Crop type: Kale
Brassica oleracea (Acephala Group) ‘Nero di Toscana’
Common name: Borecole ‘Nero di Toscana’
Crop slug: kale
This Allotment Pro editorial draft summarises the cited RHS cultivar profile. Check the source and adjust cultivation decisions for local conditions.RHS cultivar profile
1 - Overview
‘Nero di Toscana’ is a robust, easy-to-grow Italian kale with narrow, dark green to nearly black wrinkled leaves. Its upright textured foliage gives architectural interest in vegetable beds and mixed borders. The leaves have a strong but pleasant flavour and can be picked through to March or April when seed is sown early enough in spring.
It is also known as curly kale ‘Nero di Toscana’, ‘Toscana’, Cavolo Nero and Black Tuscany. The dense puckering, long narrow leaf blades and exceptionally dark colour are the most useful cultivar identifiers. Flowers left in the second season can provide early nectar for bees.
2 - Size
- Ultimate height
- 0.5–1 metre
- Ultimate spread
- 0.5–1 metre
- Time to ultimate size
- 1 year
The bushy clump forms a substantial upright plant. Give it enough space for light and airflow and plant deeply so the leafy top is anchored securely against winter weather.
3 - Growing conditions
- Suitable soils
- Loam or sand
- Moisture
- Well-drained
- Soil pH
- Neutral or alkaline
Use fertile, free-draining soil enriched with plenty of organic matter before planting. Firm ground supports the tall leafy crop. Water during dry periods so leaves remain productive and tender.
4 - Position and hardiness
- Light
- Full sun
- Aspect
- South- or west-facing
- Exposure
- Sheltered
- Hardiness
- H4 — hardy through most of the UK
A sunny sheltered position supports dense dark foliage and a long winter harvest. Its H4 rating allows outdoor cropping through most UK winters, although sturdy anchoring and protection from strong winds remain useful.
5 - Colour and seasonal interest
Foliage remains green across spring, summer, autumn and winter, deepening visually from dark green towards black. Each elongated blade is heavily puckered rather than tightly frilled. The upright repeated leaves create the distinctive Tuscan-kale silhouette. Yellow or white brassica flowers may appear in the second year if plants are retained.
6 - Botanical details
- Family
- Brassicaceae
- Native to Great Britain and Ireland
- No
- Foliage
- Deciduous
- Habit
- Bushy and clump forming
- Name status
- Accepted
Genus
Brassicas may be annual, biennial or perennial. Most are upright with alternate, often glaucous leaves, long taproots and clusters of cross-shaped yellow or white flowers. The genus includes many vegetable and oil crops as well as ornamentals.
Safety
No specific handling warning is listed on the exact RHS profile. Wash harvested leaves thoroughly, particularly where pests have sheltered in their puckered surfaces.
7 - How to grow
Cultivation
Prepare well-drained loamy alkaline ground with plenty of organic matter. Sow from spring and transplant deeply into firm soil, leaving sufficient room for the 0.5–1m clump. Water regularly in dry periods. Begin harvesting once leaves reach the size required, taking the lower blades and leaving the crown to continue growing. Early spring sowing can provide pickings through March or April of the following year.
Propagation
Propagate by seed. Sow indoors in modules or outdoors about 1cm deep, then transplant with minimal root disturbance.
Suggested locations
- City or courtyard garden
- Cottage or informal garden
- Patio or container planting
- Architectural edible border
- Flower bed or wall-side border
Pruning
No pruning is required. Remove faded lower foliage for airflow and harvest sound leaves regularly.
Pests
May be susceptible to cabbage caterpillars, cabbage whitefly, aphids, flea beetles, slugs and snails. Fine-mesh protection prevents several of these pests.
Diseases
May be susceptible to black rot, downy mildew, foot and root rot, grey mould, leaf spot and white blister. Rotation, wide spacing and removal of old leaves help reduce disease pressure.