Released August 26, 2008
URBANA, Ill. — Flower beds going into the fall often look just a little bit tired. Annuals may have started to decline and gotten overgrown and perennials may not have a lot of color, said a University of Illinois Extension horticulture specialist.
"If that is the case with your flower beds, think cabbage and kale," said Greg Stack. "No, not the kind you eat but the kind you plant in the garden to offer brilliant color and unique habit well into the fall and early winter."
Ornamental cabbages and kales have been developed to fit the time slot when things may not be looking their best in late autumn and when you want color in early winter. While they may be called flowering cabbage and kale, it is not the flower that is prized but the colorful foliage. Ornamental cabbages look much like their vegetable garden relatives only they do not form heads while the kales tend to have a more fancy or cut leaf.
"Ornamental cabbage and kale do not tolerate summer heat and that is why they are best planted as fall garden annuals," he said. "If you want to grow your own from seed, it should be planted six to eight weeks before the first frost in the fall. Otherwise the next best option is to visit your local garden center. They usually start to show up after the mums start to arrive."
Using these plants as a fix for late-season color and planting them in early fall has several advantages. The white, pink, and red pigmentations for which these plants are noted do not appear until after several frosts, and then the color really starts to intensify when temperatures get below 50 degrees. And once they get acclimated to the garden, you can count on them to survive and provide color even when temperatures get as low as 5 degrees. So that means you might be seeing color peak through a soft blanket of snow.
"Just as with other plants, the larger the size pot the more you will pay for plants," he said. "However, this is one crop in which getting larger plants may pay off.
"When ornamental cabbage and kale gets rootbound in the pot, they tend not to get much larger once planted out in the garden. Since the goal of planting these plants is to achieve a solid mass of color, paying less for small plants usually requires planting more of them, and as a result it costs more to get the job done."
When planting ornamental cabbage and kale, plant so the lowest leaves are flush with the soil and the stem is buried. Because they are heavy users of water, keep them well watered in order to keep them looking at their best. Plants that dry out are not nearly as attractive.
"These fall garden stars are great for replacing worn-out annuals both in the garden and in containers," said Stack. "Use them as mass plantings or as edgings in the front of the border. They look great combined with fall ornamental grasses, asters, and dark-leafed sedums.
"While both ornamental cabbage and kale are edible they tend to be bitterer. Also, the pretty colors turn an unappealing gray when cooked. Ornamental kales often are used as a fancy garnish on plates. Look for plants in the garden center this fall and consider planting them in your garden to add a pick-me-up and provide dependable late fall and winter color."
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http://www.aces.uiuc.edu/news/stories/news4485.html
Contacts: Greg Stack (708) 720-7520
Bob Sampson, (217) 244-0225, rsampson@uiuc.edu
