Space plants 45cm in all directions.
Borecole is a variety of Kale which is easy to grow. Often known as curly kale the long loose leaves are crinkly with a distinctive blue-green colour. It has a long growing period. Young baby leaves can be eaten as salad from June and mature leaves are harvested for cooking from September to March. Borecole survives very cold winters.
Soil Preparation
Grow borecole on land that has not had cabbage, sprouts or other brassicas for at least 3 years.
Dig plenty of farmyard manure or garden compost into the ground. Work the soil so that it is fine and crumbly. Level it off and firm it down. Walk over it several times because borecole grows best in very firm soil.
Plant Out
Borecole is ready to plant out when the plants are 15cm tall and have at least four true leaves. The tiny cotyledons, seed leaves, don’t count.
Harden the plants off by putting the pot outside during the day and bringing it in at night for a week. This will help to get them acclimatised to the conditions outdoors.
Soak the pot of plants with water the night before planting out.
Take the plants out of the pot by placing a hand over the plants and tipping the pot upside down. The soil ball will fall out of the pot into your hand.
Turn the ball the right way up and gently tease the roots apart to separate out one plant. Take great care not to disturb the roots.
Make a hole in the ground that is as deep as the roots are long. Place the plant in the hole so that the bottom leaves are almost at soil level. Gently push the soil around the roots to fill in the hole.
Hold the leaves to keep the plant vertical whilst firming the soil down. Borecole responds to very firm conditions.
When all the plants are in, water them well. Keep the soil damp for a week or so, until the plants look well established.
Weeds Pull weeds out as they appear. This will remove any competition for water and nutrients.
Protect the plants with mesh to keep cabbage white butterflies and birds off the leaves. Pigeons can be a particular nuisance.
Fertilise with nitrogen fertiliser when the plant is about 20cm high.
Support
When the plant is about 60cm tall, give the borecole some support to prevent it blowing over in the wind. Knock a stake into the ground so that it is firm and tie the stalk to the stake. Mounding soil around the base of the stalk will also help stabilise the plant.
Harvest
Pick individual leaves off the plant with a sharp pull. The borecole will grow more side shoots for several months. The flavour improves after the first frost.
Varieties
To spread the harvest, and to ensure a constant supply of borecole, stagger plantings over a few weeks. Choose an early and a late variety.
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