The most reliable and fastest method to grow kale is by using an indoor garden. Plug-in gardens with automated grow lights and watering systems ensure your kale gets the light and hydration it needs. Plus, indoor gardens deliver kale seeds in growing medium. So you don’t need to invest in pots, potting soil, grow lights, or fertilizer. By taking the guesswork out of growing kale, you can harvest fresh greens year-round in any home.
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How Long Does it Take to Grow Kale Indoors?
Growing kale from seed to harvestable size usually takes about three months. With our method, you can reduce this time to two months. Although kale takes longer to grow than other indoor edibles, such as dill, kale continues to produce for six to nine months after it reaches mature size. So, the wait is well worth the reward of abundant fresh greens.
5 Easy Steps to Grow Kale Indoors
Although it’s possible to grow kale indoors in pots, it takes a lot of trial and error. Instead of that process, here’s the best way to grow kale indoors:
Choose an Indoor Garden
Rather than looking for grow lights, potting soil, containers, and fertilizer, it’s best to use an indoor garden for growing kale. Our team owns and loves Click and Grow indoor gardens. All you need is an outlet to plug your garden into and you’re ready to begin. The built-in LED grow lights and water reservoir turn any room into a flourishing garden haven.
- Use the Click and Grow Smart Garden to grow kale in any home.
- Built-in LED grow lights fuel kale growth automatically.
- All you have to do is fill the water reservoir—the garden waters your kale automatically.
- We’ve found this method much more reliable than growing kale in pots.
The Smart Garden 9 is our top choice for beginner indoor gardeners. It’s large enough to grow kale, as well as other greens, vegetables, and herbs. Plus, you can add it to a larger Click and Grow garden later if you decide you want more indoor produce.
- Fresh, organic food all year round.
- Energy-efficient systems optimized for plant growth.
- 100% free of plant hormones, pesticides, and other harmful additives.
- Easy to use and all nutrients required for plant growth are included in our soil pods.
- Use Coupon Code PHG10 for 10% off your order. Not applicable with any current promotions.
Select Your Kale Varieties
Once you’ve selected your indoor garden, it’s time to decide which type of kale to grow. Click and Grow offers kale pods in several varieties. Green kale is the classic choice (and is what I grow in my Click and Grow garden), but Italian kale and red kale offer variety. You can grow one of these, or grow several types of kale at once.
- Easily grow green kale indoors with zero effort.
- Grow delicious, fresh green kale that is pesticide-free.
- Have green kale plants to harvest within 35-42 days of planting.
- Select one of the Kale varieties Click and Grow offers, such as these Italian kale pods.
- Click and Grow pods include growing medium—no digging or planting required.
- If your kale pods don’t sprout, Click and Grow will send you a replacement.
- Easily grow Italian kale indoors with zero effort.
- Grow delicious, fresh Italian kale that is pesticide-free.
- Have Italian kale plants to harvest within 35-42 days of planting.
Click and Grow’s plant pods contain seeds and growing medium. So, you don’t need to scoop or measure any soil. Simply place the pods into the garden and the automatic light and water settings will sprout your seeds. If your pods don’t sprout, Click and Grow will replace them, free of charge.
- Easily grow red kale indoors with zero effort.
- Grow delicious, fresh red kale that is pesticide-free.
- Have red kale plants to harvest within 5-6 weeks of planting.
Add Your Kale Pods and Water
To start your kale plants growing, simply place the pods into the Click and Grow garden. Then, fill the water reservoir for the garden. As long as the garden is plugged in, it will automatically provide light and water for your kale.
- Plug in your Click and Grow garden.
- Add water to the water reservoir.
- Add Click and Grow Kale pods to the garden.
- Your kale will be ready for its first harvest in 8–10 weeks.
Since Click and Grow uses a nutrient-rich, natural Smart Soil your kale plants will grow faster than they would with a traditional pot-and-soil method. This means you’ll begin to get harvestable kale in eight to 10 weeks. In comparison, standard growing methods produce edible kale in 12 to 14 weeks.
Check Your Kale’s Growth
Although indoor gardens make growing indoor greens much easier, it’s still important to check on your kale periodically. Make sure the plant is producing new leaves from the center and does not appear to be sickly, wilting, or moldy.
- Inspect your kale regularly for any signs of poor growth.
- Make certain the garden is plugged in and all the grow lights are functioning.
- Regularly fill the water reservoir to keep your kale thriving.
If your kale looks sickly, make sure your indoor garden is plugged in and that all the lights are working. Next, ensure there is water in the reservoir. If there are any signs of leaf rot, try moving your indoor garden to an area with better air circulation, so the plants can recover.
Harvest Kale Throughout the Year
Your kale will be ready for its first harvest once the outer leaves are 12 inches long (30 cm). To harvest your indoor kale, cut away only the outer leaves. This will allow the plant to grow back and keep producing more leaves. Never harvest the center leaves of your kale. This will kill the plant.
- Harvest kale leaves once they are 12 inches in length (30 cm).
- Harvest the outermost leaves of the plant.
- Do not harvest inner leaves.
- Never take more than one-third of the plant’s leaves during a single harvest.
- Wait a week before harvesting again.
- You can continue harvesting kale in this way for months.
Harvest your kale by taking the outer leaves as you need them. Never take more than one-third of the leaves at once to avoid harming the plant. Wait at least one week between harvests. One or two kale plants in an indoor garden can produce all the fresh kale you need.
Does Indoor Kale Regrow After Cutting?
Kale will grow back after you cut off leaves as long as you take outer leaves and limit the size of your harvest. By taking a maximum of one-third of the plant’s leaves, you allow your kale to grow back. Plus, by leaving the center leaves intact you ensure your kale can produce new leaves. In fact, harvesting kale encourages it to produce more leaves. So, you can have a constant source of fresh greens.
What is the Best Way to Grow Kale Indoors?
The best way we’ve found to grow kale indoors is:
- Grow kale in a plug-in indoor garden.
- Purchase kale pods for your indoor garden.
- Add the kale pods and water to your garden.
- Keep the garden’s water reservoir full and monitor the growth of your kale.
- Harvest your kale once it reaches 12 inches tall (30 cm).
This method grows full-sized kale much faster and more reliably than sprouting kale seedlings and cultivating them in pots. So, you’ll get far more green veggies for your table much faster.
