How to Grow Kale at Home: Sowing Dates by City and Pot Care
To grow kale at home in Pakistan or North India, sow it in October or November in the plains (a little later in Karachi), one plant to a 30 cm (12 inch) pot in at least 5 hours of sun, and start picking the lower outer leaves when the plant is about knee high to a toddler. Pick that way all winter and one plant keeps giving until the heat makes it flower in March or April.
Kale at a glance
- Season: winter only in the plains (sow October to November, pick December to March)
- Pot: 30 cm wide and deep, about 15 to 20 litres, one plant
- Sun: 5 to 6 hours; light afternoon shade in Karachi
- Seed depth: about 1 cm
- Sprouting: usually within a week to ten days in cool weather
- First leaves to pick: roughly 7 to 9 weeks after sowing; baby leaves sooner
- Main pest: cabbage caterpillars
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When should I sow kale in Pakistan and North India?
Kale is a cool season brassica, a cousin of band gobhi (cabbage) and sarson. It likes 10 to 25°C, shrugs off frost nights, and sulks once days pass 30°C. So the sowing date shifts with your city.
| Zone | Sow | Pick |
|---|---|---|
| Islamabad, Peshawar, Pothohar | Late September to early November | November to April |
| Lahore, Faisalabad, Delhi | Early October to mid November | December to March |
| Multan, Bahawalpur, Sukkur | Mid October to November | December to February |
| Karachi, coastal Sindh | November to early December | January to February |
| Hills | March to April, or July to August | Summer and autumn |
Sowing late in the window still works; you just get a shorter picking season before the heat.
How do I grow kale from seed?
- Fill a seed tray or small cups with a fine mix of cocopeat and sieved compost, 2 to 1.
- Sow two seeds per cell, about 1 cm deep, and keep the mix just moist. Water from below to avoid damping off.
- Keep the tray in bright shade until seeds sprout, then move it into morning sun.
- Snip off the weaker seedling in each cell with scissors.
- Transplant when seedlings have 4 to 5 true leaves, about four weeks old. Set them slightly deeper than in the tray.
- Water in, and give a day of shade to settle.
Our seed tray guide goes deeper on germination. You can also sow directly: three seeds per pot, thinned to the strongest.
Can kale be grown from cuttings? Not practically. Seed is the method; it is cheap and fast. Side shoots that sprout on old stems in late winter will sometimes root, but they bolt quickly. Skip it.
What pot and soil does kale need?
A 30 cm (12 inch) pot, about 15 to 20 litres, for one full size plant. Grow bags of the same volume work well on roofs. For baby leaf only, a wide shallow tray 15 cm deep with plants 7 to 8 cm apart is enough.
Mix: 2 parts garden soil, 1 part compost, 1 part cocopeat. Kale is hungry, so the compost matters. In the ground, space plants 45 to 60 cm apart; dwarf types 30 cm. See our potting mix ratios for detail.
How much water and fertiliser does kale need?
- October and November: water when the top 2 to 3 cm is dry, often every 2 to 3 days in pots while days are warm.
- December and January: every 4 to 6 days; water in the morning. Frost nights don’t hurt kale, and the leaves taste sweeter after cold.
- February onwards: back to every 2 to 3 days as it warms.
- Feed: a handful of compost on top every three to four weeks, or a nitrogen rich liquid feed (diluted compost tea, or a fertiliser at half the label rate) every two weeks once picking starts. Leafy crops want nitrogen.
Pick from the bottom, never from the crown
Take two or three of the lowest, largest leaves per plant each week, snapping them down and off at the stem. Leave the central bud and the top 5 to 6 leaves alone. The plant grows upward like a little palm tree and keeps making new leaves all winter. Cut the crown off, and production stops.
Which pests attack kale?
| Problem | Sign | First response |
|---|---|---|
| Cabbage caterpillars | Holes, green droppings | Hand pick daily, check undersides; fine net over the pot |
| Aphids | Grey clusters under leaves | Spray off with water; mild soapy water, then rinse |
| Yellowing lower leaves | Oldest leaves turn yellow | Normal ageing, or hunger: pick them and feed |
| Bolting | Tall stalk with yellow flowers | Heat; harvest everything and resow next autumn |
A cheap fine net or old mosquito net over a hoop of wire is the most effective caterpillar control. Neem oil in the evening helps a little with aphids; never spray in midday sun.
When and how do I harvest kale?
Baby leaves can be cut when plants are 10 to 15 cm tall. Full leaves are ready when they are about the size of your hand, usually around two months from sowing. Keep picking the bottom leaves weekly. Store unwashed in a bag in the fridge for up to a week. For cooking ideas and how kale compares with desi saag, read our desi kitchen guide to kale.
Is kale worth growing at home?
Yes, for anyone in the plains or the north who wants a winter green that’s hard to find fresh at the sabzi stall. Two or three pots give a steady handful each week, enough for a side dish, not the whole family’s saag. In Karachi and the hottest southern cities, the season is short: still worthwhile in one or two pots, but don’t expect months of picking. New gardeners can start with our first five plants and add kale in the second winter.
Wash leaves well; caterpillars and aphids hide in curly kale. If you use any pesticide, even neem, read the label for the waiting time before harvest, wear gloves, and keep children and pets away while it dries. People taking warfarin should keep their intake of leafy greens like kale steady from week to week rather than suddenly eating a lot more, and talk to their doctor about it. Anyone with thyroid problems can eat cooked kale in normal food amounts; ask your doctor if you plan large raw juices.
More winter vegetables are in our Kitchen Garden section.
Kale growing questions
How do I grow kale at home in a pot?
Sow in October or November in the plains, use a 30 cm pot per plant with compost rich soil, give 5 to 6 hours of sun, keep it evenly moist, and pick lower leaves weekly.
When should I sow kale in Pakistan?
October to mid November in Lahore and the Punjab plains, late September in Islamabad and Peshawar, and November to early December in Karachi.
How long does kale take to grow?
Baby leaves are ready in about a month. Full leaves come at roughly two months from sowing, and picking continues for months.
How long do kale seeds take to germinate?
Usually within a week to ten days in cool weather. Very warm soil slows or patches germination.
When should I harvest kale leaves?
When the lower leaves are about hand sized. Pick two or three from the bottom each week and leave the crown.
Why are my kale leaves turning yellow?
The oldest bottom leaves yellow naturally as the plant grows. Widespread yellowing usually means it is hungry or waterlogged, so feed and check drainage.
Can kale survive frost?
Yes, kale handles frost nights well and often tastes sweeter after cold. It’s the heat of spring that ends it.
Why is my kale flowering?
Rising temperatures and longer days make it bolt. Harvest the remaining leaves; the plant won’t return to leaf mode.
Kale kaise ugaye?
October ya November mein beej 1 cm gehra boyein, ek gamle mein ek paudha rakhein, dhoop dein, aur neeche ke patte tod tod kar istemal karein.