Red Russian Kale

[richardw]

Is anyone growing Red Russian kale or has grown it for seed??

[rowan]

I grow it for market and for seed. It's my favourite kale.

[YoungAllotmenteer]

Doesn't grow well for me. Struggles badly with aphids etc. where Friesian Palm Kale just keeps going on and on.

[ferdzy]

I've grown it. It grows like a weed for me. Don't love the flavour, but that's me and kale, I'm afraid.

[hortusbrambonii]

Is it B. napus or B. oleracea?

[richardw]

Sept 19, 2013 12:13:58 GMT -5 hortusbrambonii said:

Is it B. napus or B. oleracea?

Good point,i was given the seed so i'm not sure,how can i tell??

[richardw]

What i have growing is the same as in this link en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Kids_harvesting_kale.jpg Unlike what's in this photo which is a much curlier leaf type

[rowan]

Very pretty. I think it is B. Oleracea as it was crossed with broccoli to get Purple Peacock broccoli. I have found that it is pretty diverse in leaf type so yours is not unusual Richard.

[richardw]

That photo was taken off the internet

[Leenstar]

I have grown it and it is quite hardy. Mine has a more red hue than that picture with grey green leaves. It seems nigh indestructable for me and the cabbage worms eat it but seem to prefer the lacinato to the red russian. Saved seed from it a couple of year ago and got tons (half cup) from four plants.

[raymondo]

It's Brassica napus, not B. oleracea. It's smell and flavour is quite different to B. oleracea kales. Crosses with B. oleracea are possible though rare. It's never happened in my garden. I grow both for seed at the same time without a problem though admittedly not in the same bed usually.

[oxbowfarm]

IMO Red Russian/Ragged Jack is a catchall name for a bunch of similar lines of B. napus, its worth trialling some from a few different sources to find one that works the best for you in your conditions. Now that I've grown three different red B. napus kales that were bred by Tim Peters and they are all pretty unique and productive as compared to RR. I highly recommend Russian Frills and Bear Necessities as a cut above the standard Red Russian in both production and attractiveness.

[trixtrax]

Yes, Red Russian is B. napus. The classic strain of Red Russian is thought to have been discovered in the medieval field margins. White Russian is a cross between a Brassica oleracea (kale/collard) and Brassica rapa (turnip greens type) - which probably also happened spontaneously but can be recreated. White Russian x Brassica nigra (Black Mustard) adds purple coloration to the stem, petioles, and leaves. Brassica napus is actually a catch-all for various different recombinations of various types of Brassica nigra, Brassica rapa, and Brassica oleracea. For example White Russian, Red Russian, various fodder kale types, rutabaga, and some Canola.

[woodsygardener]

I've grown and loved Red Russian Kale for 4 years now. This is the last year tho; I tried Frank Morton's Wild Garden Seed Kale mix and was blown away with the difference. The best plants from Frank's mix are more vigorous and productive by 2-3X compared to Red Russian. Check my Sig for more info.

[raymondo]

Nov 1, 2013 16:00:41 GMT -5 woodsygardener said:

I've grown and loved Red Russian Kale for 4 years now. This is the last year tho; I tried Frank Morton's Wild Garden Seed Kale mix and was blown away with the difference. The best plants from Frank's mix are more vigorous and productive by 2-3X compared to Red Russian. Check my Sig for more info.

I like Frank Morton's breeding work. His lettuces and oraches are terrific in the garden. With the kale mix though, I wonder how much of the difference you are seeing is due to hybrid vigour. It may be that after a few years in your garden, doing your own selection, the vigour and productivity might drop back to the same levels as your standard Red Russian. Just a thought. It may well be that you can select a superior Siberian kale from the Morton mix. Good luck with it.