Borecole Red Russian has a blue-green colour to leaves with purple accents to the veins. Leaves are flat with frilly edges. Often used for baby leaf. Can be steamed, and used for stir-fry and salads. Colour intensifies with colder temperatures. Sweet flavour.
SOW: March through June
HARVEST: Autumn & Winter
WHERE TO SOW:
Sowing Indoors - Fill a seed tray with moist seed compost almost to the top. Thinly sow seeds on surface and sprinkle with some more compost. Keep warm and moist. Transplant seedlings after they are large enough to handle into small pots. Gradually harden off seedlings and eventually transplant out to final positions after frost leaving about 50cm between plants.
Sowing Outdoors - Thinly sow seeds in short, shallow well watered rows. Cover with about 1cm of soil and water well until seedlings have doubled in size.
You have two choices when harvesting. As a 'cut and come again' crop you start removing leaves when the plant is just 5cm high (new leaves will continuously form). Alternatively wait till October before you start removing tender leaves from the top of the plant. Once the main crown has been harvested side shoots will form which will be ready to harvest from February onwards.
