When to plant kale in Wellington
Kale is cold-hardy, so every date keys off Wellington's frost dates of Sep 1.
Step 1 · Sow
Start seeds indoors
Jul 21 – Aug 11
Before your last frost, on a warm windowsill or heat mat.
Step 2 · Plant
Transplant outdoors
Aug 11 – Sep 1
Once frost risk has passed and nights stay mild.
Step 3 · Harvest
Harvest window
Oct 5 – Oct 25
Picking runs until conditions turn against the crop.
Window
Days to maturity
55 – 75 d
Wellington's 273-day season leaves this much room.
Kale on Wellington's growing year
Frost-bounded season with crops mapped onto the 12-month axis.
Frost risk Growing Harvest
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
NOV
DEC
FROST
SEP 1
JUN 1
Common questions
When can I sow kale outdoors in Wellington?
Direct-sow around mid August (Aug 11–Sep 1) in Wellington, based on its local frost dates. Confidence 80%.
When will kale be ready to harvest in Wellington?
Expect to harvest from around early October (Oct 5–Oct 25) in Wellington, based on its local frost dates. Confidence 72%.
When should I start kale seeds indoors in Wellington?
Start seeds indoors around late July (Jul 21–Aug 11) in Wellington, based on its local frost dates. Confidence 76%.
When can I transplant kale outdoors in Wellington?
Transplant outdoors around mid August (Aug 11–Sep 1) in Wellington, based on its local frost dates. Confidence 80%.
How long is the growing season in Wellington?
Wellington has roughly 273 frost-free days, which is enough time to grow kale to maturity outdoors.
The rule of thumb
Sow kale as soon as the soil is workable — it tolerates cool weather and light frost. Every date on this page is derived from that rule and Wellington's frost dates.
Confidence 80/100 · NOAA GHCN-Daily · 1991–2020 normals · frost dates are probabilities, not guarantees.