Kale (Brassica oleracea) is a delicious and hardy leafy green that is easy to grow, but if you're going to grow it, you'll need to allow the plant plenty of space. Whether you're planting kale in an outdoor garden or a container, allowing enough space for the kale to stretch out its big leaves and receive sunlight is essential to its survival.
As a rule of thumb, kale plants, whether from seed or transplanting, should be spaced 12 to 24 inches apart in rows that are spaced 18 inches apart. This may seem like a lot of space, but it is essential that you allow enough room for those kale leaves to get plenty of sunlight when they get bigger. The more space available for kale to expand and get sunlight onto its leaves, the better.
If, when you first planted your kale, you planted the seeds too close together, don't worry: you can always thin the rows out at any stage. In fact, a common way of planting kale is to plant the seeds 3 inches apart and then thin the plants to 12 to 24 inches apart when they are 4 or 5 inches tall. Either way, getting your plants 12 inches or more apart before they are too big is important.
It's easy to grow kale in containers as well, though space is limited. The container should be at least 8 inches wide and 8 inches deep. This would be enough for only two kale plants, however, and they'd be crowded at that. According to Field and Feast, you can comfortably grow five kale plants in a 20-inch container. Note, however, that this is much more crowded than growing kale in rows in the ground and could result in smaller plants or leaves.
Spacing for kale can vary between types of kale. For example, Siberian Kale grows enormous leaves that will need a lot of space and a lot of sunlight. Lacinato Kale (aka Dinosaur Kale) has smaller, tall and narrow leaves that might fit better into smaller places or around shorter plants that don't need much sun. Simply be sure that you know how much space you have and choose your kale accordingly.
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