Avoid using potting soil, which can clump up and keep your plants from draining properly. Try to find varieties of growing mixtures that are specially designed for growing vegetables. You can also make your own soil-less growing mix by using mediums like perlite, compost, or vermiculite. You can purchase seed trays and soil-less growing mix at garden centers or online.
The seeds won’t need sunlight to germinate.
Seedlings should emerge within 4 weeks of planting the seeds.
If you decide to plant multiple plants in one pot, try to provide each plant with a diameter of approximately 12 inches (30 cm) of space to grow. The pots can be made of any material as long as they are large enough and have drainage holes.
If your seed tray is made of flexible plastic, push in the bottom of each seedling container to release the plants easily.
The stems of the plants don’t need to be buried in the growing mix.
You will have to water kale grown in pots more than outdoor kale plants. Water the plants every few days, or whenever the growing medium looks dry.
If temperatures reach over 70 °F (21 °C), move your kale plants from a sunny spot to one with partial shade.
These lights should only be left on for at least 4 hours a day to simulate natural sunlight. Your plants should be positioned at least 6 inches under the lights to avoid overheating. You can buy grow lights at a gardening center, hardware store, or online. Be sure to replace fluorescent bulbs when they turn black at the ends. As an alternative you can purchase T-5 grow lights, which are more expensive than fluorescent lights but use less energy.
Most kale plants reach maturity in 55 to 65 days. Do this every few days, or as needed. The older leaves still taste good, so you can wash them and include them in salads, smoothies, or other dishes.
