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'Red Russian' Kale

Sub-Category:	None

Sub-Category 2:
Description:	Heirloom. Plants are 24 to 36 inches tall. Oak-shaped, gray-green, toothed leaves with deep-purple veins and stems. Very tender leaves turn dark green when cooked. Harvest baby greens at 25 days. About 50-60 days to maturity. Also known as 'Ragged Jack' and 'Russian Red'.
Days To Maturity:	50-60
Seed Sources:	Burpee Seeds - updated in 2016 Seed Savers Exchange - updated in 2016 Johnny's Selected Seeds - updated in 2016 Underwood Gardens - updated in 2016 BBBseed - updated in 2016 Western Wonder, LLC - updated in 2016

Rating Summary

Overall: (4.4 Stars) Taste: (4.4 Stars) Yield: (4.5 Stars) Ease/Reliability: (4.5 Stars)

Reviews

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Number of Reviews: 33

Posted Pictures by Reviewers:

KEY: O=Overall Rating, T=Taste, Y=Yield, E=Ease

Reviewed on 10/26/2017 by CCE Nassau County NY - An experienced gardener
Overall Taste Yield Ease	Nassau, New York, United States Frost Free Season: 183 - 203 days Soil Texture: Loam Garden Size: Small - Less than 400 square feet (20' x 20') Sun Exposure: More than 8 hours per day
Planted seeds on May 16. This crop produced a low harvestable yield due to insect damage (holes). Some leaves had huge amount of aphids - removed these leaves carefully and disposed of them.

Reviewed on 10/21/2017 by Wayne County CCE - An experienced gardener
Overall Taste Yield Ease	Wayne, New York, United States Frost Free Season: 103 - 123 days Soil Texture: Loam Garden Size: Small - Less than 400 square feet (20' x 20') Sun Exposure: 6 to 8 hours per day
Produced nicely in our small space.

Reviewed on 10/18/2017 by Debbie L - An experienced gardener
Overall Taste Yield Ease	Orange, New York, United States Frost Free Season: 143 - 163 days Soil Texture: Loam Garden Size: Small - Less than 400 square feet (20' x 20') Sun Exposure: More than 8 hours per day
Grew very well, produced great with nice flavor.

Reviewed on 10/11/2017 by A. W. Davidson - An experienced gardener
Overall Taste Yield Ease	Marion, Indiana, United States Frost Free Season: 163 - 183 days Soil Texture: Clay Garden Size: Medium - 400 square feet to 1,600 square feet Sun Exposure: More than 8 hours per day
Love this kale. It is always prolific and I like the thick red stems. Take the time to cut up and cook the stems along with the leaves. Some do not like the difference in textures but my family always does. It is a great plant and produces the whole season. Colors are pretty as well in the garden, and like many kale, I think it can look good in an edible ornamental garden.

1 of 1 gardener found this review helpful.

Reviewed on 06/27/2017 by Cutler Botanic Garden - An experienced gardener
Overall Taste Yield Ease	Broome, New York, United States Frost Free Season: 163 - 183 days Soil Texture: Loam Garden Size: Large - More than 1,600 square feet (40' x 40') Sun Exposure: More than 8 hours per day
Sowed seed 4/25/17. Harvested weekly. Prolific producer.

1 of 1 gardener found this review helpful.

Reviewed on 05/15/2017 by Fiona - An intermediate gardener
Overall Taste Yield Ease	Tompkins, New York, United States Frost Free Season: 143 - 163 days Soil Texture: Loam Garden Size: Small - Less than 400 square feet (20' x 20') Sun Exposure: 6 to 8 hours per day
We grew this in a low-tunnel over the winter and harvested the small leaves throughout the Fall and Spring. Great taste and texture. Would grow again.

1 of 1 gardener found this review helpful.

Reviewed on 01/14/2015 by McKee - An intermediate gardener
Overall Taste Yield Ease	Cortland, New York, United States Frost Free Season: 143 - 163 days Soil Texture: Not Sure Garden Size: Medium - 400 square feet to 1,600 square feet Sun Exposure: 6 to 8 hours per day
Grew so easy, was very prolific, went into the fall, the best that I have seen

Reviewed on 01/13/2015 by CCE Rockland - An experienced gardener
Overall Taste Yield Ease	Rockland, New York, United States Frost Free Season: 163 - 183 days Soil Texture: Clay Garden Size: Small - Less than 400 square feet (20' x 20') Sun Exposure: 6 to 8 hours per day
Sown May 1, grew very well, final harvest the beginning of November.

