Soil & potting mix
Best soil for Walking Stick Kale (Brassica oleracea var. longata)
Also called walking stick kale, Jersey kale, tall tree kale, cow cabbage.
More about walking stick kale
About Walking Stick Kale
Brassica oleracea var. longata · also called walking stick kale, Jersey kale · edible
Walking stick kale, the Jersey cabbage, is a curiosity brassica that grows a tall, woody single stem 1.5-3 m high, traditionally dried and varnished into walking canes. Its young leaves are edible like ordinary kale and were historically used as cattle fodder. A long-season biennial, it needs a full growing year, firm staking and a sheltered, fertile site to reach its towering, top-heavy height.
Preferred mix: Deep, rich, firm, well-drained loam
Watch for — Wind rock and toppling: The tall, top-heavy stem easily blows over and loosens its roots. Plant very firmly in a sheltered spot, earth up the base, and stake the stem securely as it grows.
Why walking stick kale needs this mix
Walking Stick Kale is a hungry, thirsty crop — it wants a rich, moisture-retentive but free-draining loam, well fed and never baked dry.
- Walking Stick Kale grows fast and has a big crop to fill, so it draws heavily on both nutrients and water — a lean mix simply cannot keep up.
- Plenty of organic matter holds moisture evenly, which prevents the stress problems (bolting, bitterness, blossom-end rot) that come from a drying-then-flooding cycle.
- It still needs structure: rich does not mean airless, so grit, perlite or leaf mould keeps roots oxygenated.
For the full picture on what makes up a good mix, see our guide to the main types of soil and potting media — it explains why each ingredient above behaves the way it does.
What goes wrong with the wrong mix
The wrong soil is one of the most common reasons walking stick kale struggles, and the damage often shows up weeks later as a watering problem. For this species specifically:
- A poor, thin or sandy mix starves walking stick kale — growth stalls, leaves pale, and yields collapse.
- A heavy, compacted, badly drained soil rots the roots and brings fungal problems despite all the feeding.
- Letting a rich mix dry to dust then drowning it causes the classic moisture-stress disorders this crop is prone to.
Under-feeding and inconsistent moisture. Walking Stick Kale needs genuinely rich soil plus steady watering — most disappointing crops come down to one or both being short.
pH — does it matter for walking stick kale?
Walking Stick Kale does best around pH 6.0-7.0 (slightly acidic to neutral). It is worth a cheap soil test for an outdoor bed; very acidic soil benefits from a little lime well before planting.
If you want to check or adjust it, the soil pH guide walks through testing and the safe ways to nudge a mix more acidic or more alkaline.
DIY mix vs a bagged one
For containers a good multipurpose or vegetable compost works for walking stick kale with extra feed through the season. For beds, the real win is digging in plenty of well-rotted compost or manure — that beats any bag.
Drainage and the pot
Rich but free-draining is the target: raised beds and large containers both deliver it. Mulch heavily to even out moisture and roughly halve how often you water.
Walking Stick Kale is usually grown for a single season, so "repotting" means starting fresh each year — never reuse exhausted, disease-prone compost for the same crop family. When the time comes, our repotting guide for walking stick kale covers the timing and technique step by step.
Walking Stick Kale soil — frequently asked questions
What is the best soil mix for walking stick kale?
3 parts compost-amended loam or quality multipurpose compost : 1 part well-rotted garden compost or manure : 1 part perlite or grit (containers) / leaf mould (beds). Walking Stick Kale grows fast and has a big crop to fill, so it draws heavily on both nutrients and water — a lean mix simply cannot keep up.
Can I use normal potting soil for walking stick kale?
A poor, thin or sandy mix starves walking stick kale — growth stalls, leaves pale, and yields collapse. For containers a good multipurpose or vegetable compost works for walking stick kale with extra feed through the season. For beds, the real win is digging in plenty of well-rotted compost or manure — that beats any bag.
Does walking stick kale need a special pH?
Walking Stick Kale does best around pH 6.0-7.0 (slightly acidic to neutral). It is worth a cheap soil test for an outdoor bed; very acidic soil benefits from a little lime well before planting.
Should I buy a bagged mix or make my own for walking stick kale?
For containers a good multipurpose or vegetable compost works for walking stick kale with extra feed through the season. For beds, the real win is digging in plenty of well-rotted compost or manure — that beats any bag.
How often should I refresh the soil for walking stick kale?
Walking Stick Kale is usually grown for a single season, so "repotting" means starting fresh each year — never reuse exhausted, disease-prone compost for the same crop family. Rich but free-draining is the target: raised beds and large containers both deliver it. Mulch heavily to even out moisture and roughly halve how often you water.
Keep reading
- Walking Stick Kale care — the full brief (light, water, humidity, problems, pet safety)
- How often to water walking stick kale — the schedule the mix feeds into
- Repotting walking stick kale — when and how to refresh the mix
- Soil pH guide — test it and adjust it safely
- Should I water my plant? The simple check first
- Why is my plant wilting? Wet vs dry diagnosis
- Underwatered plant — signs and how to rehydrate it
- Best soil for tomato
- Best soil for pepper
- Best soil for cucumber
- All 5561 soil and potting-mix guides in the Growli library