My kale and red orach plants have returned.

Each year, my raised beds and planters seem to effortlessly produce kale and red orach. These hardy plants, particularly red orach, which is related to the common weed lamb’s quarters, require little attention and provide a delicious, colorful addition to garden salads. One of the secrets to maintaining an ever-growing kale or “forever kale” bed is simply not disturbing it.

Steps to Create a Forever-Kale Bed

Embrace a Little Mess

Many gardeners are obsessed with keeping their gardens clean, treating them like their homes. However, this approach is not always conducive to a healthy garden bed. Removing plants disturbs the soil and its beneficial bacteria, which reside around plant roots. As plants die, their stems and roots decay, releasing nitrogen to feed bacteria and creating channels for airflow in the soil. By leaving the garden bed undisturbed, there will be enough organic material to retain moisture and protect seeds from the elements.

Skipping fall cleanup is a great way to prepare for the next growing season.

Let Plants Seed

Biennial plants like kale will bolt in their second year if allowed to overwinter. They will then produce flowers and seeds. Kale seed pods tend to burst, scattering seeds nearby and ensuring the next generation will continue to grow in the same spot. To propagate your kale, gather seeds from some pods and spread them to different planters or locations in the garden, leaving the rest undisturbed.

Selecting Kale Varieties Suited to Your Microenvironment

Masanobu Fukuoka, known for his work The One Straw Revolution, developed the clay-ball method for sowing seeds. By mixing various seeds with clay and scattering them randomly, Fukuoka acknowledged that humans cannot fully understand the complex interactions within nature and microclimates. While this approach may seem inefficient, it allows plants with the best chance of survival to thrive in their chosen locations.

In line with this theory, gardeners should let kale choose where it wants to grow and prosper. Experiment with different kale seeds in various locations, allowing those with more adaptive characteristics to thrive while others die off.