Overview

Bring the joy of home gardening to your kitchen with our premium lacinato kale seedlings. These vibrant, ready-to-plant starts, often referred to as Dinosaur Kale or Tuscan Kale, are perfect for gardeners looking for an easy and rewarding growing experience. Our live kale plants are robust and pre-sprouted, ensuring a successful transition to your garden, whether you prefer traditional soil beds or modern hydroponic systems. Lacinato Kale is renowned for its distinctive dark green, savoyed leaves and mild, slightly sweet flavor, making it a versatile and delicious addition to countless culinary creations. As an heirloom variety, it offers a rich heritage and reliable performance, flourishing particularly well in cooler temperatures. You’ll appreciate the continuous harvest, providing fresh, nutritious greens whenever you desire.

These dinosaur kale plants are carefully nurtured to be garden-ready, minimizing transplant shock and maximizing growth potential. They are an excellent choice for both novice and experienced gardeners seeking high-quality vegetable starts. Enjoy the satisfaction of harvesting your own healthy, organic kale, free from pesticides and full of flavor. Our seedlings are designed to thrive, giving you a bountiful supply of this superfood right from your backyard or indoor setup.

Key Benefits

Our lacinato kale seedlings offer numerous advantages for the home gardener, providing both culinary delight and ease of cultivation. These benefits make them a top choice for anyone looking to grow fresh, healthy vegetables:

• Nutrient-Rich Harvest: Enjoy a continuous supply of dark green, savoyed leaves packed with vitamins and minerals. Kale is a renowned superfood, and growing your own ensures maximum freshness and nutritional value.
• Delicious Flavor Profile: The mild, slightly sweet flavor of Lacinato Kale makes it incredibly versatile. It’s excellent sautéed, incorporated into soups, added to salads, or even used in smoothies.
• Easy to Grow: These ready to plant kale seedlings are pre-sprouted and robust, significantly reducing the effort and time typically required for growing from seed. They are designed for successful growth in various garden settings.
• Adaptable to Gardens: Suitable for both traditional soil gardens and contemporary hydroponic systems, offering flexibility for different gardening preferences and spaces.
• Heirloom Quality: As an heirloom variety, Lacinato Kale provides reliable growth and consistent flavor, reflecting generations of gardening excellence. You can trust in its performance and taste.
• Continuous Harvesting: Unlike some vegetables, Lacinato Kale allows for continuous harvesting of outer leaves, meaning you can enjoy fresh greens over an extended period from a single plant.
• Cold Hardy: These plants are hardy in USDA zones 5–9, performing particularly well in cooler seasons, extending your gardening season and providing fresh greens when other plants might falter.

Plant Care & Growing Tips

Caring for your lacinato kale seedlings is straightforward, ensuring a productive and healthy harvest. These resilient plants are relatively low-maintenance, making them an ideal choice for many gardeners. For optimal growth, ensure your kale receives adequate sunlight. Lacinato Kale thrives in full sun, meaning at least 6 hours of direct sunlight per day, but it can also tolerate partial shade, especially in hotter climates where some afternoon shade can prevent bolting. When planting, choose a location with well-draining soil that is rich in organic matter. A slightly acidic to neutral pH (6.0-7.0) is ideal. If planting in containers or hydroponically, use a high-quality potting mix or nutrient solution.

Watering is crucial, especially during dry spells. Keep the soil consistently moist but not waterlogged. Deep watering is preferred, encouraging strong root development. For hydroponic systems, maintain appropriate nutrient solution levels and aeration. Fertilize every 4-6 weeks with a balanced organic fertilizer, or as needed based on soil tests. Lacinato Kale is a heavy feeder, particularly nitrogen, which promotes leafy growth. These heirloom kale starts are hardy in USDA zones 5–9, performing best in temperatures between 50-75°F (10-24°C). Protect from severe frost with row covers in colder zones. Watch out for common pests like aphids and cabbage worms; organic pest control methods such as neem oil or insecticidal soap can be effective. Proper spacing (12-18 inches apart) ensures good air circulation, preventing fungal diseases and promoting robust growth.

Size & Details

Our lacinato kale seedlings are shipped as vibrant, pre-sprouted live plants, typically in plugs or small pots, ready for immediate transplanting into your garden. They are at an ideal stage for establishing strong roots and rapid growth once planted. The mature plants typically reach a harvest size of 12–18 inch leaves, providing ample greens for your culinary needs. The growth rate is moderate, with a days to maturity period of 55–65 days from transplanting, allowing for a relatively quick turnaround from planting to harvest. These plants are cold hardy, thriving in USDA zones 5–9, and perform exceptionally well in cooler temperatures, which can even enhance their flavor. They can be harvested continuously by picking the outer leaves, promoting new growth from the center. Expect a robust and productive plant that will yield fresh greens for an extended season.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Q: How big do these Lacinato Kale plants get? A: Once mature, the leaves of these lacinato kale seedlings typically reach a harvestable size of 12–18 inches long. The overall plant can grow to be quite bushy, providing a continuous supply of greens.
• Q: Is this an indoor or outdoor plant? A: Lacinato Kale is primarily an outdoor plant, thriving in garden beds or large containers on a patio. However, it can also be successfully grown indoors in a hydroponic setup or in a large pot near a sunny window with adequate light.
• Q: How much sunlight does Lacinato Kale need? A: For best results, Lacinato Kale requires at least 6 hours of direct sunlight per day (full sun). In very hot climates, a little afternoon shade can be beneficial to prevent the plant from bolting too early.
• Q: Is this plant easy to care for? A: Yes, Lacinato Kale is considered relatively easy to care for, making it suitable for beginner gardeners. These ready to plant kale starts simplify the process even further, as they are already established.
• Q: What condition will the seedlings arrive in? A: Your lacinato kale seedlings will arrive as live, garden-ready plants, typically in plugs or small nursery pots, carefully packaged to ensure their health and vitality during transit. They will be ready for immediate planting upon arrival.
• Q: Can I use Lacinato Kale in cooking? A: Absolutely! Lacinato Kale, also known as Dinosaur Kale, is highly prized for its culinary versatility. It’s excellent sautéed, in soups, stews, salads, and even baked into kale chips.
• Q: When is the best time to plant these kale seedlings? A: The best time to plant Lacinato Kale seedlings is in early spring for a summer harvest, or in late summer for a fall and winter harvest. They perform well in cooler seasons.
• Q: Will these kale plants survive winter in my zone? A: Lacinato Kale is cold hardy in USDA zones 5–9. In these zones, it can often overwinter successfully, especially with some protection like mulch or row covers, allowing for harvests even in colder months.
• Q: What’s the ideal soil type for growing kale? A: Lacinato Kale prefers rich, well-draining soil with plenty of organic matter. A slightly acidic to neutral pH is ideal for optimal growth and nutrient absorption.
• Q: How long until I can harvest from these kale starts? A: You can typically begin harvesting the outer leaves of your lacinato kale seedlings approximately 55–65 days after transplanting them into your garden.