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Direct seed as soon as the weather is warm, although you can get away to a quick start in colder regions by planting seedlings of chard. Both chard and cima di rapa (sounds so much better than turnip greens!) prefer full sun and light soil but can tolerate mild frost and so are ideal as winter vegetables in more mild climates. Spinach will only do well in cool weather so plant with this in mind. Pick cima di rapa as soon as the flowering head (similar to broccoli) develops, but before it starts to flower, whereas the outer leaves of chard and spinach can be picked progressively. Cutting varieties of chard such as verde da taglio, can be cut off a few centimeters from the soil line and it will regrow.

This group can be grown from transplants or direct seeded once the weather warms up, but are relatively heavy feeders and do best with a fertile soil on the alkaline side. Younger transplants (5-6 weeks) do best. Most of the family do better maturing at cooler times of the year, and this particularly applies to kale (cavolo nero) which is at its best when picked following a frost