When to plant kale
Very hardy · shrugs off freezesKaleis keyed to your local frost dates. The offsets below hold anywhere — but the calendar dates they land on don’t. Enter your ZIP for dates tuned to your city’s nearest NOAA station.
Kale planting timeline
Very hardy: withstands hard freezes and is among the first crops you can plant.
Shop kale seeds →AFFILIATEKale planting FAQ
When should I start kale seeds indoors?
Start kale indoors 5–7 weeks before the last spring frost, so seedlings are ready to plant out once the weather warms.
Can I direct sow kale?
Yes — you can sow kale directly outdoors 4 weeks before to 2 weeks after the last spring frost.
How long does kale take to grow?
Kale takes about 50–65 days from transplanting to harvest, depending on the variety and conditions.
Can I plant kale in the fall?
Yes — sow kale for a fall crop 6–10 weeks before the first fall frost.
Is kale frost-hardy?
Very hardy: withstands hard freezes and is among the first crops you can plant.
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An email when it’s time to start seeds, transplant, and sow — timed to your frost dates. Double opt-in, one-click unsubscribe, no spam.
Other crops
155 morePlanting windows are offsets from your local 1991–2020 NOAA frost normals. How we compute this.