Homesteader's Kaleidoscopic Perennial Kale Grex

This kale is a joy to grow in so many ways. This mix was created by Chris Homanics by crossing perennial bush kales with several other brassicas. The genetics are diverse, containing a variety of leaf colours, shapes, and textures. All are delicious! The young leaves are good for salads, larger leaves are good for cooking or "collard" wraps. I’ve been delighted to see some variegated white, lavender, and hot pink plants, which I've been encouraging. Almost all the plants are perennial, meaning that even after they flower in their second year, they continue to grow and produce tasty leaves. You can cut off and eat the flower buds to keep the plant producing leaves instead of seeds.

The plants grow large and most are branching and bushy or a palm tree shape, and can be pruned if desired to be more compact. As they grow tall, most plants will flop over and root along the stem where they touch the ground. To keep the plants more upright, they can be staked.

The plants eventually lose their vigour after a few years, but your favourite plants can be propagated by woody stem cuttings almost any time of year. Just stick the cuttings in the ground and keep moist.

You can select your favourite individuals from this diverse mix and create your own perennial kale variety!

I've been selecting for colourful and variegated leaves for the last few years, as well as a perennial growth habit. There is likely a small amount of the hot pink Candy Floss Kale genetics in this population, which is a biennial, but it seems to be a minimal amount based on my grow outs.

Bees and other pollinators, like mason bees, love the flowers. When flowering, the plants can reach 6-8 feet tall. The flowers, buds, and flowering stems are very tasty. Try eating them raw, or use like broccolini in stir fries etc.

Please let me know if you come across any very colourful, cold hardy, or otherwise interesting individuals. I'd love to know what this kale does in your conditions.

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This seed has been released under the Open Source Seed Initiative (OSSI) license to keep it out of the hands of multinational seed corporations, and keep it in the hands of the people. The pledge states: “You have the freedom to use these OSSI-Pledged seeds in any way you choose. In return, you pledge not to restrict other's use of these seeds or their derivatives by patents or other means, and to include this pledge with any transfer of these seeds or their derivatives.” More information on OSSI can be found at osseeds.org.

There kale is part of a collaborative breeding project through the Experimental Farm Network. Learn more and get involved here: https://www.experimentalfarmnetwork.org/project/14