As a self-taught gardener, I learned the hard way that one of the easiest ways to kill your plants is to harvest incorrectly. Each plant, it seems, has it’s own sensitivity and needs special consideration. Kale is really easy to grow here in California and such a great snack to have at the ready. Here are some tips on harvesting it correctly.
Once the plant has about 4 large leaves, you can harvest one of them. That’s right, one. You need to keep about 3/4 of the plant intact for it to keep producing throughout the summer months. And if you follow that rule, your kale can grow to about 3 feet high! It’s actually pretty to have amongst non-edibles in your home garden. It has a vibrant bush like appearance that is really beautiful.
You actually can just twist and snap the leaf off with your fingers, no need for a chef’s knife! Make sure to get as close to the trunk as possible. Unless you are eating the leaves raw, you want to have several plants because kale deflates in bulk as it cooks. HERE’S a recipe for Kale Ravioli that you will need a good deal of kale for.
Have your kids help you with this process and watch them eat it raw. Congrats, you just created a veggie lover!
