Dino Kale

From Hudson Valley Seed Company. Purchased in 2023.

Description and growing instructions below from Hudson Valley Seeds.

This beloved kale variety is the sweetest of them all.

The black-green foliage of this plant is nearly reptilian: deeply hued, rippled, and tough. Despite its rough appearance, it is extremely sweet and tender, a metaphor for our old dog, Kale. It was also Kale's favorite brassica, as it is for gardeners worldwide, who have given it many names: Lacinato, Cavolo Nero, Tuscan Kale, Palm Tree Kale, and Dinosaur Kale. A consistent, long-season garden companion, Dino Kale will never go extinct as long as you grow it each year.

While it isn't quite as cold hardy as its kale cousins, it usually survives most of the winter under a blanket of row cover and snow. The seed we sourced for this particular kale variety was selected after trialing several other sources, and we chose it for it hardiness, vigor, and broad leaves.

Use mature leaves in salads if marinated in an acidic dressing. The flavor is great in pasta dishes, or alone with garlic and olive oil.

GROWING INSTRUCTIONS.

Direct sow Dino Kale about a month before last frost. Or, sow under protection 8 weeks earlier, then transplant about a month before last frost. For a young, tender fall crop, sow 3-4 months before first fall frost. Avoid planting at edge of garden, as slugs love kale and will creep in for nightly dining. Harvest a handful of individual outer leaves from each plant; mature plants will be ready for another harvest in a few days.