How to grow kale
Brassica oleracea (Acephala) · Brassicaceae · Vegetable
When to plant kale: the short answer
Start seeds indoors about 6 weeks before your last spring frost; plant out about 3 weeks before it; sow outdoors about 2 weeks before the last frost; for a fall crop, sow about 11 weeks before your first fall frost. Seeds germinate in soil from 45 to 85°F, fastest near 70°F.
Cold winters (zone 5): plant out Apr 2 – Apr 19, or sow Jul 10 – Jul 27 for a fall crop. Mild winters (zone 9): sow Sep 4 – Sep 21 for fall and winter harvests; the spring window (Jan 23 – Feb 9) closes before the summer heat. Skip the hottest months for kale. See every zone.
Kale is a cool-season vegetable in the Brassicaceae family, grown either from a direct sowing or from transplants. It wants full sun, though it tolerates a little afternoon shade in hot regions and steady, even moisture. From sowing to first pick is about 50–65 days. It is one of the toughest crops here, standing through hard frost and often improving for it.
Grower’s note: Flavour turns sweet after a hard frost, so the fall crop is the good one. Pick lower leaves and let the plant keep growing upward.
Sowing
Sow about 0.5″ deep, into soil between 45–85°F — germination is quickest near 70°F. It comes up fast (5–10 days). For an early crop, start seed indoors about 6 weeks before your last spring frost and grow it under bright light.
Spacing & layout
Give each plant about 16″ along the row with roughly 20″ between rows. On a square-foot grid that is 1 per square foot. Allow at least 18″ of loose, workable soil for the roots. It grows well in containers at least 12″ deep.
Fitting it to your season
As a cool-season crop, kale does its best growing in the mild weather of spring and fall and tends to bolt or turn bitter in summer heat. A second sowing in late summer, timed to mature as the weather cools, is usually the better crop of the year — and light frost only sweetens it.
Quick facts
Growth stages: how long kale takes to grow
From sowing to first harvest takes roughly 50-65 days (7-9 weeks), with seedlings appearing after 5-10 days in soil around 70°F.
When to plant kale
When to plant kale by USDA zone
Dates worked out from each zone’s typical frost dates for 2026. Find your zone on the zone map, or pick your state below for dates from its own frost dates. Zones 11 and above are frost-free, so timing there depends on heat and rain instead.
| Zone | Last / first frost | Start indoors | Sow or plant out | Fall or second sowing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zone 3 | May 15 / Sep 15 | Mar 27 – Apr 10 | Apr 17 – May 4 | Jun 20 – Jul 7 |
| Zone 4 | May 10 / Sep 25 | Mar 22 – Apr 5 | Apr 12 – Apr 29 | Jun 30 – Jul 17 |
| Zone 5 | Apr 30 / Oct 5 | Mar 12 – Mar 26 | Apr 2 – Apr 19 | Jul 10 – Jul 27 |
| Zone 6 | Apr 15 / Oct 15 | Feb 25 – Mar 11 | Mar 18 – Apr 4 | Jul 20 – Aug 6 |
| Zone 7 | Apr 5 / Oct 25 | Feb 15 – Mar 1 | Mar 8 – Mar 25 | Jul 30 – Aug 16 |
| Zone 8 | Mar 20 / Nov 5 | Jan 30 – Feb 13 | Feb 20 – Mar 9 | Aug 10 – Aug 27 |
| Zone 9 | Feb 20 / Nov 30 | Jan 2 – Jan 16 | Jan 23 – Feb 9 | Sep 4 – Sep 21 |
| Zone 10 | Jan 30 / Dec 15 | Dec 12 – Dec 26 | Jan 2 – Jan 19 | Sep 19 – Oct 6 |
Or browse kale planting dates for every state as static pages.
Companions
Beet, Onion, Dill, Potato, Spinach
Tomato, Pole Bean, strawberry
Common problems
Pests: cabbage worm, cabbage looper, cabbage aphid, flea beetle, harlequin bug.
Diseases & disorders: black rot, clubroot, downy mildew.
Same family (Brassicaceae)
Rotate these so they don’t follow each other in the same bed year to year.
Questions gardeners ask
When should I plant kale?
Start seeds indoors about 6 weeks before your last spring frost; plant out about 3 weeks before it; sow outdoors about 2 weeks before the last frost; for a fall crop, sow about 11 weeks before your first fall frost. Seeds germinate in soil from 45 to 85°F. The table on this page gives dates for each USDA zone, and the planting calendar gives dates for your own state or ZIP code.
How long does kale take to grow?
About 50-65 days from sowing to the first harvest. Seeds germinate in 5-10 days, fastest in soil around 70°F.
How much sun does kale need?
It needs six or more hours of sun for the best growth, though four to six hours in partial shade is enough.
What soil pH does kale need?
A soil pH between 6.0 and 7.5. Test before adding lime or sulfur - see the soil pH and testing guide.
How far apart should I plant kale?
Space plants about 16 inches apart in rows 20 inches apart, or 1 per square foot in a square-foot bed. Sow seeds about ½ inch deep.
Can I grow kale in a container?
Yes. Use a container at least 12 inches deep with drainage holes and a good potting mix, and water more often than you would in the ground.
Figures are typical home-garden ranges from Cooperative Extension planting guides, cross-checked against multiple state sources. Your variety and conditions will vary.