Reviewed on 12/05/2014 by nmeohen1 - An experienced gardener
Overall Taste Yield Ease	Cortland, New York, United States Frost Free Season: 103 - 123 days Soil Texture: Clay Garden Size: Large - More than 1,600 square feet (40' x 40') Sun Exposure: More than 8 hours per day
The kale just never stops!

1 of 1 gardener found this review helpful.

Reviewed on 11/28/2014 by Martin 2 - An intermediate gardener
Overall Taste Yield Ease	Cortland, New York, United States Frost Free Season: 123 - 143 days Soil Texture: Clay Garden Size: Medium - 400 square feet to 1,600 square feet Sun Exposure: More than 8 hours per day
Productive plants with large leaves. Was not as affected by insects as much as many of the other leafy greens in this year's garden. However, the leaves are somewhat leathery and tough, not as tender as the blue scotch variety. Maybe would be more tender if picked when the leaves are smaller.

Reviewed on 11/27/2014 by CCE Oneida County - An intermediate gardener
Overall Taste Yield Ease	Oneida, New York, United States Frost Free Season: 163 - 183 days Soil Texture: Loam Garden Size: Medium - 400 square feet to 1,600 square feet Sun Exposure: More than 8 hours per day
Beautiful plants, easy to grow, and very tasty; continued to grow into late fall.

Reviewed on 11/21/2014 by volunteerschuyler - An experienced gardener
Overall Taste Yield Ease	Schuyler, New York, United States Frost Free Season: 143 - 163 days Soil Texture: Loam Garden Size: Medium - 400 square feet to 1,600 square feet Sun Exposure: More than 8 hours per day
This germinated and grew well. It did not seem as vigorous as the green kales.

Reviewed on 11/11/2013 by CCE Oneida County - An intermediate gardener
Overall Taste Yield Ease	Oneida, New York, United States Frost Free Season: 163 - 183 days Soil Texture: Loam Garden Size: Medium - 400 square feet to 1,600 square feet Sun Exposure: 6 to 8 hours per day
Due to a mix-up of seeds, we did not have any red russian kale in our demonstration gardens. However, many of our gardeners grew this variety and were very pleased with the yeild.

Reviewed on 11/16/2012 by Roger1963 - An experienced gardener
Overall Taste Yield Ease	Schuyler, New York, United States Frost Free Season: 103 - 123 days Soil Texture: Loam Garden Size: Large - More than 1,600 square feet (40' x 40') Sun Exposure: 6 to 8 hours per day
Still growing and looks fantastic. Good flavor early but still OK. No pest

Reviewed on 11/01/2012 by CCE Seneca County - An intermediate gardener
Overall Taste Yield Ease	Seneca, New York, United States Frost Free Season: 163 - 183 days Soil Texture: Loam Garden Size: Small - Less than 400 square feet (20' x 20') Sun Exposure: More than 8 hours per day
Good producer, nice looking and tasty. Had trouble with all kale in the 3x3 bed with flea beetles and worms.

Reviewed on 10/30/2012 by Chautauqua CCE - An experienced gardener
Overall Taste Yield Ease	Chautauqua, New York, United States Frost Free Season: 143 - 163 days Soil Texture: Loam Garden Size: Medium - 400 square feet to 1,600 square feet Sun Exposure: More than 8 hours per day
Pretty and tasty plus very productive...just what any gardener would want. Harvest early for very tender leaves or wait and harvest at end of season with still a nice flavor.

Reviewed on 10/29/2012 by Roots & Wisdom - An experienced gardener
Overall Taste Yield Ease	Schenectady, New York, United States Frost Free Season: 163 - 183 days Soil Texture: Loam Garden Size: Small - Less than 400 square feet (20' x 20') Sun Exposure: 6 to 8 hours per day
Good yield

Reviewed on 10/28/2012 by CCE Oneida County - An intermediate gardener
Overall Taste Yield Ease	Oneida, New York, United States Frost Free Season: 163 - 183 days Soil Texture: Loam Garden Size: Medium - 400 square feet to 1,600 square feet Sun Exposure: 6 to 8 hours per day
Nice looking with the blue colored leaves and pink/red stems. Good producer with great flavor

Reviewed on 10/22/2012 by nmeohen1 - An experienced gardener
Overall Taste Yield Ease	Cortland, New York, United States Frost Free Season: 103 - 123 days Soil Texture: Clay Garden Size: Large - More than 1,600 square feet (40' x 40') Sun Exposure: More than 8 hours per day
Edges browned but high yielding and tasty.

