ¼"
Seed Spacing 4–6"
Days to Emergence 5–17
Thin Plants to 12–24"
Row Spacing 18–36"
Fertilizer Needs Medium
Minimum Germination 75%
Seeds per Gram ≈ 300
Seed Life 3 years

Sunlight Requirements

Kale thrives in full sun, requiring 6-8 hours of direct sunlight daily for optimal leaf growth and flavor. It can tolerate partial shade (4-6 hours), especially in warmer climates to prevent wilting, but less light may result in smaller leaves and slower growth.

Watering Requirements

Kale needs consistent, deep watering, about 1-1.5 inches of water per week (roughly 0.6-0.9 gallons per square foot), keeping soil evenly moist but not waterlogged to support robust leaf growth. Water 1-2 times weekly at the base, increasing frequency in hot, dry conditions and reducing in cooler or rainy weather to prevent root rot. Heat and moisture stress can cause tough and bitter leaves.

Soil Requirements

Kale thrives in well-draining, fertile loamy soil with a pH of 6.0-7.5, rich in organic matter like compost or aged manure to support vigorous leaf growth. Avoid heavy clay or sandy soils unless amended with organic matter to improve drainage, nutrient content, and moisture retention. Side dress with a nitrogen-heavy fertilizer when the plants are about four inches tall.

Benefits & Care Tips

Kale is a cool-season crop that performs best in spring and fall. In wet climates, ensure adequate plant spacing to reduce pest and disease issues

Kale Disease Prevention
• Dispose of diseased material, proper crop rotation of 3-4 years, apply Neem for mildews.
• Common kale diseases: Leaf spot, black rot, fungal diseases, mold, mildew, club root.

Kale Insect Information
• Aphids: Control aphids with ladybugs or a hard spray of water or Pyrethrin. Also, select varieties that mature later in the season when aphid populations decline.

Cabbage worms, loopers, and root maggots: The first sign of cabbage worms will be off-white butterflies fluttering near the plants. They lay their yellowish-colored eggs on the undersides of leaves, which hatch into caterpillars that can cause severe root and head damage. To control light infestations, spray plants with Bacillus thuringiensis (B.t.). For heavy infestations, bait cabbage worms by mixing wheat bran into a B.t. solution. Add 1 tablespoon of molasses. Broadcast the bran mixture around the base of plants. Reapply as necessary. Using Reemay or Summer Insect Barrier can also provide control.

Flea beetles: Flea beetles chew tiny pinholes in leaves. Early control is essential to minimize the damage. Spray infected plants with Pyrethrin. Using floating row covers such as Summer Insect Barrier can also provide control.

Symphylans: In some areas of the US, symphylans (also known as garden centipede) can severely impede the plant growth of many crops. Only 1/4 inch long, white, and very active, they eat the root hairs of developing plants. Using larger transplants helps reduce damage. Contact your local county extension agent if you suspect you have a problem.

How to Harvest Kale

• Harvest leaves from the bottom up at any size; harvest leaves at the "baby" stage to increase number of harvests
• Harvest before the weather turns hot and dry
• Cool weather and frost brings out best flavor
• Store at 36°F and 95% relative humidity

When Will my Order Ship?
Though we cannot guarantee a specific time frame, new orders that are in stock will take approximately 48 business hours to ship. Pre-ordered items such as plants and garlic will ship at their designated time noted in the product description.

When Will my Transplants Ship?
Plants are sent out according to the shipping date chosen by you when they are ordered. Since our live plants are dependent on the weather to mature, they can be delayed. We reserve the right to slightly alter the shipping dates if there are maturity problems. Remember, plants are living things and don’t always follow schedules.

Before shipping, each transplant is hardened-off in the crisp night air of our short season farm. When they arrive at your door, they're ready for your garden.

When Will my Garlic or Shallots Ship?
Garlic and shallot bulbs are shipped ONLY in the fall - September through mid-October, depending on the season and the variety.

