This is a giant kale that came to the Americas from Spain centuries ago, presumably with early settlers. It became a family heirloom that is still passed on from generation to generation. It can get up to 5ft (1.5m) tall, and even taller when it flowers. SeedZoo contributor, Lorraine Collett, says that the leaves get so big they look like an elephants ear. Imagine leaves that get up to 20in/50cm long and 12in/30cm wide! The leaves can be used in soups, stews, stir-fries and can be used like cabbage leaves to make meat rolls. Hummingbirds love to visit the yellow flowers. If the flowers are allowed to set seeds, the plant will reseed itself where winters are mild. Easy to grow. Happily grows as a spring-planted annual where winters are more severe.
Living in Anjou , France,
For the many not for the few
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David Livingston wrote:My grand mother had a walking stick made from Kale they were very common in the UK at one time grown on Jersey for the NHS in the thousands
William Bronson wrote:Wow,walking sticks? Could be great fuel for a rocket stove,also a support for bean or tomatoes, if either of these are compatible with kale.
And there I go dreaming without research, apparently Chickpeas don't require trellising. [Chickpeas hadn't actually been on my radar until last month when I read a thread on here about them being a cool weather crop.]Kyrt Ryder wrote:
William Bronson wrote:Wow,walking sticks? Could be great fuel for a rocket stove,also a support for bean or tomatoes, if either of these are compatible with kale.
Not sure on tomato, but one reason I've been looking towards this crop is as a natural grown pole for winter [or ultra early spring] Chickpeas.
Kyrt Ryder wrote:Think it might be able to handle small cucurbits [say pickle cucumbers or similar size summer squash]?
Tiny garden in the green Basque Country
International aid feeds some of the people some of the time, Initiate & support permaculture projects, and communities eat every day.
Not growing or raising anything at the moment, but I'm here doing research for the future.
Brassica oleracea Walking Stick Giant Kale 50/4.00
Growing to 12', a European heirloom with thick stems that twist and turn as the plant grows seeking support and when dried making distinctive canes.
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Luke Perkins wrote:I recently started a website dedicated to spreading plant material and information about purple tree collards. They can reach over ten feet tall and are hardy down to around 20° F (-7° C). Depending on how you pruned it I think you could definitely get a walking stick out of one. I will try to take some photos of the trunks on one of our older tree collards tomorrow. They are probably over two inches in diameter. Our crop of dino kale that we planted last summer overwintered and was about three to five feet tall before going to seed last month.
In the photo you should be able to see an arbor in the background with an orange lantern swinging in it. At one point we had a tree collard growing about a foot higher than the arbor. We tend to prune them at about six feet to keep them bushier like they are in this photo. On the left you can see the dino kale, most of which had already fallen over at this point from the weight of their flowers.
(Edit: in case it isn't apparent for those who are unfamiliar with tree collards- the tree collards are the large bushy green plants in the middle of the garden just beyond the leaks and in front of the bamboo bean pole structure in the background. As you can see, they are very productive. In my opinion they are worth growing as an annual in cold climates.)
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Roberta Wilkinson wrote:We grew "dwarf" Siberian in 2013 that no other kale has lived up to. Here's partner displaying a nice leaf, while kiddo flails a rib:
It was tender and sweet - even the ribs were good. We brought it in by the overflowing bucket load. I made big pots of saag and we filled the freezer. Other kales since have all been a bit of a disappointment.
“The most important decision we make is whether we believe we live in a friendly or hostile universe.”― Albert Einstein
“The most important decision we make is whether we believe we live in a friendly or hostile universe.”― Albert Einstein
Check out my rocket stove cores! https://rocketstovecores.com/
Permaculture...picking the lock back to Eden since 1978.
Pics of my Forest Garden
Permaculture...picking the lock back to Eden since 1978.
Pics of my Forest Garden
Gardens in my mind never need water
Castles in the air never have a wet basement
Well made buildings are fractal -- equally intelligent design at every level of detail.
Bright sparks remind others that they too can dance
What I am looking for is looking for me too!
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