When to plant kale
The rule
Days to maturity: 50–70 days [src]
Method: Start seeds indoors, then transplant. Frost tolerance: frost-hardy (derived from the planting timing above).
Because kale is frost-hardy and matures in about 50–70 days, it's a strong fall crop — sow it in mid-to-late summer so it finishes before your first frost.
Kale planting dates by hardiness zone
| Zone | Start indoors | Transplant / sow | Sow for fall |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zone 2a | March 8 – March 22 | April 12 – April 26 | June 8 – June 22 |
| Zone 2b | March 16 – March 30 | April 20 – May 4 | June 16 – June 30 |
| Zone 3b | March 11 – March 25 | April 15 – April 29 | June 20 – July 4 |
| Zone 4a | March 5 – March 19 | April 9 – April 23 | June 28 – July 12 |
| Zone 4b | March 1 – March 15 | April 5 – April 19 | July 1 – July 15 |
| Zone 5a | March 3 – March 17 | April 7 – April 21 | July 2 – July 16 |
| Zone 5b | February 23 – March 9 | March 30 – April 13 | July 9 – July 23 |
| Zone 6a | February 19 – March 5 | March 26 – April 9 | July 16 – July 30 |
| Zone 6b | February 12 – February 26 | March 19 – April 2 | July 21 – August 4 |
| Zone 7a | February 4 – February 18 | March 11 – March 25 | July 27 – August 10 |
| Zone 7b | January 26 – February 9 | March 2 – March 16 | August 2 – August 16 |
| Zone 8a | January 15 – January 29 | February 19 – March 5 | August 9 – August 23 |
| Zone 8b | January 5 – January 19 | February 9 – February 23 | August 16 – August 30 |
| Zone 9a | December 22 – January 5 | January 26 – February 9 | August 26 – September 9 |
| Zone 9b | November 24 – December 8 | December 29 – January 12 | September 8 – September 22 |
| Zone 10a | November 6 – November 20 | December 11 – December 25 | September 2 – September 16 |
| Zone 10b | November 11 – November 25 | December 16 – December 30 | October 26 – November 9 |
What you'll need
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Seed-starting traysBurpee SuperSeed 36-cell trayReusable cells that pop seedlings out with the roots intact at transplant time.See it on Amazon- Seed-starting mixEspoma Organic Seed StarterA fine, sterile mix so small seeds can push through and seedlings don't rot.See it on Amazon
- Grow lightBarrina T5 LED grow lights, 4-packA windowsill is too dim in late winter; a light 2–3 in. above keeps seedlings short and sturdy.See it on Amazon
- Floating row coverAgribon AG-30 row coverAdds a few degrees of frost protection on cold nights and keeps insects off young plants.See it on Amazon
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Calendar computed 2026-09-27. Sources: University of New Hampshire Cooperative Extension — “Growing Vegetables: When to Plant Your Vegetable Garden”; University of Georgia Extension — Vegetable Planting Chart (Circular C963) (days to maturity); NOAA NCEI 1991–2020 Climate Normals (frost); USDA 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map.