KALE ‘Red Russian’ Vegetable Seeds
Also known as ‘Ragged Jack’
‘Red Russian’ kale is a colourful, hardy variety with blue-green leaves and striking purple veins. The leaves are soft with frilly edges and have a sweeter flavour than traditional Scotch kales. It’s ideal for baby leaf salad mixes, garnishes, or as a full-size winter green. Highly nutritious and packed with folate, vitamin K and C, calcium, iodine, and iron.
This variety is well-suited to all Australian climates — cool, temperate, arid, subtropical, and tropical — and can tolerate both hot and cold weather. It’s especially popular for winter gardens but can be grown almost year-round depending on your region.
Plant Type:
- Cool-season annual
- Hardy and tolerant of heat and frost
- Plant height: Up to 60 cm
Sow When:
- Soil temperature for germination: 10 – 25°C
- Cool climates: January – April
- Temperate: August – May
- Subtropical: March – June
- Tropical: March – July
- Arid: March – August
Germination:
- Days to germinate: 5 – 10 days
- Depth: Sow seeds 0.5 cm deep
- Position: Full sun to part shade
- Sow where: Directly into garden beds or seed trays; keep soil moist until seeds sprout
Soil Type:
- Rich, well-drained soil with plenty of organic matter
- Ideal soil pH: 6.0 – 7.5
Spacing:
- Thin or transplant to 30 – 45 cm apart
- Space rows 45 – 60 cm apart
Harvest:
- Days to harvest: 50 – 65 days
- Pick outer leaves as needed or harvest whole plants when mature