Reviewed on 10/17/2012 by Debbie L - An experienced gardener
Overall Taste Yield Ease	Orange, New York, United States Frost Free Season: 143 - 163 days Soil Texture: Loam Garden Size: Small - Less than 400 square feet (20' x 20') Sun Exposure: More than 8 hours per day
Very easy to grow and very productive. Still looks good in mid October. Nice flavor.

Reviewed on 09/14/2012 by Lois - An experienced gardener
Overall Taste Yield Ease	Wayne, New York, United States Frost Free Season: Fewer than 103 days Soil Texture: Loam Garden Size: Large - More than 1,600 square feet (40' x 40') Sun Exposure: More than 8 hours per day
Red Russian Kale was a proliferate producer . favorful.

Reviewed on 08/15/2012 by Little Minnie - An experienced gardener
Overall Taste Yield Ease	Sherburne, Minnesota, United States Frost Free Season: 123 - 143 days Soil Texture: Sand Garden Size: Large - More than 1,600 square feet (40' x 40') Sun Exposure: More than 8 hours per day
My bed of 75% red and 25% white Russian has completely withstood the heat of summer and kept yielding and stayed good tasting. I use a hook shaped pocket knife to harvest the outer leaves and the inside keeps growing. Last year\'s fall crop was outstanding.

Reviewed on 06/20/2011 by Lorock - A novice gardener
Overall Taste Yield Ease	San Diego, California, United States Frost Free Season: More than 203 days Soil Texture: Clay Garden Size: Medium - 400 square feet to 1,600 square feet Sun Exposure: More than 8 hours per day
my favorite of the brassicas so far. Grows with no problem all year long in San Diego, very interesting looking, almost mutant looking leaves that seem to grow new leaf growths from the middle of the flat fan leaves. Tastes amazing, reminds me of the best broc ever. Slugs, catipilars, aphids, love it as much as I do, but niether them or I can slow this plants production. Dedicating a smaller 3x2 raised bed to this plant spaced one per square. Fixing a hoop frame of netting to keep off butterflys and bait for slugs and snails around the perimiter of the bed and I\'m hoping to have untouched red russian starting now at the end of June well into fall and by winter I should have giant leaves ready for the pan and blender, I wonder how long these will grow here left alone?

1 of 1 gardener found this review helpful.

Reviewed on 11/18/2009 by UpstateJohn - An experienced gardener
Overall Taste Yield Ease	Monroe, New York, United States Frost Free Season: 143 - 163 days Soil Texture: Loam Garden Size: Large - More than 1,600 square feet (40' x 40') Sun Exposure: More than 8 hours per day
Having tried several varieties of Kale in the past, we kept searching for new ones with better flavor. It is so nutricious. The Red Russian variety is absolutely wonderful. The whole family likes the flavor, and everyone combines it with different dishes. It is a superb standalone veggie with a very mild flavor. Talk about PROLIFIC !! Use caution on how much you plant !!! 5 plants started indoors pre-frost have kept us in huge amounts all season ( cut one stalk and get three more) . You don;t need much, as it just keeps on going and going.... kind of like the "battery bunny"... even now in November. I did freeze several pints during September so we could have some during the winter also.

1 of 1 gardener found this review helpful.

Reviewed on 04/08/2009 by GarlicGrower - An experienced gardener
Overall Taste Yield Ease	Tompkins, New York, United States Frost Free Season: 123 - 143 days Soil Texture: Clay Garden Size: Large - More than 1,600 square feet (40' x 40') Sun Exposure: More than 8 hours per day
One of my favorite kales. Sometimes it overwinters and if I let it go to seed it will reseed in my garden.

1 of 1 gardener found this review helpful.

Reviewed on 08/14/2008 by sunnyspot - An intermediate gardener
Overall Taste Yield Ease	Tompkins, New York, United States Frost Free Season: 163 - 183 days Soil Texture: Loam Garden Size: Medium - 400 square feet to 1,600 square feet Sun Exposure: 6 to 8 hours per day
Terrific plant! We planted it in our curbside garden and people commented how lovely it was. My 5 year old neighbor asked to eat it raw...and kept coming back for more! Hassle free and delicious. To cook, steam or submerge in boiling water for only a flash. Tender and cooks fast.

1 of 1 gardener found this review helpful.

Reviewed on 01/08/2008 by Ottawa Gardener - An intermediate gardener
Overall Taste Yield Ease	Ontario, Canada Frost Free Season: 123 - 143 days Soil Texture: Sand Garden Size: Medium - 400 square feet to 1,600 square feet Sun Exposure: 6 to 8 hours per day
I have heard great things about this Kale so was eager to try it. The good news is that it is pretty, and tasty but in my garden it was a poor second cousin to the Scotish Curly Kale I grew at the same time. It was just not productive and did not seem as hardy as I thought it would be. We'll see if it comes up again in the spring.

