Crop type: Kale
Brassica oleracea (Acephala Group) ‘Reflex’ AGM
Common name: Curly kale ‘Reflex’ AGM
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
‘Reflex’ is a tall, hardy curly kale grown for intensely and very finely curled dark green to slightly blue-green leaves. The succulent, nutritious foliage stands well without yellowing, allowing a long harvest as baby leaves or mature greens from October to February and into spring from suitable sowings.
The fine even curling, fresh dark colour and exceptional standing ability distinguish this F1 borecole. Each plant produces a generous crop, so fewer plants may be needed than with older cultivars. The RHS profile displays an Award of Garden Merit.
2 - Size
- Ultimate height
- 0.5–1 metre
- Ultimate spread
- 0.1–0.5 metre
- Time to ultimate size
- 1 year
The plants are tall but relatively narrow. Firm planting and appropriate spacing keep the crown well anchored and allow air to circulate around the mass of finely curled leaves.
3 - Growing conditions
- Suitable soils
- Sand or loam
- Moisture
- Well-drained
- Soil pH
- Neutral or alkaline
Use fertile soil that retains adequate moisture while draining freely. Enrich the bed before planting and water during dry periods, particularly while the plant builds its long-lived winter crown.
4 - Position and hardiness
- Light
- Full sun or partial shade
- Aspect
- South- or west-facing
- Exposure
- Sheltered
- Hardiness
- H5 — hardy in most UK places even through severe winters
‘Reflex’ is exceptionally winter hardy and retains useful colour in cold conditions. Full sun or light shade is suitable. Shelter or a support cane prevents mature narrow plants from loosening during winter gales.
5 - Colour and seasonal interest
The crop forms a tall crown of very finely curled dark-green leaves with a subtle blue-green cast. Curling is dense and intricate across each blade and margin but the colour stays fresh rather than purple. Leaves resist yellowing over their long harvest period, preserving a consistent winter display.
6 - Botanical details
- Family
- Brassicaceae
- Native to Great Britain and Ireland
- No
- Foliage
- Deciduous
- Habit
- 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. Many have been selected as vegetable or oil crops.
Safety
No specific handling warning is listed on the exact RHS profile. Wash the intricately curled leaves carefully, opening folds to remove soil or sheltered insects.
7 - How to grow
Cultivation
Sow indoors in mid-spring, then prick out seedlings to modules or pots. Transplant from May to July into fertile, moist but well-drained ground, leaving rows 60cm apart. Keep plants well watered and cover them with supported netting against birds and insects.
Harvest tender baby leaves or take mature outer leaves from October to February. Leave the central crown intact so production continues. A summer sowing can extend picking into spring, while the foliage's resistance to yellowing reduces waste.
Propagation
Propagate by seed. Sow about 1cm deep and transplant the intact root ball into firm soil.
Suggested locations
- Winter vegetable plot
- Patio or container planting
- Sheltered edible border
- Baby-leaf bed
Pruning
No pruning is required. Harvest lower leaves regularly and remove only damaged or spent foliage.
Pests
May be susceptible to birds, cabbage caterpillars, cabbage whitefly, cabbage gall weevil, slugs and snails, flea beetles, mealy cabbage aphid and swede midge.
Diseases
May be susceptible to black rot, club root, downy mildew, foot and root rot, leaf spot and white blister. Rotate brassicas, space well and remove affected foliage.