Scientific Name: Brassica oleracea

Common Name: Kale 'Dwarf Siberian'

Family: Brassicaceae

Origin:

Dwarf Siberian is a Russian heirloom kale, meaning it's extra cold hardy but will also grow well in temperate conditions.

Culinary Uses:

Dwarf Siberian kale has large, thick green leaves that make an excellent cooked green vegetable in stir fries.  Young leaves are more tender and can be added raw to salads and sandwiches.  The leaves of this variety can be sliced and made into kale chips or blended into a healthy green smoothie.  Kale freezes well if you have a bumper crop and cannot use it all in time.

Growing Tips:

Grow Dwarf Siberian kale in full sun or light shade.  Dig through plenty of organic fertiliser, well rotted manure and/or compost through the soil prior to planting for rapid growth.  Plant in free draining soil to prevent root rot, but water regularly and mulch plants well to keep their root systems cool and moist.  Dig gypsum through the soil if it is too heavy with clay particles.  This heirloom variety is both resistant to bolting and tolerant of frosts.

When To Sow:

Plant Dwarf Siberian kale seeds from February to May in cooler, temperate and subtropical regions of Australia.  Dwarf Siberian kale will not grow well in tropical regions of Australia.

How To Sow:

Sow Dwarf Siberian kale seeds 6mm deep spacing plants about 40cm apart to allow plenty of room for growth.

Germination Time:

Dwarf Siberian kale seeds take between 7 and 14 days to germinate once sown.

Time To Harvest:

Individual Dwarf Siberian kale leaves can be picked as soon as they are large enough to harvest.  Pick outer leaves first to avoid damaging the central growing tip.  If you wish to harvest the entire kale plant at once it'll be large enough to pick 7 to 9 weeks after sowing the seeds.