Vegetable / Cool season
Collard Greens
Also called spring greens
Big leaves that shrug off frost and summer alike
Plant out byMar 30zone 6
- Family
- Mustard (Brassicaceae)
- Sun
- Part sun (4+ h)
- Difficulty
- Very easy
- Days to harvest
- 40-80 days
- Spacing
- 18 in apart, rows 30 in
- Pot size
- 5 gal pot (fine in pots)
- Frost
- Hardy
- Start
- Either
- Water
When to plant
Showing .
Averages for a typical garden in the region. Your local frost dates may differ by 2-3 weeks, check a local source.Too late this year (try fall)
In zone 6, start seeds indoors Feb 23 to Mar 9; plant out Mar 23 to Mar 30; sow again for fall Jul 28 to Sep 8. Average last frost Apr 20, first fall frost Oct 20.
Units
Illinois Extension says collards take more late-fall cold than other cabbage-family crops, and they cope with summer warmth better than most of their cousins. That double toughness is why they are a Southern garden staple. A light frost makes the leaves sweeter, and plants keep going until a hard freeze finally knocks them down.
They also get big. Most varieties reach 1 to 3 feet tall and about as wide, and 'Georgia' can tower near six feet. A transplant that looks lonely at 18 inches apart fills that gap faster than you would think. In a 4×8 bed, two or three plants feed a family, so resist planting a whole row. Cabbage worms are the main headache. These pale green caterpillars chew holes and hide along the leaf ribs, and they are worst in fall plantings until frost slows them down. Check under the leaves, pick them off, or cover young plants with row cover. Aphids cluster on the undersides too.
Picking is simple. Cut the big lower leaves when they are 6 to 8 inches long and leave the top growing. One plant gives leaf after leaf for months. Collards get by on 4 to 5 hours of sun, which helps when a fence shades half the bed. A large pot holds one plant.
Things to consider
- Fall crops usually taste better than spring ones. The Old Farmer's Almanac puts fall plantings about 6 to 8 weeks before your first fall frost. In nearly frost-free climates, fall transplants can keep growing until spring.
- By late season, a plant can look like a bare stalk with a tuft on top. That is normal, since new leaves keep coming from the crown as you pick from below. Thinned seedlings are edible too, so nothing from the row goes to waste. Tall plants may need a stake by late fall in windy spots.
- Black rot and downy mildew show up in wet years. Water at the soil line in the morning, leave room for air between plants, and rotate away from other cabbage-family crops. Bin badly spotted leaves instead of composting them, and clear old plants out of the bed once the season ends.
Good neighbours
Keep apart
Pests to watch for
Cabbage wormsCabbage loopersAphids
Questions about growing collard greens
How do I keep collard leaves from getting tough?
Pick them young, around 6 to 8 inches long, and keep the soil evenly moist through hot spells. A touch of frost also softens the flavor. Old oversized leaves are still fine for a long braise. Some cooks cut out the thick center rib, which stays chewy after cooking.
Are collards just kale with flat leaves?
They are close relatives within the same species, Brassica oleracea. Collards have broad, smooth, flat leaves and tend to take warm weather better. Most kale recipes work with collards if you give them more cooking time. Illinois Extension says collards handle late-fall cold better than the rest of the cabbage family.
Can I still eat collards after a freeze?
Yes. Leaves that froze on the plant can still be cooked. Keep picking until a hard winter freeze kills the plant outright. Many cooks wait until mid-morning, after the leaves thaw on the plant, then cook them the same day. Frost-touched leaves often taste the sweetest of the year.
Save this crop
Pin it to a garden board so it is there when planting time comes round.
Similar crops
Sources
General guidance for home gardens. Frost dates are averages for a zone or region; check a local source (in the US your county extension office) for local timing.