Kale is Thriving in the Cold Weather

Posted on Dec 9 2009 - 5:45am by Mike Lieberman

This is the first check in of my fire escape garden since returning from my Urban Kinder-Garden Workshop in Los Angeles.

The weather has dropped into the 40s here and 30s at night, but the kale plants are thriving in this cold weather. Once I removed the small plastic greenhouse from them, they still look healthy and to be growing.

The container with the red peppers in it didn’t look as well. I think it might be on it’s way out. I was able to pick one small pepper from it, but the leaves were looking all kinds of wilted. Going to leave it up to see how much longer it’ll last though.

A few weeks ago, I did some housecleaning on my fire escape by removing some of the hanging soda bottle planters.

This week I removed about four more – a kale, mint and two lettuces because they were on their way out.

The good thing is that the kale is doing well in the cold weather. I’m not sure if it’s because of the greenhouse or if it naturally does well in the cold or a combination of both.

What do you think? Whatever the answer is, it’s December and I gots some kale on my fire escape.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MojwRNZEYyM

11 Comments so far. Feel free to join this conversation.

  1. Damon December 9, 2009 at 2:05 pm -

    Keep an eye on 'em Mike….we dropped to 20's and my kales and lettuces look like they took a hit. Got my longjohns on and going to make a little makeshift greenhouse and pack everything in there until things warm up some. My mom moved from Buffalo to get out of the cold??…
    Peace!

  2. RawDamon December 9, 2009 at 2:08 pm -

    Keep an eye on 'em Mike….we dropped to 20's and my kales and lettuces look like they took a hit. Got my longjohns on and going to make a little makeshift greenhouse and pack everything in there until things warm up some. My mom moved from Buffalo to get out of the cold??…
    Peace!

  3. Mike Lieberman December 9, 2009 at 3:43 pm -

    I think it might start hittin the 20s here at night the next few days. I might start to wilt.

  4. RawDamon December 9, 2009 at 10:05 pm -

    Keep an eye on 'em Mike….we dropped to 20's and my kales and lettuces look like they took a hit. Got my longjohns on and going to make a little makeshift greenhouse and pack everything in there until things warm up some. My mom moved from Buffalo to get out of the cold??…
    Peace!

  5. RawDamon December 9, 2009 at 10:08 pm -

    Keep an eye on 'em Mike….we dropped to 20's and my kales and lettuces look like they took a hit. Got my longjohns on and going to make a little makeshift greenhouse and pack everything in there until things warm up some. My mom moved from Buffalo to get out of the cold??…
    Peace!

  6. Mike Lieberman December 9, 2009 at 11:43 pm -

    I think it might start hittin the 20s here at night the next few days. I might start to wilt.

  7. Michael S. March 25, 2012 at 9:15 am -

    Hey Mike, 
    Just saw this post and wanted to let you know I got some Russian Kale seeds the week (March/2012) and I”m hoping its an easy thing to grow a lot of.. I’d like to completely replace lettuce with Kale in my salads if possible. Living in LA may allow me to do that year round. I don’t have the patience to start Kale from seed but I’ll give it a try! Thanks for your site… it’s a great source of info and social activity for us online gardeners! Thank you!

  8. Michael S. March 25, 2012 at 9:15 am -

    Hey Mike, 
    Just saw this post and wanted to let you know I got some Russian Kale seeds the week (March/2012) and I”m hoping its an easy thing to grow a lot of.. I’d like to completely replace lettuce with Kale in my salads if possible. Living in LA may allow me to do that year round. I don’t have the patience to start Kale from seed but I’ll give it a try! Thanks for your site… it’s a great source of info and social activity for us online gardeners! Thank you!

  9. Mike Lieberman March 25, 2012 at 4:33 pm -

    That’s what’s up bro!

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