Product FAQs

What growing zone do I live in?

We base our zones off the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map. You can find out what zone you live in here.

Do you sell genetically modified seed?

No! We are a 100% non-GMO company, and are signers of the Safe Seed Pledge. The Safe Seed Pledge can be found towards the bottom of our About page.

What is Heirloom Seed?

Heirloom is a descriptive term with no definitive definition. At Territorial Seed, we categorize a variety as an heirloom if it is from pre-World War II, open pollinated, and has a history of being preserved and passed down through the generations. In other words, heirlooms are time-tested favorites.

What does F1 or Hybrid mean?

The F1 symbol is used to indicate that a variety is a hybrib. Seed that is noted to be a hybrid would be the result of pollen from one variety fertilizing the flower of another variety; cross pollination. You would not want to save seed from a hybrid as it would not grow "true to type" to the plant you saved the seed from.

What does OP or Open Pollinated mean?

An open-pollinated variety will produce new plants that are "true to type" or just like the parent plant, as long as it has not cross-pollinated with another variety. You can save seed from open-pollinated varieties.

What does TS Select Mean?

Quality is never an accident; it’s always a result of dedicated effort, and we believe traditional, high-quality open-pollinated varieties are worth the effort. Existing open-pollinated seed varieties need care and attention to ensure the desired original characteristics are preserved. In our Organic Conservation Breeding Program we select varieties for their original positive attributes, and continuously adapt them to the organic growing conditions. Territorial Select Strains are unique organic seed varieties that are the result of this program. Many of our varieties have been grown and selected under organic conditions for over 25 years and are well adapted to low-input farming and gardening practices. We are committed to providing the broadest possible range of proven true-to-type, high quality organic seed varieties for home garden and professional organic farming.
Look for the varieties with the Territorial Select icon, for seed grown at our organic farm from our Organic Conservation Breeding Program.

What does Parthenocarpic mean?

This word literally means virgin fruit. Parthenocarpic vegetable varieties have the ability to produce fruit without being pollinated. These fruits will also be seedless. The most common fruiting vegetables for which parthenocarpic varieties can be found are cucumbers, tomatoes, summer squash, and eggplant. In the case of cucumbers, the fruit will be seedless if kept in isolation from other pollen-producing varieties. With other vegetables, parthenocarpy allows earlier fruit formation (often in less-than-ideal conditions), but under normal circumstances will eventually produce seeded fruit due to normal pollination activity.

What is your Fertilizer recipe?

4 parts seed meal or fishmeal

1 part agricultural lime or dolomite

1 part ⅓ rock phosphate, ⅓ bone meal, ⅓ kelp meal

To use an organic fertilizer in a cost effective manner, spread the fertilizer around the plant or incorporate it into the soil to a depth of 4–16 inches.

Below seeds, we recommend making a 3 ½ inch deep furrow, sprinkling complete organic fertilizer in the bottom of the furrow and covering the fertilizer with soil.

Sow the seeds on top of this soil, then cover the seeds as necessary.

Above is a formula for a complete and well-balanced fertilizer. All quantities are in volume, so the items may be scooped out. Mix thoroughly and store in a dry place.

Seed meal means any kind of ground-up seed, which is usually a by-product of oil making. Cottonseed, soy, canola and linseed meals are usually available. Cottonseed is the most inexpensive and is easy to work with. Fish meal tends to have a strong odor. All these meals are high in nitrogen, contain moderate amounts of phosphorus and are weak in potassium.

Agricultural lime should be finely ground (65–100 screen) so it acts quickly. Do not use quick, hydrated, or slaked lime for fertilizing purposes. Use dolomite lime sparingly as it’s 50% lime and 50% magnesium. Bone meal and rock phosphate are effective phosphate fertilizers. Bone meal is faster acting, but is more costly and tends to become lumpy. Kelp meal adds potassium and most necessary trace elements.