When to plant cavolo nero?
Cavolo nero, for the RHS, is sown from March to June, indoors from March, and transplanted in late spring or early summer once it is 10-15 cm tall. In Sicily leaf cabbage, the group it belongs to, follows an autumn-winter-spring cycle, between 10 and 25 °C; Campania and Umbria do not name it and set no month.
When, by region
| North | Centre | South | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sowing | Outdoors from March to June, seed 1 cm deep. Indoors from March. Transplant in late spring or early summer, 10-15 cm tall, about 6-8 weeks after a seedbed sowing. | Umbria's 2025 sheets list cauliflower, broccoli, broccoli raab and savoy. Cavolo nero is not there, and no month is written. | In Sicily the natural cycle of the cabbages, leaf cabbage included, is autumn, winter and spring. Summer transplants bring it forward; autumn transplants are cut in winter and spring. Campania does not list it. |
| Spacing | In place, three seeds every 45 cm, then one plant. Large varieties at 60 cm, compact ones at 30 cm, rows at least 45 cm apart. Set deeper than before. | As in the north. Umbria does not write a spacing for cavolo nero. | In Sicily the density changes with the type, and a number for leaf cabbage is not written. Between 10 and 25 °C. Campania, for the cabbages it lists, gives 15-18 °C and looser heads above 25 °C: cavolo nero is not on that list. |
The RHS calls cavolo nero the best-known kale. The southern date is a season written for leaf cabbage, not a calendar month.
March to June, indoors from March, 1 cm, transplanting in late spring or early summer at 10-15 cm, the 6-8 weeks and the 30-60 cm, are from the RHS kale page, which names cavolo nero as the best-known variety. The autumn-winter-spring cycle, 10-25 °C and summer or autumn transplants are from Sicily, for cauliflower, broccoli, leaf cabbage and kohlrabi together. The name cavolo nero is not printed. Campania's list is cauliflower, headed cabbage, savoy, broccoli and kohlrabi: the 15-18 °C and the 25 °C belong to that sheet, not to cavolo nero. Umbria's 2025 list is cauliflower, broccoli, broccoli raab and savoy, with no month. Heading broccoli is in when to plant broccoli. The months are in the March calendar, April, May and June.
From March to June
The RHS sows kale outdoors from March to June, and indoors from March, two seeds a module at 1 cm (½ in). Keep the stronger plant. Cavolo nero, also sold as Nero di Toscana, is the variety the page puts first. Transplant in late spring or early summer, at 10-15 cm (4-6 in). From a seedbed, 6-8 weeks after sowing. Set it deeper than before, lowest leaves level with the soil, and firm: the plant grows tall and top-heavy.
In place, three seeds every 45 cm (18 in), then one plant. Large varieties at 60 cm (24 in), compact ones at 30 cm (12 in), rows at least 45 cm apart. For salad leaves, seeds about 7.5 cm (3 in) apart, and cut once the plant is 10-15 cm tall. The pot is in the homemade seedbed.
Sicily, with no calendar month
Sicily's guide applies the rules to cauliflower, broccoli, leaf cabbage and kohlrabi. Cavolo nero is a leaf cabbage: the variety name is not written. The natural cycle, in those conditions, is autumn, winter and spring, between 10 and 25 °C, on free-draining loam. Summer transplants can bring the crop forward. Early summer transplants are cut in autumn; autumn transplants, in winter and spring.
Campania applies its cabbage sheet to cauliflower, headed cabbage, savoy, broccoli and kohlrabi. Cavolo nero is not there, so the 15-18 °C and the 25 °C limit on that page are not given to it. Umbria, in the 2025 sheets, lists cauliflower, broccoli, broccoli raab and savoy, and sets no month. Cauliflower, which has the RHS months, is in when to plant cauliflowers.
Lower leaves, mesh, rotation
Pick two or three lower leaves from each plant, from September on. Regular picking brings more. Fine mesh, pinned to the ground, keeps out pigeons and the cabbage insects. In autumn a cane holds the tall plants where it is windy. The wider picture is in pests and diseases.
The RHS keeps it in the cabbage bed, so soil problems do not build up. The plan is in crop rotation. In a pot, a compact variety in a container at least 30 cm (12 in) wide, one plant. For young leaves, closer. In summer the pot dries out: see the container garden and watering. Compost on the bed, before transplanting, is in the compost guide.
In the app
Every plant in the catalogue has its own sowing calendar, and weather alerts for your area help you judge whether to sow now or hold off.
Frequently asked questions
When do I sow in the north?
From March to June, outdoors, seed 1 cm deep. Indoors from March. Transplant in late spring or early summer, at 10-15 cm. From a seedbed, 6-8 weeks after sowing.
What month do Campania and Umbria write?
None. Campania lists cauliflower, headed cabbage, savoy, broccoli and kohlrabi. Umbria, in 2025, cauliflower, broccoli, broccoli raab and savoy. Cavolo nero does not appear.
What about Sicily?
The guide includes leaf cabbage, without printing the name cavolo nero. The natural cycle is autumn, winter and spring, between 10 and 25 °C. Summer transplants are cut in autumn; autumn transplants, in winter and spring.
How far apart?
The RHS: 45 cm, or 60 cm for large varieties and 30 cm for compact ones, rows at least 45 cm apart. Transplant deeper than before. In Sicily a plants-per-square-metre figure, for leaf cabbage, is not written.
Can I plant it where cabbage was?
The RHS keeps it in the cabbage bed and does not put it straight back on the same spot. In Umbria the 2-year gap with no other brassicas is written for cauliflower, broccoli and savoy, not for cavolo nero.