Description
| Seeds | 1 gram (350 seeds) $2.25, 3 grams (1,050 seeds) $4.85 |
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Black Tuscan Palm Tree
Heritage: Tuscany, Campania, Southern Italy
Discovered in the Tuscany region in the late 1600’s, it has a long and flavourful history in sumptuous soups and stews, such as Tuscan Rabolita. It was first recorded in North America growing amongst the greens in the Jefferson Monticello garden in Charlottesville, Virginia in the late 1770’s.
The deep “black-green” leaves are heavily savoyed looking somewhat reptilian, growing up to 36” (90cm) high, and gently drooping to resemble a palm tree. Beautiful to the eyes and palate, and easy to grow, many a gardener has planted it for ornamental value alone. It needs to be spaced at least 24” (60cm) apart for full maturity. Flavour is slighlty sweet, lacking the bitterness of other kales. Excellent taste combination when paired with olive oil, cannellini beans, and all flavours Italian! It is one of the traditional ingredients of Minestrone soup. Bonus: Long lasting growth. You can go out to a winter garden and dig down in the snow to recover edible leaves! One of our favourites! And yes … our kids like it too! Matures in 80-90 days. (Approx. 350 seeds/g)
Tips for Growing Tasty Kale! Direct seed outdoors once the ground has thawed to 1/2” (1cm), deep, thinning to 12” (30cm) apart. Plant in full sun in climates with cooler summers. Kale will need afternoon shade in hot summer climates or it will droop and fade. The quicker Kale grows, the more robust the flavour. Frost tolerant, a light freeze will also improve flavour and colour, so plant it in a place you want it to stay. It will be thriving well into the winter months. The most suitable companion plants for Kale are; cabbage, potatoes, and bush beans. Kale usually germinates within 5-10 days (65-85ºF/18-29ºC).
