Crop guide · Brassica oleracea var. acephala

Kale (sukuma wiki): what to measure and why

Harvested leaf by leaf for months, sukuma wiki turns steady water and nitrogen directly into income. It is forgiving — which is why its losses tend to go unnoticed.

Also known as Sukuma wiki

Growing conditions

The ranges kale (sukuma wiki) cares about

General agronomic ranges. A soil test and your agronomist decide the final numbers for your variety and site.

FactorRangeNote
Air temperature15–25 °CHeat makes leaves tough and bitter
Soil pH6.0–7.5Acid soil encourages clubroot
Watersteady, no long dry spellsDrought slows new leaf production

Risks

Where kale (sukuma wiki) loses yield

Slow harvests

Moisture stress and low nitrogen both show as fewer, smaller leaves per picking, long before plants look sick.

Start with a walk around your farm.

The first conversation is a site visit: we walk the farm with you and understand what you grow or keep and what is going wrong. No cost, no commitment. Buy outright, lease, or pay as you go by M-Pesa.