Kale is a perfect compliment to the diet of tortoises, rabbits, guinea pigs and other small pets. Westland Winter Kale is an easy to grow vegetable that will provide a nutritious source of leafy greens throughout the winter, when most natural forage has died back. So if you want a ready supply of fresh winter greens, why not grow your own kale?
Our packets contain 50 seeds. They are grown in the UK on a farm with Soil Association organic certification.
The best time to sow is from late spring to early summer, although you can sow your seeds up to mid-August. But do bear in mind that seeds which are sown when it is late in the growing season will take longer to establish and would need to be kept protected from frost during their first winter, ideally kept in a greenhouse or equivalent.
You can grow kale successfully in containers as well as planting out directly into the soil. We sowed our seeds spaced only about 3 inches apart in troughs, and this "crowding" keeps the plants smaller, which then supplied us with a lot of smaller leaves (as you can see in all our photos). These 'Baby Kale' leaves are more tender than larger leaves on widely-spaced ground-grown kale plants, which is what we, our bunnies and our tortoise prefer!
As with all brassicas, feed kale in moderation to pets and as a part of a mixed diet.
Instructions
- Ideal sowing season: March - June
- Soil: Well-drained, organic-rich
- Position: Full sun, but will tolerate a little shade
- Watering: Keep soil moist
- Germination: 14-21 days
- Flowers: Will bolt (flower) in summer if it gets too hot
- Harvest: October - February
- Height: 40-60cm
Storage instructions
If you don't plan to use this product immediately, please store in a cool dry place.
