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In recent years, more and more Russians, coming to the store, are trying to buy Kale collard greens. But it is still rare on the shelves. But the owners of restaurants and cafes are increasingly listing dishes made from this leafy vegetable on the menu.
Kale varieties are still rare guests in the gardens. That is why we want to attract the attention of Russians so that Kale collard becomes a permanent vegetable crop. After all, it contains many useful substances that have a beneficial effect on the human body.
Description
European vegetable growers have been growing the crop for a long time. If we talk about the history of the kale cabbage, then it goes back to antiquity. In the 17th century, attitudes towards the leafy vegetable changed, as more productive varieties that were resistant to diseases appeared.
In Russia cabbage variety Keil was popular until the 18th century in the northern regions. Collard was prized for its cold resistance and the ability to get fresh vegetables in harsh conditions.
Kale is an annual herb with a shortened stem. The leaves are arranged on petioles in several tiers.
The cabbage variety has an unusual appearance. The leaves themselves are curly, and there are well-visible waves along the edges. This cabbage is also called curly cabbage. Only leaf blades without a stem and petioles are eaten. Animals can be fed the whole plant.
The color palette of the leaves is varied: green, red, gray-gray, purple, depending on the variety. That is why Keil is often planted in flower beds as ornamental plants. Look at the photo above, how unusual the beds with Kale collard look.
The height of the Keil cabbage bush is within 25-50 cm. The leafiness is strong, after cutting off some of the leaves, the cabbage continues to bear fruit. But heads of cabbage are not formed.
Characteristic
A special feature of Keil collard is the ability to grow in one place for several years, but only in the southern regions. In favorable conditions with good shelter, the cabbage variety winters well and provides early vitamin leaves.
Kale collard after wintering:
Positive points
- Kale cabbage leaves are a dietary product. They contain, in addition to various components, 9 amino acids that are found in meat. Many green vegetable lovers call it "new beef."
- The rapid growth of kale kale provides an early harvest of vitamins.
- Due to the presence of zaexanthin and lutein, regular consumption of Kale leaves protects the eyes from ultraviolet radiation.
- The trace elements contained in cabbage remove toxins and radionuclides from the body.
- The elements that make up the kale collard are not only easy to digest, but also provide high vital activity of the body.
- The presence of calcium, magnesium, phosphorus and zinc can help curb the development of cancer.
Minuses
Unfortunately, despite such optimistic positive properties, Kale leafy varieties have contraindications associated with individual intolerance. In addition, in case of kidney disease, the vegetable should also not be eaten, since the leaves contain oxalic acid.
Views
Kale cabbage, as can be seen from the description and in the photo, is somewhat similar to lettuce.
Today, thanks to the efforts of breeders, the variety of collard greens is represented by the following varieties (photo below):
- The most common variety is Kale Curly or Curly. The variety has soft, sweetish leaves.And the variety got the name for the special curliness of the leaf plates.
- The Tuscan Keil leaves are wrinkled, very thin.
- The frost-resistant, fast-growing Kale Premier variety should also not be overlooked.
- The Siberian Keil variety is also cold-resistant, practically not affected by harmful insects.
- Cale's Red Russian Collard has a vibrant color that is close to purple. Leaves with pronounced wrinkles.
- Redbor F1 Kale collard greens are often used not only in salads, but also to decorate dishes.
- The Keil Trostyanaya variety is valued for its large size, because cabbage often reaches a height of 190 cm. And the name comes from the fact that the thick stem is used as a cane.
You can prepare vitamin salads from kale kale with the addition of any ingredients. The vegetable is tasty in soups, stewed.
Useful qualities
Kale has wild relatives. It was from them that she received, and later preserved, useful properties. If you read reviews about Kale cabbage, you can find a lot of interesting things.
The uniqueness of the leafy vegetable can hardly be overestimated. It is nutritious, superior to meat in many respects. The protein contained in kale is absorbed by the human body faster than the animal.
So why you need to engage in culture:
- Keil's leafy vegetable contains a lot of calcium. One gram of vegetable contains 1.35 ml of this element. Calcium is absorbed four times faster than this micronutrient from milk. Regular consumption of leafy greens will provide the human body to the fullest.
