Can you grow kale in the tropics at all?

Yes, kale grows well as a dry-season crop from March to September. It struggles in the wet season, so avoid sowing into the monsoon months.

What is eating holes in my kale leaves?

Almost certainly cabbage white butterfly caterpillars. Cover plants with fine exclusion netting from sowing so the butterflies cannot lay their eggs.

How long until I can pick kale?

Leaves are usually ready in 50 to 70 days. Harvest the outer leaves first and the plant will keep producing from its growing centre.

When to plant Kale in Tropical Australia

Sow kale in tropical Australia from March to September. Method: raise seedlings,sow direct. Seeds germinate in 6-12 days, with harvest roughly 50-70 days after sowing.

Tropical zone — applies to Darwin, Cairns, Townsville, Broome, Mackay and similar areas. Growing elsewhere? Temperate · Cool · Subtropical · Arid.

Kale is a dry-season crop in the tropics — sow it direct from around March through September, once the monsoon rains have eased. Germination is quick, taking just 6 to 12 days, and leaves are ready to pick in 50 to 70 days. Sow about 10 mm deep and thin to a generous 40 to 60 cm apart, because tropical kale wants airflow more than it wants a crowd.

Gardeners in Townsville and Mackay do best sowing the main crop in the cooler, drier middle of the year, when humidity and pest pressure ease. Kale copes with the tropical dry better than most expect, but dislikes the wet, so treat the rain months as its off-season.

Sowing calendar — tropical zone

Green months are your sowing window: March to September.

Growing notes

The wet season is simply not kale weather in the tropics — high humidity from November onward brings soft, spotted leaves and collapse, so concentrate your sowings in the dry months when nights are cooler and the air moves. An early autumn start after the rains ease, around March in the Darwin build-down, will still meet some warmth, while a mid-dry sowing gives the sweetest leaves.

Grow kale in full sun to light afternoon shade, in soil dug through with compost and kept steadily moist but never boggy. Mulch well to hold that moisture, since dry-season beds swing from damp mornings to fierce midday sun. Steady water prevents the tough, bitter leaves that come from stress.

Kale is a cabbage-family crop, so the cabbage white butterfly is your main adversary here. The tell-tale signs are ragged holes and green caterpillars tucked along the leaf ribs. The most reliable fix is exclusion netting draped over hoops from the day you sow — it keeps the butterflies from laying at all, which beats spraying after the damage is done.

Sow in the dry season, March to September
Space plants 40 to 60 cm apart for airflow
Net young plants against cabbage white butterfly
Pick outer leaves first and let the centre keep growing
Water consistently to avoid bitterness

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 Marigold

Nasturtiums: Trap crop for aphids and cabbage white

Marigold: Deters cabbage moth

Common questions

Can you grow kale in the tropics at all?: Yes, kale grows well as a dry-season crop from March to September. It struggles in the wet season, so avoid sowing into the monsoon months.
What is eating holes in my kale leaves?: Almost certainly cabbage white butterfly caterpillars. Cover plants with fine exclusion netting from sowing so the butterflies cannot lay their eggs.
How long until I can pick kale?: Leaves are usually ready in 50 to 70 days. Harvest the outer leaves first and the plant will keep producing from its growing centre.

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