WE may see ornamental cabbage in troughs and tubs at this time of year, but soon you will also be harvesting your own, if you sowed it back in April and May.

Unlike other members of the cabbage family, kale will tolerate poor soil and isn’t often affected by club root, cabbage root fly or pigeons. It will also withstand prolonged, hard frosts.

Sow curly-leaved kale in April if you want crops before Christmas, or plain-leafed kale in May for later cropping. It prefers well-drained soil in sun and seeds should be sown very thinly in seedbeds 1cm deep and 15cm apart. Thin and transplant when they are 10-15cm high, planting with the lowest leaves just above the soil surface.

Hoe regularly and tread firmly around the stems to stop the plants rocking in the wind. They will need watering in dry weather.

Curly kale can be harvested from November onwards, removing a few leaves from the crown each time you pick. Some people complain that kale is bitter but that’s generally because of overcooking leaves which are mature.