When to Plant Kale
veg · hardy · ~60 days to harvest
Planting time for kale is set by your frost dates, not by the calendar month. Start seeds indoors about 6 weeks before your last spring frost, then transplant once the soil has warmed. From there it takes roughly 60 days to the first harvest. Kale is a hardy crop, and it keeps going about 28 days past a light frost, which is what makes a fall crop worth planting. Pick your zone below for exact dates, or find your zone by ZIP if you are not sure which one you are in.
When to plant kale by zone
| Zone | Last frost | Start indoors | In the ground | Spring harvest | Fall sow-by |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zone 3a | May 15 | Apr 3 | May 1 | Jun 30 | by Jul 31 |
| Zone 3b | May 13 | Apr 1 | Apr 29 | Jun 28 | by Aug 3 |
| Zone 4a | May 10 | Mar 29 | Apr 26 | Jun 25 | by Aug 7 |
| Zone 4b | May 5 | Mar 24 | Apr 21 | Jun 20 | by Aug 13 |
| Zone 5a | Apr 30 | Mar 19 | Apr 16 | Jun 15 | by Aug 18 |
| Zone 5b | Apr 25 | Mar 14 | Apr 11 | Jun 10 | by Aug 23 |
| Zone 6a | Apr 20 | Mar 9 | Apr 6 | Jun 5 | by Aug 28 |
| Zone 6b | Apr 15 | Mar 4 | Apr 1 | May 31 | by Sep 2 |
| Zone 7a | Apr 10 | Feb 27 | Mar 27 | May 26 | by Sep 9 |
| Zone 7b | Apr 3 | Feb 20 | Mar 20 | May 19 | by Sep 16 |
| Zone 8a | Mar 25 | Feb 11 | Mar 11 | May 10 | by Sep 23 |
| Zone 8b | Mar 15 | Feb 1 | Mar 1 | Apr 30 | by Sep 30 |
| Zone 9a | Mar 1 | Jan 18 | Feb 15 | Apr 16 | by Oct 15 |
| Zone 9b | Feb 15 | Jan 4 | Feb 1 | Apr 2 | by Oct 25 |
| Zone 10a | Jan 31 | Dec 20 | Jan 17 | Mar 18 | by Nov 4 |
| Zone 10b | Jan 15 | Dec 4 | Jan 1 | Mar 2 | by Nov 15 |
| Zone 11a | none | Feb 1 | Feb 1 | Apr 2 | Oct onward |
| Zone 11b | none | Feb 1 | Feb 1 | Apr 2 | Oct onward |
| Zone 12a | none | Feb 1 | Feb 1 | Apr 2 | Oct onward |
| Zone 12b | none | Feb 1 | Feb 1 | Apr 2 | Oct onward |
| Zone 13a | none | Feb 1 | Feb 1 | Apr 2 | Oct onward |
| Zone 13b | none | Feb 1 | Feb 1 | Apr 2 | Oct onward |
Dates use the representative frost window for each zone. Your own ZIP will differ by a week or two: look it up here.
Planting kale in fall
Kale is usually the last thing standing in the garden. Frost converts its starch to sugar, so the flavour improves after the first freeze.
Fall dates are counted backward from your first frost, not forward from a sowing date. Take the 60 days kale needs, add about two weeks because growth slows once days shorten after the equinox, then subtract the roughly 28 days kale keeps going once light frost arrives. That is 46 days before your first frost. The coldest zone where this still works on the averages is Zone 3a.
For the whole-garden version of this arithmetic, see the fall planting calendar by zone, and how to read and stretch your first frost date.
When to plant kale in 12 US cities
These use each city's own NOAA frost dates rather than its zone average, which is why two cities in the same zone can differ by a week or more. Texas alone spans a wide range: in Houston (Zone 9a) kale goes in around Jan 30 in spring and can be sown by Oct 24 for fall; in Dallas (Zone 8a) kale goes in around Feb 22 in spring and can be sown by Oct 9 for fall.
| City | Zone | Last frost | In the ground (spring) | Fall sow-by |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York, NY | 7b | Mar 30 | Mar 16 | by Oct 5 |
| Los Angeles, CA | 10b | none | Oct to Feb (cool season) | Oct onward |
| Chicago, IL | 6a | Apr 16 | Apr 2 | by Sep 12 |
| Houston, TX | 9a | Feb 13 | Jan 30 | by Oct 24 |
| Phoenix, AZ | 9b | none | Oct to Feb (cool season) | Oct onward |
| Philadelphia, PA | 7b | Apr 2 | Mar 19 | by Sep 25 |
| Atlanta, GA | 8a | Mar 15 | Mar 1 | by Oct 5 |
| Dallas, TX | 8a | Mar 8 | Feb 22 | by Oct 9 |
| Denver, CO | 6a | May 5 | Apr 21 | by Aug 24 |
| Seattle, WA | 8b | Mar 2 | Feb 16 | by Oct 8 |
| Minneapolis, MN | 4b | Apr 23 | Apr 9 | by Sep 2 |
| Miami, FL | 11a | none | Oct to Feb (cool season) | Oct onward |
What to plant with kale
Kale grows well next to onions, beets and cilantro. Same beneficial-insect draw from flowering cilantro as broccoli. The full grid for all 24 crops is in the companion planting chart.
Kale zone pages
More on growing kale
- Cold frame gardening by zone
How a cold frame keeps kale producing into winter, and when to sow it.
- When to start seeds indoors by zone
Indoor start dates for kale, counted back from your last frost.
- Hardening off seedlings: a schedule
A day by day plan for moving kale seedlings outdoors.
- Best grow lights for seed starting
What light seedlings actually need, and which fixtures deliver it.
- Seed-starting setup: what you actually need
Trays, mix, heat and light for starting kale indoors.
- Winter sowing guide
Sowing kale outdoors in jugs in late winter, with no lights.
Frequently asked questions
When can I plant kale?
As soon as your zone's soil can be worked, a few weeks before the last frost. Zone 5b: Apr 11; Zone 6b: Apr 1; Zone 7b: Mar 20; Zone 8b: Mar 1. Start seeds indoors 6 weeks before your last frost.
How long does kale take to grow?
About 60 days from transplant or sowing to harvest.
Is kale frost-hardy?
Kale is a hardy crop. It tolerates light frost and can go out early. In fall it keeps going about 28 days past the first light frost.
Can you plant kale in the fall?
Yes. Count back 60 days to maturity plus about two weeks for the slower growth of shortening days, then add back the roughly 28 days kale keeps producing past a light frost, and sow by that date. The table on this page gives the sow-by date for every zone.
Can I plant kale in September?
Yes in Zone 6b and warmer, where the fall sow-by date falls in September or later: Zone 6b by Sep 2; Zone 7a by Sep 9; Zone 7b by Sep 16; Zone 8a by Sep 23; Zone 8b by Sep 30. In colder zones the deadline passed in August, so a September sowing needs a cold frame or row cover to finish.
What is the latest I can plant kale?
It depends on your first frost date. In Zone 6a, sow by Aug 28; In Zone 7a, sow by Sep 9; In Zone 8a, sow by Sep 23. Colder zones are earlier, warmer zones later.