Kale 'Lacinato'

Brassica oleracea (Acephala Group)

How to grow Kale 'Lacinato'

  • Full Sun

  • Low

Kale is very hardy and generally pest-free. It’s a very easy plant to grow.

Kale flowers are self-incompatible, which means they can not be fertilized by pollen from other flowers on the same plant. To save seeds, several individual plants are required to maintain genetic stability — at least 10, but 30 is better. Therefore it’s hard to save kale seeds on a small scale.

Try to plant in a location that enjoys full sun and remember to apply water fairly sparingly. Keep in mind when planting that Lacinato is thought of as very hardy, so this plant will tend to survive through freezing conditions. Lacinato requires a loamy soil with a ph of 6.0 - 7.5 - it grows best in weakly acidic soil to weakly alkaline soil.

Growing Lacinato from seed

Try to aim for a seed spacing of at least 2.97 inches (7.62 cm) and sow at a depth of around 0.25 inches (0.64 cm). Soil temperature should be kept higher than 13°C / 55°F to ensure good germination.

By our calculations, you should look at sowing Lacinato about 49 days before your last frost date.

Transplanting Lacinato

Sow or transplant closer together than the final spacing you want. Thin the plants as they grow, and eat the thinnings!

Ensure that temperatures are mild and all chance of frost has passed before planting out, as Lacinato is a very hardy plant.

Harvesting Lacinato

Harvest early in the morning and pick lower leaves this way encouraging new growth at the top.

Kale Lacinato Etymology

Lacinato is a corruption of the Italian “Laciniato”, which comes from lacinie and describes the cuts in the surface of the leaves. All the references to black or nero in other names refers to its dark color; palm tree or palm refers to its long thin leaves, and dinosaur describes the texture of the leaves. It is generally thought to come from Tuscany, so you’ll see Tuscan in many of the names.

Misspellings of Kale 'Lacinato'

lacinata, cavlo nero, tucsan

Other Names for Kale 'Lacinato'

Cavolo nero, Black, Black cabbage, Black leaf, Black palm, Black tuscan palm tree, Dinosaur, Italian lacinato, Laciniato, Nero di toscana, Tuscan kale, Tuscan palm tree, Tuscan black, Tuscan