Dwarf Blue Scottish
Kale grows best in Kihei during the fall and winter months. I've found that kale seeds have good germination and grow beautifully when planted from October through January.
Kale can be grown as individual plants or in baby green mixes. I don't recommend planting kale in a lettuce mix as kale grows larger leaves faster than lettuce but kale works well in a mix with mustard greens. There's a good assortment of heirloom kale seeds available and most can be used as cut and come again plants within 6 weeks.
Nero di Toscana is actually an ancient loose leaf cabbage but it's usually classified as kale. This kale is known by several names including Dinosaur, Lacinato and Cavolo Nero.
Kale grows well in regular and self-watering containers. For the Dinosaur types of kale I plant one per container as they're larger than most other varieties. Dwarf Blue Scottish, Dwarf Siberian, Red Russian and Red Ursa can be spaced as close as 6 inches apart.
Nero di Toscana
In Italian, Nero di Toscana means Black Palm Tree. I let one plant grow through the summer and in August,it was 5 feet tall and had yet to flower. For Nero to grow beyond the winter season it's best to plant it in a 10 gallon or larger container to accommodate the root system.
For kale, I recommend full sun, daily water and twice-monthly applications of fish emulsion or a generous application of an organic or natural all purpose fertilizer once a month.
The biggest pest that affects the kale is the cabbageworm, a soft green caterpillar. It's the larvae of a white moth that mates from mid-November through February. I recommend covering the kale with tulle nets or a light row cover over hoops. For more information, see my post on Cabbageworms.
Ethiopian kale is classified as brassica carinata. It looks like kale and tastes like a spicy mustard green. It's the only kale I've grown that produced seeds in Kihei. For more information see this article in edible East Bay.
Kale is common in vegetarian, vegan and raw food cuisines. It's often used in green drinks. Kale chips have become one of the most popular raw foods - they're easy to make and so ono!