Thanks both for these comments and John, how much you need to water depends partly on how wet your soil is at lower levels.
Summer growth may have sucked moisture to some depth and I always water thoroughly, several times, in October and November to ensure that the list layer on top (from watering) has joined the water table below. No dry area between.
Try pushing a bamboo into the soil, if there is a dry layer you will feel it hard, and different to normal clay.
Great that you noticed plants liking less frequent watering, and it’s a great aspect of no dig, the soil fungi helping roots to find moisture.
Jonathan and Marieke, I think your limp kale is caused by freezing of the stems. My outdoor broccoli looked the same after two nights of -6.5C, the plants looked sickly, but now it is less cold and they are looking fine again. You are colder than here so I think that there is not enough time by day for your kale to thaw out. It should be fine though and it’s not a question of moisture.
Also soil at full moisture, then freezing, is not bad for roots. There is air and openness in soil, unless it’s all compacted, in which case your plants would not grow.
Also moisture in soil holds warmth! Dry soil freezes more readily – look how the nights are so cold in deserts.
All in all, water thoroughly, and less frequently in winter. I am watering salads every two weeks now.