A Gardeners Forum Forums Gardening Reference Gardening in 2007 Kale In Container (help!)

Hi all,

First of all, I'm a complete novice. So be gentle.

I have an ornamental cabbage (kale) that I bought as a small starter (not seeds) from a nursery. I put it in a small container inside to start, then moved it to a larger container outside. I have no idea what I did wrong, but instead of a lovely rounded cabbage I have a 4' stalk with straggly cabbage at the top! It looks terrible. My questions are:

1) How can I avoid this in the future?
2) If if cut it down to about 2" from the soil, will it grow back properly?
3) There is a very healthy looking "sucker" starting from the base. Should I cut the stalk down completely and let the sucker grow instead?

I live in the SF bay area (coastal) so we have moderate temps year round. Never freezing, but often quite cool and never above 80, and rarely ever above 75. Is this the wrong climate for the kale?

I don't know a lot about Kale, but it is a cool area plant, it should grow OK where you are. I'd cut off the main plant and allow the sucker to grow. Nothing to lose.
An old fella i know boils kale and drinks the juice daily. Reckons it's why he is still alive and so fit. He's a very spritely 80 yr old.

I second Longy's statement of they are a
coooool weather plant...
And the colder the better sometimes..
and it sounds like yours is trying to "bolt"
so to speak, when they stretch up like that..
(or in too much shade??? )
**I've seen a few, still surviving here,
but we have had the mildest "winter" if you can
even call it that.. **
So, temps' may be a big factor....

I am wondering what kind of pot/container do you have it in?
And where it is.. ie: sun, shade, etc..
And what's the container sitting on? ie: stone, patio, ground, table?

Longy - yup, I think I may just bite the bullet and cut it down to let the sucker grow. Sad, as it's got a name and everything. "Kaley". Original, huh? Doubt I'll boil the leaves, though! Ugh. I'd rather die young than live to 100 drinking kale brew...

Weezie - it's in a large clay pot which is sitting on cement, in a location which gets about half sun and half shade (when it's not drizzly or foggy). Full sun is impossible in our front garden due to the huge trees surrounding us.

The clay pot, can make it in "warmer" conditions.
Because the clay can hold heat..

Also, having that clay pot, sit on top of cement can also add or double the heat to the plant/dirt/soil.... cause when the cement is warm, it stays warm longer too...

Like if next time, you put it in a plastic or styrofoam type pot/container.. it won't keep or add to heat from the bottom soil.. and if you keep it off of the cement and put it like on top of regular soil.. it'll also keep it cooler..

And lack of sufficient sun can also make those plants stretch for the sun and light.. which could or can add to it's lengthy size...

Thanks, Weezie! It may have bolted for lack of sun where it was originally situated... I doubt our cement gets warm enough to affect the soil temp but next time I will try an non-clay planter and make sure the kale is in a sunnier location. Thanks again!

Hope you do try it again..
And experiment..
And please keep us posted... we love updates..