Collards are widely planted in the fall around the country. They will keep producing through most of the winter in places where the weather is mild, moist and crisp without frost. This member of the cabbage family is rich in vitamins and minerals and grows readily from seed. You can plant collards in September and October. By planting in the fall, you will avoid common cabbage-family pests such as cabbageworms, aphids and flea beetles.
Select a plot that gets full sun for growing your collards. These greens can tolerate light shade for part of the day, but you should avoid deeply shaded areas. Clear away existing vegetation. Prepare your collard bed by digging down with the garden fork to loosen the top foot of soil.
Dig 4 inches of compost or aged manure into your bed to increase the soil’s nitrogen content, or use an equivalent amount of a high-nitrogen commercial organic garden fertilizer in place of the compost or manure. Collards are heavy nitrogen feeders. They do best in a soil with pH of 6.0 to 6.8.
Mark your rows by stretching a string between stakes driven in at each end of a row. Sprinkle seeds along the row, covering lightly with about 1/4 inch of soil. Seed spacing isn’t critical. The seeds will germinate in five to 10 days, depending on the weather.
Thin plants from the rows until you have large plants spaced about two feet apart. Use the thinnings in cooking. The plants will be ready for harvesting in about six weeks after planting, or when the plants are about knee high. Mulch to conserve soil moisture and keep down weeds. Side dress monthly with high-nitrogen fertilizer.
Pick leaves as the plants grow, taking leaves from the bottom of the plant. You typically take only a few leaves per plant, so you should grow four plants per family member to ensure enough leaves for a family meal. Plants will reach a height of about 3 feet at maturity.
Things You Will Need
- Collard seed
- Garden fork
- Nitrogen-rich fertilizer
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