Do you want to transplant kale plant seedlings, but don’t know when the best time is to?
Transplanting kale plants is not as easy as it seems.
Here’s why:
- New kale plants must be consistenly watered, receive at least 8 hours of sunlight a day, & be kept at a temperature of at least 70 degrees Fahrenheit both inside and in a garden.
So if you don’t consistently water them they will quickly wilt. If temperatures consistently fall below 70 degrees Fahrenheit they won’t grow and may even die. And if they don’t receive at least 8 hours of sunlight the plant itself won’t grow.
- Because Iowa’s growing season is not long enough, you have to start your kale plants indoors and then move them into a garden.
Because of this, I’m going to teach you the ideal time to transplant kale seedlings:
- To Learn More About HOW to Grow kale, Check Out This GUIDE!
When to Transplant Kale
There are two different times you’ll need to transplant kale plants.
First, you should transplant your kale plants from a peat pot to a larger (5 gallon) gardening container once your kale plants get between 3 – 5 inches tall. This will take approximately 6 to 8 weeks after you first plant your kale seeds.
The second time you should transplant your kale plant is when you move it from indoors to your outdoor garden. You should transplant your kale plant into a traditional garden or raised garden 10 – 14 days after the average last frost.
To help ensure the greatest success of your kale plant thriving you should:
- Slowly acclimate your kale plant to the outside environment. Move your kale plant outside for one hour a day and increase this an hour every day until it can withstand mother nature for 8 straight hours.
- After transplanting your kale plant into your garden provide a thick covering of mulch to help it ward off cold, disease and pests, and better retain water during the summer months.
- Cover your kale plants with burlap or a protective covering if you notice that a late frost may occur to protect it from wilting and dying.
If you want to learn WHEN to start ANY Vegetable Seed in Iowa, head over to HERE and just type in the vegetable you want to grow.
