Russian Hunger Gap kale

(Brassica napus)

Very similar to Red Russian, but with slightly larger plants. This kale is very cold hardy. We overwintered it in the garden, and cold did not appear to trouble it – though the deer did; if you have deer where you live, take precautions! I was intrigued by this kale because in the spring of its second year it bolts later than most kales (about June 1 for us, as opposed to May 15 for most other Brassicas I’ve overwintered), providing a source of fresh greens through the spring ‘hunger gap’ when spring-planted crops are not yet producing. The flower shoots and buds are also fine to eat, though quite strong-flavoured.

NOTE for the enthusiastic novice seed saver:  While this kale flowers later than most, all Brassicas flower for an extended period (a month or so).  So it is not possible to prevent this kale from crossing with others solely based on its later flowering.  However, in theory, if you want to go to the trouble, you could let your other kale flower freely until just before this one begins flowering, then cage the early-flowering kale to exclude pollinators.  Seed yield on the early kale would be lower, but probably still fine.  However, I don’t want to go to the trouble, so this is all theoretical for me — I just isolate by distance!