Ornamental Kale Going to Seed: Save Seeds or Compost?

After a warm winter, your ornamental kale and cabbage have bolted—tall, flowering, and setting seed. The question: worth saving, or time to move on?

The Hybrid Reality

Fall-planted ornamental kale/cabbage are F1 hybrids. Their seeds won't "come true"—offspring revert to variable, often inferior forms. You'd get a mixed bag of leaf shapes, colors, and sizes, not the uniform rosettes you bought.

The Effort vs. Reward Calculation

Growing from seed requires: cool germination temps, summer-long care (they hate heat), and 4-5 months to reach display size. For $3-5 per plant each fall, buying fresh is smarter than months of coddling unpredictable seedlings.

What to Do Now

Pull them out and compost. They're done. The woody stems won't rebound attractively. Use the space for spring pansies, early bulbs, or cool-season annuals.

If You're Determined to Experiment

Collect seeds when pods turn tan and dry. Store cool/dry. Sow in late summer for fall display. But temper expectations—it's a genetics lottery.

Warm winters accelerate bolting. Enjoy the early pansy planting window instead!