[Seedgeeks] kales

[Ben Haskell]

Nick Routledge wrote:

> This season I have sown over 20 varieties of kale, to trial...

I am mostly interested in tall or marrow stem types; but also some 
interest in the Thousand Headed lines and anything perennial.   I prefer 
relatively flat leaves to curly (easier to clean).

> Madeley, Shetland, Uncle Bert's Purple, ....Niki's Cut and Come 
> Again,...Altmarker Braun,...Butter Kohl, ...Baltic Red,...Blonde 
> Butter kale of Jalhay; Hoher Rote Krause, Heller Butterkohl.... 

I have never heard of these!

> ...Westland Winter, ....Wesltander Winter

Is the second a typo?  Anyway, is Bejo's "Winterbor" derived from 
Westland Winter?

> ...Asparagus,.... Thousand Headed....

I am interested in these.  You can buy Thousand Headed from Kings via 
eSeeds <http://www.eseeds.com> when they have it in stock. <www.eseeds.com>

> ...Westphalian...

I would be interested in this if it is related to "Futterkohl" from 
Bruno Nebelung - Kiepenkerl 
<http://www.kiepenkerl.de/sortiment/futterpflanzengruenfutterfuerheimtiere/futterpflanzen/futterkohl/402?PHPSESSID=s6rs7p9b93n9pv3r0n1f5j6pplpi1ik9>

> ....Gron Kohl (Green kale) from Denmark...

Looking at EU websites in the germanic-language family countries, it 
seems that "Grünkohl" (and variants) is a generic term to any green 
(usually curly) variety....

> ...Roter Krauskohl...

Is this it?
Dreschflegel Red Kale Breeding Project 
<http://www.dreschflegel-saatgut.de/info-sorten/kohl/braunkohl.php>
or Dreschflegel Red Kale Seed 
<http://www.shop.dreschflegel-saatgut.de/index.php?cPath=141_145>

The "kraus" in krauskohl means "frizzy"---"frizzy kale".  No, I don't 
read German;  I use Babelfish <http://babelfish.altavista.com/>.  
Sometimes I have to break up German compound words before I get a good 
translation.

> ...Cavolo Nero di Toscana from Italy...

In the 2007 yearbook of the Seed Savers Exchange; some guy from Italy 
offered the most authentic (in his mind) lineage within this group. I 
have read of some strains producing "palms" of about 6 feet (I assume 
this is before bolting).

> ....Pentland Brig....

Why ruin Thousand Headed by crossing it with a curly leaf? >:o

> The only red-leafed kale currently available in the States appears to 
> be the Bejo hybrid, Redbor - which is very robust and which lends a 
> spectacular purple splash to a winter salad, but whose texture and 
> taste doesn't stand up to the OP kales we tend to favor.

Some of  Tim Peters' Russians come close, as  do some of his 
kale/broccoli cross (The Party 2001), and some commercial "ornamental" 
kales.  But these three examples have red or purple centers with green 
fringes; while redbor is completely red (well....sometimes).  I read 
about some farmer in Washington that was producing a purple or red 
kale.  Frank Morton crossed Redbor with Lacinato..... not even close to 
Redbor, but some interesting plants in the mix.

> on the subject of russo-siberian kales, you might check out the 
> monograph by andrew still, my seed ambassador cohort:
>
> http://www.seedambassadors.org/Mainpages/still/napuskale/napuskale.htm

already did so