This year I let one of my Kale plants go to seed. It made hundreds of seed pods on one plant!!

Kale is in the Brassica family along with broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbages, kohlrabi, mustard, turnip.

Typically considered cool weather biennial crops.

Saving seeds: Let your kale plants overwinter to allow the seed pod time to develop. In spring the flower heads will develop into seed pods. The branching pods can get quite large and may need to be propped up.

Allow time to develope and dry on the plant. Once the pods begin to dry and the inner seeds are light brown and firm, you can cut the branches off and put head first into paper bags. Leave in the bag until completely dry, about 1 or 2 weeks. Brassica seeds shatter easily. Just rub the seed pods with your hands and the seeds will fall into the bag. Separate from the shells and store seeds in a cool dry container.

If properly stored, kale seeds can last up to four years.

Flowering Siberian Kale.

Kale
Brassica oleracea

Most kales are Brassica oleracea, and will cross with other members of this species such as broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, and collards.

There is one exception, Siberian Kale, which is Brassica napus -it will not cross with members of the B. oleracea family but will cross with rutabagas and rape.

Here is a picture showing the pods maturing on the plant in the first photo.

Second photo shows the cut branches with pods drying out in a paper bag. This was only the last of seed pods. I had already harvested a batch of seeds on this same plant.

Something I love about the kale is that It gives you two crops, one in the spring and one in the fall; and then comes back up the following spring and gives you some more before it goes to seed!!!

It's one of my favorite veggies, so tasty and easy to prepare!