When to sow Kale in the UK
Kale is sown to the calendar rather than to the frost, so the window is much the same wherever you garden in the UK.
Sowing and harvest dates by region
Kale is grown to the calendar rather than to the frost, so the same dates apply across the whole UK and every region below reads the same. Where a plant's timings do follow the frost, Plot shifts them from the Midlands and Lowland Wales baseline using Met Office average frost dates.
| Where you are | Sow indoors | Sow outdoors | Plant out | Harvest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| South West Coast and Cornwall | early March to late March | early March to mid June | early May to late June | early September to late March |
| South Coast and Channel | early March to late March | early March to mid June | early May to late June | early September to late March |
| Greater London (Urban Heat Island) | early March to late March | early March to mid June | early May to late June | early September to late March |
| South East and Home Counties | early March to late March | early March to mid June | early May to late June | early September to late March |
| East Anglia | early March to late March | early March to mid June | early May to late June | early September to late March |
| Midlands and Lowland Wales | early March to late March | early March to mid June | early May to late June | early September to late March |
| Wales and West Coast | early March to late March | early March to mid June | early May to late June | early September to late March |
| Northern England | early March to late March | early March to mid June | early May to late June | early September to late March |
| Scotland Lowlands and Central Belt | early March to late March | early March to mid June | early May to late June | early September to late March |
| Scotland Highlands and Islands | early March to late March | early March to mid June | early May to late June | early September to late March |
| Northern Ireland | early March to late March | early March to mid June | early May to late June | early September to late March |
| Channel Islands and Isle of Man | early March to late March | early March to mid June | early May to late June | early September to late March |
Growing notes
One of the hardiest brassicas, providing fresh pickings right through winter frosts when little else is cropping; needs insect-proof mesh against cabbage white caterpillars.
At a glance
- Spacing
- 45 cm between plants
- Row spacing
- 45 cm
- Plants per m²
- 4
- Days to maturity
- 70 days
- Yield per plant
- 1.0 kg
- Sun
- Partial shade
- Frost tender
- No
- Grows in a container
- Yes, 30 litres or more
- Minimum soil depth
- 30 cm
- Balcony rating
- 2 out of 5
What usually goes wrong
- club root
- cabbage caterpillars
- cabbage root fly
- whitefly
Companion planting
Grows well near
Keep away from
Related guides
Timings cross-checked against RHS guidance for kale.