Anything in a pot needs to be watered often but nothing (except watercress maybe) wants to be soaking wet.

Kale is such an easy plant to grow, but I directly sow mine plus overwinter mine. I just water it when I'm watering everything at once.

I don't know about growing in the pot, but kale being in the cabbage family likes lots of water. I have seen giant cabbages growing near the streams.

It is generally rather odd to compare kale to most herbs, many of which are quite drought-tolerant and need little fertility. Kale has fairly high fertility and moisture requirements.

Thanks, everybody! I think I was asking so many questions that the nursery guy got confused! I will keep my kale soil damp!

Attached is a photo. If three look like they've been chomped, that's the work of my little dog :P

Like most veggies, kale likes moist, but not WET conditions. Just remember though--- more plants die from OVERwatering than underwatering.

Also, regarding that container --- way too many kale(brassica) plants for it. I, myself would do no more than 2(3 max) for that size if you expect the plants to keep trucking along delivering you harvest after harvest. Brassicas have pretty extensive root systems. Especially kale, collards, and side shooting broccoli where there are multiple harvests.

There might be something to be said for them not needing too much water though. It's barely rained here this winter and I've only watered my kale a few short times and it keeps going and going. BUT, they are in-ground plants, mulched, and over a year old. So, they're roots are probably tapping moisture 3 feet down.

Good luck.

Kevin

Kevin -- Interesting that you should mention the number of plants in my pot. I started with four, the recommended amount by my nursery. The next day, my dog at most of the leaves! Even though he didn't eat the stems or tear them up, I thought they might be goners, and bought four more. The nursery said there would be no trouble adding the four to the pot with the possibly-dying four. I wondered about that! Should I remove the original four?

Harvest after harvest? I was told the kale would die in the summer (so I would have to harvest it before it gets too hot. I'm in Arizona, where it will be over 100 by May, even April.)

GreenDream: As long as the most inner leaves are there, then they'll continue. So, it's up to you. I still say any more than 3 is too many, but if they bolt in say june/july, then there won't be such a need for root growth.

I've yet to grow kale that has bolted though, unlike collards. But I've only grown ONE(hybrid starbor) variety. And it gets pretty warm here also(inland San Diego), but Arizona is on a whole different level of heat than most of us in the summer.

That's the great thing about Kale(where I am, at least)... I can plant a few plants in the garden and it last me a good year or 2 before I pull it to make room for something else.

If you want to prolong the harvests, try to keep that pot cool when it really heats up. Maybe put some wheels under it so you can get it sun in the mornings and try to shade it when it gets hot. it's not so much much the air temperature, but the soil temperature that knocks cool weather veggies out. Maybe some mulch too.

But, yes. 2(3 max) for that pot, IN MY OPINION. (They do much better in-ground from my experience, though). But that's for when they're many months old. By the time May comes around, who knows if EIGHT(LOL) plants is too many?

In the future, try for a fall planting. That way, you can get many months of nice harvests. Check with your county extension to find out the earliest time you can plant.

"harvest after harvest" -- yes... you don't have to wait for the plants to get full size to harvest. Just pick the outer leaves and as long as you leaves the innermost leaves and they don't bolt, you can harvest anytime. It's one of those veggies that just keeps giving and giving.

Good luck and any more questions, feel free.

Kevin