Thousandhead has smooth leaves, ruffled at the edges but not growing into the heavily curled caterpillar hiding capabilities of some others! It is delicious, hardy and at its best from September through to the spring. It’s called Thousandhead because it branches and grows many clusters of leafy ‘heads’ that can be harvested together. This heirloom type is not considered a perennial however it can last for a couple of years with regular picking. It does form a large plant to 1m if not cut back, it appreciates some room!
SOW: in May/July time, 10-15mm deep in modules. Once they reach towards 15cm tall they need to be planted out 50-60cm apart. Most people will only want to grow one or two plants to maturity. The rest can be closer spaced and eaten at an earlier stage. For a succession of young leaves keep pinching out the growing tips and harvest the fresh growth.
ENJOY: lots of tasy and nutritious greens fresh from your garden through the autumn, winter and spring. It’s fun finding new recipes…Crispy kale or kale pancakes anyone? So many options to explore- don’t relegate kale to just a veg for eggs or fish to ‘go with’.
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