Kale going to seed

My curly kale has done great service for over two years, this is its third spring. Now it is going to seed which it hasn't done before. Most brassicas go to seed in their first year. Why is kale different? Why now?

David

Reply to
David Hare-Scott
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My seed savers books say that curly case is biennial. Perhaps yours is confused?

Reply to
FarmI

Some references speak of a biennial kale and a perennial one. The seed packet I have doesn't say which. It looks like it was the biennial one and time is up. Even so I am quite pleased with it. It has provided for us winter and summer with very litle attention.

David

Reply to
David Hare-Scott

In message , David Hare-Scott writes

I'm sure some kales are "really" perennial, though (except for sea kale) usually grown as biennials. Cavolo nero, for example - I dug up a plant yesterday which was sown in 2006, flowered this spring, was still growing vigorously this autumn and no doubt would have flowered again next year if left to its own devices. So maybe your kale still has a future? On the other hand, the conventional wisdom might be that growing brassicas in the same place for several years risks encouraging clubroot and/or other problems.

Reply to
Max Wright

Does the packet give you a botanical name?

Curly kale is supposed to be a biennial and if that what it was called on the packet then it should be a biennial. What seed company was it?

It looks like it was the biennial one and time is

As do all the best peasant foods :-))

Reply to
FarmI

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