Growing Kale in the Philippines: My Kale Story

I first heard about kale from my sister, Maureen Mila, a runner who's always looking for the most nutritious foods to keep a healthy body.  She said it costs more than a thousand pesos a kilo at a local supermarket.

When I went to Baguio in 2015, I saw kale for the first time.  On a weekend outside Cafe by the Ruins, a local organic farm sold baby Kale leaves for P50 a pack. In the "bagsakan" at the Baguio City market, only one stall sold kale and it cost P250 a kilo. It was the whole plant, from roots to tips. Three big kale plants weighed around a kilo. It was different from the baby leaves I saw outside the resto.

So I bought some and immediately sent them through Victory Liner to my sister in Manila.

Since then, I have been researching about kale and has been searching for seeds. Finally, in May this year, I found a reputable seller online who sold me four varieties of kale. (Before that I got kale seeds from another online seller and none of the seeds germinated!)

For now, I have grown (and eaten!) just the Kale Premiere.  Here's my kalenicles.

June __, 2016
I soaked the seeds in tap water overnight. The morning after (, I sow the seeds in soil mixed with compost and rice husk.



June __, 2016
Tiny cotyledons showed up after three days.

A week after, the first set of true leaves were out.  I waited for a few more days before transplanting them.



I initially transplanted them in individual pots, wilkins 6L containers cut in half. But I ran out of pots so I had to put 1-3 plants in some pots.
  


At three weeks after transplant.
 

A month after transplant, they already looked delicious.
   

At four months after transplant, they are still thriving!
 

Some things I learned growing kale in containers in a limited space:

1. It is best to transplant kale the earliest possible time. as soon as the first set of true leaves are out.

2. Plant them in individual pots not smaller than 8 x 7 which are the ones I have. The bigger the better.

3. When transplanting, soil should be up to the level of the cotyledon. This allows the plant better stability even when the leaves grow really big.

4. Kale likes the morning sun but leaves wilt under the direct heat of the sun from 11AM onwards. They leaves will recover late in the afternoon though just make sure you keep them hydrated. For plants in direct sunlight for more than 3 hours, you need to water them in the morning and in the afternoon. You may put them under a green net for indirect sunlight which suits them even during mid-day.

5. Kale loves rain. I initially feared that they rains would not be good for them but I was glad to learn I was wrong. In Isabela, we get regular rainshowers in the evening this time of the year, and kale loves it. They get leafier and crunchier. Just look at the photos I took today.

6. When harvesting kale, you don't have to take the whole plant out. I don't. I just cut of some big leaves and leave the rest of the plant to grow more. If the plants are not rooted well, as in the case of some of mine, you may need to stake them, to support the weight of the leaves and keep them upright. I never got to doing that in mine. I intend to this weekend. I will keep you posted.

7. Though I think, kale has almost the same nutritional content as our pechay, I find it better to grow kale. Kale is hardier, I have had these plants since June and they are still thriving. I have grown and consumed pechay twice already within the same period. Every time my sister's in town, I'd harvest a lot for her, leaving only three leaves per plant and she would have a kale-week. I harvest leaves for my mother too, at least twice a week. I actually wish someone here in Cauayan City would actually want to buy them. :-)

I hope to grow the rest of my kale varieties soon. I will keep you updated when I do. :-)