Beedy's Camden Kale Curly Kale - Organic

seeds

Brassica oleracea
(60 days) Open pollinated.

Could give Camden, currently known as a tourist attraction on the Maine coast, a new claim to fame. Social-justice advocate Beedy Parker provided us with seed for this hardy green kale that overwinters for her in Zone 5, and usually comes back with great gusto for me in Colrain, MA, self-sowing year-round! It has not survived winters at Donna Dyrek’s in Zone 4 in Hartland, ME, but reliably overwinters for Cynthia Phinney in her Zone 4 garden in East Livermore, ME. She says the leaves die off rapidly with the onset of really cold weather, but the plants live and re-sprout leaves in the spring plus she finds new baby plants volunteering. Abundant wavy blue-green leaves are full to the bottom, not as tightly ruffled as Winterbor and can grow enormous. Phinney calls it “the one kale that is tender and sweet enough to enjoy in summer.“ More tender than the Siberian types and lasts longer into the fall. Fedco produced 13 lb of stock seed this summer to keep Beedy’s in the catalog. 2009 Fedco introduction. * Cold-hardy through at least part of the Maine winter. * MOFGA-certified organic.

Supplier Transparency:
① Small seed farmers including Fedco staff

ships year-round

This item is certified organic

3451 Beedy's Camden Kale - Organic

Quick Details

Open pollinated?: open pollinated
Cold Hardy: Cold Hardy
Days to Maturity: 60 days

Compare

Compare with other Curly Kale

Variety	Product Type	Open pollinated?	Cold Hardy	Days to Maturity
Scarlet Organic	seeds	open pollinated	Cold Hardy	30 days baby, 55 days mature
Dwarf Blue Curled Scotch Organic	seeds	open pollinated	Cold Hardy	30 days baby, 56 days mature
Beedy's Camden Kale Organic	seeds	open pollinated	Cold Hardy	60 days
Redbor	seeds	F-1 hybrid	Cold Hardy	60 days
Winterbor	seeds	F-1 hybrid	Cold Hardy	60 days
Rainbow Lacinato Organic	seeds	open pollinated	Cold Hardy	61 days
Darkibor Organic	seeds	F-1 hybrid	Cold Hardy	65 days shell, 90 days dry
Darkibor	seeds	F-1 hybrid	Cold Hardy	65 days shell, 90 days dry

Shipping

From early May through October 31, items shipping from our garden seeds warehouse ship twice a week, usually Tuesday and Thursday. For quickest turnaround time order online by noon Monday or Wednesday.

Additional Information

Kale and Collards

About 175–280 seeds/g and 4,200–9,800 seeds/oz.
Days to maturity are from emergence after direct sowing. For transplants, subtract 20 days.

Scientists say kale descends from wild cabbage, a plant found primarily on the lime cliffs of coastal Europe. Originating in Greece, kale was enjoyed for thousands of years throughout Europe where it was the most common green vegetable until the Middle Ages when cabbage became more popular.

One cup provides more Vitamin C than a glass of orange juice, more calcium than a cup of milk, more potassium than a banana and, per calorie, more iron than beef. Kale may be used in textured salads, steamed or braised as a side dish, mixed in omelettes, lasagna and stews, and made into chips.

Culture: Start indoors March-May for setting out May-July, or direct-seed in May. Minimum germination soil temperature 40°, optimal range 45-85°. To enjoy it at its best and to avoid the worst of the flea beetle season, direct seed in July or August for late-season maturity. Use wire hoops and row cover to keep flea beetles out at early stages. Important crop in colder climates owing to its natural resistance to frost, kale is sweeter after exposure to cold. Excellent for microgreens.

Diseases:

BL=Blackleg
BR=Black Rot

Note: We cannot ship packets greater than ½ oz. (14 grams) of radishes into the Willamette Valley. The State of Oregon prohibits shipping any commercial quantity of untreated Brassica, Raphanus or Sinapis due to quarantine

Brassicas

Days to maturity are from transplant date.

Culture: Start brassicas indoors March-May for setting out May-July, or direct-seed in May, or in June for fall crop. Minimum germination soil temperature 40°, optimal range 55–85°. Easier grown for the fall because many varieties perform poorly in hot summers. For better stands in dry conditions, sow in trenches and keep irrigated. Wire hoops and row cover should be used at early stages to keep out flea beetles and swede midge.

Note: because of a rule issued by Oregon, we cannot ship brassica packets larger than ½ oz. (14 grams) into the Willamette Valley, except those that have tested negative for Black Leg and Black Rot. Check descriptions for information.

Diseases:

BL: Blackleg
BR: Black Rot
BS: Bacterial Speck
DM: Downy Mildew
FW: Fusarium Wilt
FY: Fusarium Yellows
TB: Tipburn
WR: White Rust

Pest and Disease Remedies for all Brassicas

Major pests: Cabbage Looper, Diamondback Moth, Imported Cabbageworm
Cultural controls: control cabbage-family weeds near crop fields, till under crop debris of early-season brassicas after harvest.
Material controls: Spinosad, Bt.

Pest: Flea Beetle
Cultural controls: floating row covers, mulch with straw, time plantings for fall harvested crops only, crop rotation, perimeter trap cropping.
Material controls: AzaMax, Spinosad, PyGanic.

Pest: Cabbage Root Maggot
Cultural controls: time planting to avoid first hatching, use row covers, control weeds.

Major diseases: Black Rot, Alternaria Leaf Spot, Blackleg, Club Root, Downy Mildew, White Mold
Cultural controls: avoid transplanting plants with yellow leaves or v-shaped lesions, crop rotation, destroy crop debris after harvest, avoid overhead irrigation, control weeds, allow for good air movement.
Material controls: Copper.

Disease: Head Rot
Cultural controls: use well-domed varieties, harvest heads when tight, cut stalks at an angle.
Material control: Copper.

Swede Midge—not as cute as it sounds!

Alert! Heading brassicas in the Northeast are seeing consistent damage from swede midge, a tiny gall midge. Its effects result in a non-heading plant. Wire hoops and row cover at early stages of heading brassica crops are becoming crucial for success. Some research also suggests garlic sprays as a possible organic repellent. Consult your Cooperative Extension resources for further information.

Germination Testing

For the latest results of our germination tests, please see the germination page.

Our Seeds are Non-GMO

All of our seeds are non-GMO, and free of neonicotinoids and fungicides. Fedco is one of the original companies to sign the Safe Seed Pledge.