Flowering Kale in Late Season: To Cut or Save Seeds?

In NC zone 7B, flowering kale and ornamental cabbage survived a warm winter but became tall and unsightly with seed heads forming. The gardener asked about cutting tops and saving seeds.

Best Action

• Cut the tops off to improve appearance.
• Don't bother saving seeds: The seed-to-mature-plant cycle is long, requires cool summer conditions (often needing a cooled greenhouse), and hybrids won't come true.
• Treat as annuals: At this stage, the plants are near the end of their life cycle.

Enjoy the foliage while it lasts, then replace with warm-season annuals.