1 of 1 gardener found this review helpful.

Reviewed on 12/27/2007 by FlipTX - An intermediate gardener
Overall Taste Yield Ease	Harris, Texas, United States Frost Free Season: More than 203 days Soil Texture: Clay Garden Size: Small - Less than 400 square feet (20' x 20') Sun Exposure: 6 to 8 hours per day
This kale is a survivor. About 18 months ago, I scattered mesclun seeds in a raised bed. Included in the mix were Red Russian seeds. One germinated under a large parsley plant and remained there for months, stunted at about 3-4" in height. Once the parsley completed its life cycle and died, the little Red Russian took off. It grew quickly with the increased sunlight...and then was decimated by slugs. I cut it down almost to the soil, and it quickly grew several new shoots, and each new shoot developed into a clump of leaves. I've been picking a few leaves of this plant every couple of days for weeks and it keeps on going. I'm surprised by how well it came through the Texas summer. The taste, by the way, is delicious. If you've never tried kale, I would describe it as sort of a cross between cabbage and broccoli.

1 of 1 gardener found this review helpful.

Reviewed on 11/13/2006 by scyther - An experienced gardener
Overall Taste Yield Ease	Dukes, Massachusetts, United States Frost Free Season: 183 - 203 days Soil Texture: Sand Garden Size: Large - More than 1,600 square feet (40' x 40') Sun Exposure: 6 to 8 hours per day
A fantastically well-adapted plant in my locale - it naturalized very easily. I would have given it an overall 5-star rating except that I have found it to be very vulnerable to the imported white cabbage-moth. Even so, it is able to complete its reproductive cycles, so the onerous effect is primarily one of greatly decreased foliage at certain times. I would attribute the difference between my experience and that of other reviewers in this regard to my warmer oceanic climate. Another advantage to red russian is that it does not cross with non-tetraploid members of brassica.

Reviewed on 09/19/2006 by zoebisch01 - An intermediate gardener
Overall Taste Yield Ease	Centre, Pennsylvania, United States Frost Free Season: 143 - 163 days Soil Texture: Loam Garden Size: Large - More than 1,600 square feet (40' x 40') Sun Exposure: 6 to 8 hours per day
This beautifully colored Buff blue-green leaved variety has wonderfully contrasting pinkish-burgundy stalks. Very simple to grow, and to my surprise produced very well througout the hot dry summer from plants that were started in spring. (So much for limiting its potential to cool season!). Good Kale flavor that one expects in terms of Kale. I must absolutely concur with the other review, in that the cabbage butterfly do not target this variety. (as opposed to my Collards which are a constant battle). Slugs, however, will devour the leaves.

1 of 1 gardener found this review helpful.

Reviewed on 12/28/2005 by Miss_Mudcat - An intermediate gardener
Overall Taste Yield Ease	Indiana, United States Frost Free Season: 163 - 183 days Soil Texture: Clay Garden Size: Large - More than 1,600 square feet (40' x 40') Sun Exposure: 6 to 8 hours per day
This is the prettiest kale I've seen. The germination had to be near 100%! It is tender and tasty raw or cooked.

1 of 1 gardener found this review helpful.

Reviewed on 12/10/2004 by Greatveggies - An intermediate gardener
Overall Taste Yield Ease	Cortland, New York, United States Frost Free Season: More than 203 days Soil Texture: Not Sure Garden Size: Large - More than 1,600 square feet (40' x 40') Sun Exposure: More than 8 hours per day
Best plant I have grown: tolerates range of pH, rarely gets insect damage when plants near it do, never tip burns, stands drought very well, grows reasonably fast, teen greens by 28-30 days. Tastes great in a salad, good thing highest rated green leafy for nutrition.

Reviewed on 11/09/2004 by Beezoo - An experienced gardener
Overall Taste Yield Ease	Tompkins, New York, United States Frost Free Season: 123 - 143 days Soil Texture: Clay Garden Size: Large - More than 1,600 square feet (40' x 40') Sun Exposure: 6 to 8 hours per day
Will overwinter and self seed the next year. Strikingly beautiful, much more ornamental in my humble opinion than the 'ornamental' kales. mild flavor, can be extremely prolific right through the summer too provided its not too hot.

1 of 1 gardener found this review helpful.

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