- 200 grams of kale leaves contain the daily protein requirement. Just as much as in meat. The amino acids in cabbage are absorbed faster than from beef.
- Any Kale kale is a natural antioxidant.
- The vegetable is highly valued by nutritionists, who recommend it for the fight against excess weight. After all, the calorie content is extremely low - in 100 grams of green products, no more than 50 Kcal.
Kale cabbage, rich in all kinds of vitamins and microelements, should take its place in the gardens of Russians.
Growing features
Unlike representatives of the cabbage family, Kale has a negative attitude towards transplanting. Therefore, it is most often propagated by sowing seeds directly into the ground. Although you can grow seedlings in separate containers. Subject to all agrotechnical standards, you can grow a tasty and healthy vegetable without much effort.
Seedlings are the key to success
Consider a seedling method for growing kale collard greens:
- Seeds are sown 40-50 days before planting in open ground. Separate containers are filled with nutrient soil. You need to put 2-3 seeds in each glass.
- The seed is immersed in the soil by 1 cm; with deeper sowing, seedlings do not appear for a long time. To obtain friendly shoots of future seedlings, optimal conditions are created: the air temperature, if the plants are grown in an apartment, should be at least 24 degrees. A film is put on the container, which is removed as soon as the plants begin to hatch.
- In the future, 16 degrees are enough for the full development of seedlings. But lighting should be maximized at all stages of growing.
The seedlings are ready in 6 weeks and can be planted in the ground. At this point, the curl of the leaves is clearly visible. It is necessary to transplant seedlings from the container carefully so as not to damage the roots. Indeed, the description said that the survival rate is low. That is why it is better to sow seeds directly into the ground.
Sowing seeds in the ground
Growing a leafy vegetable requires fertile land. It is better to choose the beds after legumes, potatoes, cucumbers or tomatoes. The soil is prepared in the fall, humus, compost (at least 3 kg for each square meter), as well as mineral fertilizers are added.
The acidity of the soil should vary in the range of 5.5-6.8.It is difficult to check it yourself without laboratory analysis. But you can observe what weeds grow in the garden bed. If they are filled with wood lice, then you need to add granular sulfur. With low acidity, more compost is added to the soil.
The site should be in an open place, although partial shade is also not prohibited. Sowing is done in April, when the soil warms up to +5 degrees.
The holes for embedding seeds are placed at a distance of 45 cm. Several seeds are placed in each of them, watered and covered with a transparent material or a piece of glass. After 4 days, the shelter will have to be removed, since the emerging seedlings need a lot of light.
Plant care in soil
You don't need any special knowledge to grow Kale collard greens. If a draft-free area with good lighting is chosen correctly, the result is ensured.
The proximity of groundwater adversely affects the development of collard greens. Therefore, if it is impossible to find another site, the bed is raised, a large layer of drainage is poured, and fertile soil on top. In the future, you need to water, loosen the soil or mulch it with a bush height of 15 cm, feed it.
As for dressings, they are carried out every 6-8 weeks, as the harvest progresses. You do not need to overfeed, this will lead to leaf rot. You can use infusion of mullein, chicken droppings, wood ash extract and herbal infusion. It is useful to sprinkle the plants with dry ash after watering.
What and who is harmful to Cale varieties
Collard greens suffer the most from:
- rape sawfly;
- scoops and cabbage flies;
- aphids and cruciferous fleas;
- flower beetle and wireworm;
- slugs and weevils.
Such a number of those who like to profit from the leaves speaks only of the high taste and useful properties of the varieties of Kale cabbage.
Control measures:
- Constant dusting with ash or tobacco dust.
- Spraying with vinegar and chicken manure infusion.
- Watering over the leaves with solutions of ammonia or iodine.
- Special preparations strictly according to the instructions.
Harvest
In places where the leaves were cut, new greenery grows. Therefore, vitamin products are present on the table throughout the warm season. Overripe leaves are tough, with a bitterness, so you need to do everything on time.
Cabbage is well stored in the freezer, retains all its properties for six months.
