Planting, Growing, and Harvesting Collard Greens
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Leafy, large, and in charge, collard greens are an easy-to-grow staple in many gardens. This cold-hardy vegetable is a popular fall and winter crop, has many health benefits, and is a favorite, savory comfort food in the South. Learn how to plant, grow, and care for wonderful collards.
About Collards
Collards are one of the oldest members of the cabbage or Brassicaceae family, and they look prehistoric! Their species name is Brassica oleracea, the same as kale, cabbage, cauliflower, and broccoli. Unlike some of their family, collards don’t form a head. Large leafy green foliage is the goal, and collard greens are a favorite in the American South, Africa, and South America.
Collards are a biennial in moderate climates and will return in spring to make a flower stalk and seed. However, they are usually grown as an annual. They are mildly cold hardy, and some varieties can survive freezing temperatures as low as 15 degrees.
A dark green leaf, you won’t be surprised to learn that collard greens are packed with nutrients. They’re an excellent source of Vitamin A and C as well as rich in iron, magnesium, calcium, and potassium. They’re full of antioxidants and contain fiber to aid digestion and lower cholesterol.
Southern-style collards are commonly prepared by simmering with spices and smokey meat for a delicious meal loaded with flavor. If growing your own, wash them thoroughly after bringing them into the kitchen. The large leaves can gather grit and bugs and need a good cleaning. Plan ahead. Unlike wilting kale in your soup, collards are usually cooked for an hour or two.
Growing
Collards are easy to grow and make a lush display in your garden. Follow these tips for large, healthy plants. Check this page from the University of Minnesota Extension for more great tips on growing collard greens.
- Collards like fertile, nitrogen-rich soil to support all that green, leafy vegetation. Provide adequate compost and organic matter.
- Keep soil moisture even, and don’t let them dry out. Collards will wilt if exposed to warm temperatures and dry soil.
- Mulch between plants when they are young. Eventually, the collards will close the canopy and shade out the weeds. However, mulch helps to reduce weeding and maintain an even soil moisture when the plants are young.
- Water in the morning. The plants will have water available during the hottest part of the day, and their leaves will dry out before cooler night temperatures, reducing foliar disease problems.
- Water deeply. Frequent short waterings can encourage shallow roots. Check the soil moisture with your finger about 6 inches down after irrigating. It should be moist but not soggy.
Both heirloom and hybrid varieties are available. If you plant in spring (versus fall), be sure to choose a bolt-resistant variety.
- ‘Champion’ is a bolt-resistant variety with good cold resistance and blue-green foliage.
- ‘Morris Heading’ provides large, broad leaves and may make loosely arranged heads.
- ‘Top Bunch 2.0’ is a hybrid with medium-sized, lightly savoyed leaves. Attractive and tasty.
- ‘Georgia,’ also known as ‘Georgia Southern,’ is a favorite with smooth leaves and white stalks. It can reach up to 6 feet tall, so give it some elbow room and enjoy the show.
Harvesting
Collards can provide months of harvesting opportunities, especially with succession planting. Even northern gardeners can enjoy extended harvests of tasty greens.
- All green parts are edible. The leaves are most tender at 6- to 8-inch leaves long. Use scissors, pruners, or a knife. Start with the larger lower leaves and work up the stalk, leaving the smaller leaves alone to continue growing.
- Plants that are thinned can be eaten! Don’t toss them into the compost. Take them into the kitchen.
- A light frost will enhance the flavor of collards. Keep harvesting until the hard freezes of winter finally kill the plant.
Recipes
Cooking Notes
- The stems are bitter so most people cut out the stem from the leaves before cooking; however, they’re loaded with nutrients so another option is to cook them separately and much longer until tender.
- To avoid grittiness, wash thoroughly. Soak for 20 minutes and then scrub each leaf. Or, in the store, buy pre-washed collard greens.
- Serve collard greens with whatever you’d normally serve with cabbage.
- The most common way to cook Southern-style collards is to first sautée garlic and red pepper flakes in hot olive oil, add hot chicken broth (not water) and bring to a boil, and then add the greens and simmer for 45 minutes to an hour, until super tender but not mushy. Season with salt, pepper, and distilled white vinegar.
Andy Wilcox
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We have 2 Collard green "trees" type. Do not know what the species is but so far one is approx 5 feet tall. One thing we have noticed is that the "codling moth(?)" loves to lay its eggs on the leaves. Love this added to stir frys along with what our friend Steve List ( Ask Mr. List on Youtube ) calls summer lettuce which is Swiss chard.
What are the planting dates for any greens in November
Hi Sharon,
Many greens are cool season crops, meaning they do best when grown in the fall or early spring. With that being said, planting dates depend on where you live and what type of winter your location experiences.
Our Planting Calendar is a great tool to use. Just put in your zip code or location and it will give you the ideal dates for planting all kinds of vegetables and greens. Here is a link: https://www.almanac.com/gardening/planting-calendar
You can also grow greens indoors. We have a great story that can be found here: https://www.almanac.com/grow-your-own-salads-indoors-all-winter
And according to our Best Days chart, which gives the best days for certain activities based on the Moon’s sign, the best days for planting aboveground crops in November 2023 is Nov. 20–22.
