When to plant kale by zone
Brassica oleracea (Acephala) is a cool-season crop that is hardy to frost. Rule of thumb: start seeds indoors 6–8 weeks before the last frost; plant out from 4 weeks before to 1 week before the last frost; direct sow from 4 weeks before to 1 week before the last frost; for a fall crop, sow or plant 6–10 weeks before the first fall frost.
Kale planting dates by zone
Each row uses the median 30%-risk frost dates of the major cities in that zone; rows marked * have no major city and use the median of NOAA stations in that zone instead. Frost dates vary a lot within a zone, so use your city page for local dates. In frost-free climates: Sep 1 – Feb 15.
| Zone | Median last frost | Start indoors | Transplant / plant out | Direct sow | Fall crop |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1a* | May 29 | Apr 3 – Apr 17 | May 1 – May 22 | May 1 – May 22 | — |
| 1b* | May 29 | Apr 3 – Apr 17 | May 1 – May 22 | May 1 – May 22 | — |
| 2a | May 21 | Mar 26 – Apr 9 | Apr 23 – May 14 | Apr 23 – May 14 | Jun 23 – Jul 21 |
| 2b* | May 20 | Mar 25 – Apr 8 | Apr 22 – May 13 | Apr 22 – May 13 | Jun 25 – Jul 23 |
| 3a* | Jun 4 | Apr 9 – Apr 23 | May 7 – May 28 | May 7 – May 28 | — |
| 3b* | May 24 | Mar 29 – Apr 12 | Apr 26 – May 17 | Apr 26 – May 17 | Jul 10 – Aug 7 |
| 4a | May 12 | Mar 17 – Mar 31 | Apr 14 – May 5 | Apr 14 – May 5 | Jul 19 – Aug 16 |
| 4b | May 5 | Mar 10 – Mar 24 | Apr 7 – Apr 28 | Apr 7 – Apr 28 | Jul 26 – Aug 23 |
| 5a | May 4 | Mar 9 – Mar 23 | Apr 6 – Apr 27 | Apr 6 – Apr 27 | Jul 25 – Aug 22 |
| 5b | May 4 | Mar 9 – Mar 23 | Apr 6 – Apr 27 | Apr 6 – Apr 27 | Jul 31 – Aug 28 |
| 6a | May 4 | Mar 9 – Mar 23 | Apr 6 – Apr 27 | Apr 6 – Apr 27 | Jul 31 – Aug 28 |
| 6b | Apr 26 | Mar 1 – Mar 15 | Mar 29 – Apr 19 | Mar 29 – Apr 19 | Aug 12 – Sep 9 |
| 7a | Apr 22 | Feb 25 – Mar 11 | Mar 25 – Apr 15 | Mar 25 – Apr 15 | Aug 12 – Sep 9 |
| 7b | Apr 10 | Feb 13 – Feb 27 | Mar 13 – Apr 3 | Mar 13 – Apr 3 | Aug 18 – Sep 15 |
| 8a | Apr 1 | Feb 4 – Feb 18 | Mar 4 – Mar 25 | Mar 4 – Mar 25 | Aug 25 – Sep 22 |
| 8b | Mar 22 | Jan 25 – Feb 8 | Feb 22 – Mar 15 | Feb 22 – Mar 15 | Sep 1 – Sep 29 |
| 9a | Mar 11 | Jan 14 – Jan 28 | Feb 11 – Mar 4 | Feb 11 – Mar 4 | Sep 10 – Oct 8 |
| 9b | Feb 12 | Dec 18 – Jan 1 | Jan 15 – Feb 5 | Jan 15 – Feb 5 | Sep 24 – Oct 22 |
| 10a | Jan 26 | Dec 1 – Dec 15 | Dec 29 – Jan 19 | Dec 29 – Jan 19 | Oct 6 – Nov 3 |
| 10b | Jan 27 | Dec 2 – Dec 16 | Dec 30 – Jan 20 | Dec 30 – Jan 20 | Oct 4 – Nov 1 |
| 11a | Rare | Sep 1 – Feb 15 | |||
| 11b* | Rare | Sep 1 – Feb 15 | |||
| 12a* | Rare | Sep 1 – Feb 15 | |||
| 12b | Rare | Sep 1 – Feb 15 | |||
| 13a* | Rare | Sep 1 – Feb 15 | |||
| 13b* | Rare | Sep 1 – Feb 15 | |||
Growing tips
- Frost improves flavor; kale handles temperatures into the low 20s°F.
- Harvest the lower leaves and let the center keep growing.
- Row cover keeps cabbage worms off in summer.
Exact dates for your city
Popular: New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston, Phoenix, Philadelphia, San Antonio, San Diego, Dallas, Jacksonville, Fort Worth, San Jose — or browse all cities by state.
Other crops: Tomato, Pepper, Lettuce, Green Beans, Sweet Corn, Zucchini & Summer Squash, Cucumber, Carrot, Onion, Potato, Basil, Spinach, Broccoli, Peas, Eggplant, Cabbage, Radish, Strawberry, Beets