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My kale stopped growing. It's been stuck in space and time for a few weeks now. What's going on?

  • 26-06-2025 09:35PM
    #1
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 430 ✭✭


    I planted these kales around spring. 20cm tall pots, around 10 litres.

    I harvested three times now, and each time I harvested, the leaves grew back at an unbelievable rate and very massive.

    I harvested by cutting the leaves off the side, leaving the ones in the middle. (you can probably see where i chopped them off in the pic)

    After the last harvest a couple of weeks ago, they seemed to have run out of energy. They are stuck at this exact growth level in the photo.

    The last harvest I was chopping off multiple massive leaves and they wouldn't stop growing.

    Did I kill it? I did go a bit crazy during the last harvest.

    I water them often, and I feed them coffee grounds. They get some good sunlight. Basically the same thing I've been doing during all the harvests.

    What do I do? Have they run out of growing space? Do I need bigger pots? This photo is how they looked last week. But it's from now.

    image.png


Comments

  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,277 ✭✭✭amandstu


    Have they not started making flowers yet.

    I planted mine outside and they didn't thrive in the dry spell and bolted very soon.

    I never knew they could be grown in pots.Why not see if you can knock them out of the pots ?

    Turn them upside down and see if the plant is rootbound.

    You seem to have done quite well so far .Maybe they have come to the end of the road but you can still eat the flowers and the stalks if they appear⁹)



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 430 ✭✭scrotist


    No flowers no.

    I'm a total noob. This is the first veggie I've ever grown. How can I tell if it's "rootbound"?

    You never knew they could be grown in pots. Well maybe they can't and I've just discovered that. You get a few weeks of harvest and then it's over.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,277 ✭✭✭amandstu


    I don't imagine you would get as good a harvest in a pot as outdoors ...

    To look at the roots you just turn the pot upside down carefully and tap the bottom with one hand or with something hard.Stop the plant falling on the floor with the other and take a look at the roots.

    If they seem to have plenty of room then that is not the problem.

    Could you have overwatered or damaged the small leaves that grow between the stem and the big leaves when you harvested them?(I think they would be hard to damage as they are so small at first)

    I hope someone else will advise you .They probably have a better idea than me.

    Btw what is "10 litres " in your op?Not 10 litres of soil in the pot,surely?



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,658 ✭✭✭MacDanger


    Would some N fertiliser help?



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 430 ✭✭scrotist


    10 litres is what the Amazon description says.



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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 430 ✭✭scrotist


    I may have underwatered them. During the sunny spell a couple of weeks ago I neglected them a bit. The soil was looking like an African river bed all dried up and cracked. But now I'm watering them almost daily.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 430 ✭✭scrotist


    This was a single harvest a few weeks ago. From 4 pots of kale. Is it possible to harvest too much? I did leave a few baby leaves on each plant.

    20250608_121259.jpg


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 29,929 ✭✭✭✭looksee


    Kale typically grows outside in all weathers, it prefers damp conditions. Since it evidently is not dead you may have just put the growth back with the temporary drought. Or it could simply be that the conditions - indoor, pot, dry - mean the leaf production is finished.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 430 ✭✭scrotist




  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 29,929 ✭✭✭✭looksee


    Oh yes, now you say it I can see it is a balcony, I thought it was some sort of shelf in a sun room.



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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 430 ✭✭scrotist


    Maybe I'll change the location. It only gets sun until about 1pm. When it's absolutely roasting out in the afternoon it's in shade.



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