Overrated for ease, underrated for beauty — Kale

People describe Kale as easy and I'd push back on that slightly. thinning seedlings to give each plant adequate space needs consistent attention and aphid colonies on brassicas and soft growth can undermine progress quickly if ignored.

Where Kale is genuinely underrated is the beauty. productive over a long season with successive sowing is extraordinary when you see it in person. I display it in a greenhouse or polytunnel for season extension and it gets comments from everyone who sees it. sowing under cover from late winter for early crops is the time to really understand what this plant offers. Not for the truly neglectful gardener, but absolutely worth the attention it requires.