When to plant Kale in Cool Australia
Cool zone — applies to Hobart, Canberra, Ballarat, Orange, Armidale and similar areas. Growing elsewhere? Temperate · Subtropical · Tropical · Arid.
Kale is sown direct from January to June in the cool zone — midsummer through to early winter — which sets it up to crop through the cold months when it tastes best. It is a genuinely hardy brassica: frosts in Hobart or Armidale do not just fail to kill it, they sweeten the leaves by converting starches to sugars. Germination is quick at 6–12 days, and you will be picking in 50–70 days. Sow 10 mm deep and give plants room — 40–60 cm apart — because a well-grown kale plant is bigger than most people expect.
Sowing calendar — cool zone
Green months are your sowing window: January to June.
Growing notes
The cool zone is kale's natural habitat. The first frosts around late April do it a favour, so the smart play is to have plants fully grown by then: a February or March sowing in Hobart or Ballarat hits maturity just as the cold arrives and then stands all winter as a pick-and-come-again crop. January sowings work too but land seedlings in the peak of summer's cabbage white butterfly season, while May and June sowings germinate slowly and give small plants that mostly wait for spring.
Cabbage white pressure is the crop's one serious enemy here, and mid-summer sowings cop the worst of it. Assume every white butterfly you see has already laid on your seedlings.
- Net with fine exclusion mesh from the day you sow — it is the only reliable control
- Check leaf undersides weekly for green caterpillars if netting is not an option
- Sow into firm, fertile soil with compost dug in beforehand
- Water steadily; stressed plants are tougher-leaved and more attractive to pests
The most common failure is seedlings stripped to skeletons in a week during February — netting fixes it entirely. Space at 40–60 cm with 50–100 cm between rows, and pick outer leaves rather than cutting whole plants to keep the harvest running for months.
Kale at a glance
| Sowing depth | 10 mm |
|---|---|
| Plant spacing | 40-60 cm |
| Row spacing | 50-100 cm |
| Germination | 6-12 days |
| Days to maturity | 50-70 days |
| Frost tolerance | Hardy |
| Method | Raise Seedlings,Sow Direct |
Companion planting
Grows well with
Nasturtiums: Trap crop for aphids and cabbage white
Marigold: Deters cabbage moth
Common questions
- When is the best time to plant kale in Tasmania?
- In cool-zone areas like Hobart, sow direct between January and June. February–March sowings are the sweet spot: plants mature in 50–70 days, just in time for autumn frosts to sweeten the leaves.
- What is eating holes in my kale leaves?
- Almost certainly cabbage white butterfly caterpillars — kale is one of their favourite targets, especially in summer and autumn. Fine exclusion netting from sowing day is the most reliable fix.
- Does frost damage kale?
- No — kale is hardy and frost actually improves it. Cold converts starches in the leaves to sugars, which is why winter-picked kale from frosty districts tastes noticeably sweeter.
- How long does kale take to grow from seed?
- Seed germinates in about 6–12 days, and plants reach picking size in 50–70 days. Harvest outer leaves as you need them and a single plant will keep producing for months.
- How much space does kale need?
- More than you think. Sow 10 mm deep and thin to 40–60 cm between plants, with rows 50–100 cm apart, so mature plants get full air circulation.
Track kale in your garden — sow dates, harvest countdowns, reminders. Free.
Add to my garden