Country Creek LLC
Red Kale Microgreen Seed
Description & Nutritional Value
If you’re looking for a sweet and tender variety of kale for your garden, look no further than ‘Red Russian.’ This heirloom variety has large leaves that are softer than other varieties, making it a welcome change from fall greens that require lots of cooking. This variety also has a unique appearance with its frilly green leaves and purple-red stems. This particular cultivar of Brassica oleracea var. viridis is also known as ragged jack and sweet red. Flatter than other cultivars and with jagged edges, its leaves are also the most tender and mild of all varieties. Due to its tenderness, ‘Red Russian’ is often grown for baby greens. These small leaves make great additions to salads. According to a 2017 study in the Food and Nutrition Research Journal, anthocyanins provide a number of health benefits including antioxidant and antimicrobial properties.
How To Grow
This cultivar has similar requirements to other types of kale. It should be planted in full sun and provided with about half an inch of water a week. However, as with all crops, water more in hotter weather and less in cooler weather. ‘Red Russian’ is cold hardy, just like other varieties. It can tolerate some heat, but it does best in colder conditions. Therefore, it is best grown in the spring and again in the fall. If you are starting seeds indoors to transplant, choose a sowing date based on your growing zone. These transplants will be ready to plant out into your garden after three to four weeks. At this point, plant the seedlings a foot apart. If planting into containers, select a container at least a foot in diameter and ten inches deep. If you are direct-seeding, sow seeds in your garden after the last frost in the spring. You can continue sowing seeds until daytime temperatures are above 80ºF.
How To Use
This type is great served raw in salads due to its tender texture and sweet taste. In fact, according to University of Wisconsin Extension, a light frost can increase its sweetness. To enjoy this sweetness, try it with grapefruit, apple, and red onion. This type of leafy green also lends itself well to various cooking methods. One favorite way to prepare it is to quickly saute the leaves in olive oil with onion and garlic. You can also try adding it to some pasta with lemon and cheese.
Origin
All Seeds are grown and packaged in the U.S. (Each bag is individually labeled)
Germination
All seed lots are tested for germination.
Sprouting
Works great with any type of sprouter.