Vol. 38 No. 1 (2024): Advances in Horticultural Science
Articles

Influence of ground cover and tunnels on production of Red Russian kale in urban gardes

M.L. Richardson
College of Agriculture, Urban Sustainability and Environmental Sciences, University of the District of Columbia, United States of America, 4250 Connecticut Ave, NW, Washington, DC 20008, USA.
C.G. Arlotta
College of Agriculture, Urban Sustainability and Environmental Sciences, University of the District of Columbia, United States of America, 4250 Connecticut Ave, NW, Washington, DC 20008, USA.
L. Monroe-Lord
College of Agriculture, Urban Sustainability and Environmental Sciences, University of the District of Columbia, United States of America, 4250 Connecticut Ave, NW, Washington, DC 20008, USA.

Published 2024-04-04

Keywords

  • Dietary fiber,
  • hoop house,
  • mulch,
  • nutrients,
  • season extension,
  • small-scale farming,
  • urban agriculture
  • ...More
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How to Cite

Richardson, M., Arlotta, C., & Monroe-Lord, L. (2024). Influence of ground cover and tunnels on production of Red Russian kale in urban gardes. Advances in Horticultural Science, 38(1), 3–11. https://doi.org/10.36253/ahsc-14997

Funding data

Abstract

Kale, Brassica oleracea L. var. acephala, is an important urban crop for human health and may potentially be grown year-round even in a temperate climate. We investigated black plastic and straw mulch compared to bare soil cover in low tunnels at 10 urban garden sites and in low tunnels within a high tunnel in the USA to ascertain the influence on yield and nutrients of Red Russian kale, soil temperature, air temperature, weed pressure, and aphid abundance. Kale had low yield in garden sites, likely because the outside environment was too cold for low tunnels to gain and retain heat. Cultivating kale in a high tunnel resulted in good yields, especially when paired with a low tunnel and plastic or straw mulch, which resulted in the highest air and soil temperatures. The amount of minerals in plants within the high tunnel largely did not vary across combinations of low tunnels and ground covers, except for copper and sulfur, which were lowest in plots with no low tunnel or ground cover. Also, dietary fiber was higher when no low tunnel or ground cover was used compared to plots with a low tunnel and no ground cover. Weeds were suppressed by straw and black plastic mulch, but none of the ground covers influenced aphid abundance. Overall, our work demonstrates that Red Russian kale can be grown in a temperate climate during winter with some combinations of tunnels and ground covers.

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