Collard Greens growth stages

A close-up view of a collard leaf. Source: AlyssssylA

Collard greens, or Brassica oleracea var. viridis are native to Greece, where they have been grown for over 2000 years. They are a member of the cabbage family but do not produce a head like cabbage does. They are also popular in Spain, Portugal and India. And it’s no wonder they’re a staple in Africa, being so close to Greece.

Caring

Growing collard greens is relatively easy, as the plants do not require much care. But extra care will help the plants grow better.

Here we are describing additional care steps for growing collard greens organically in the home garden.

Temperature

A sunny place is chosen to plant collard greens. The optimum temperature for vegetative growth is between 59°F and 68°F or 15°C and 20°C. It tolerates higher temperatures and drought well.

During longer periods of drought, it stops growing for a short time, but after the first rain, it rises again and develops new, better and tastier leaves.

Where to plant

If you are in a temperate area, you can plant your seedlings inside your house and keep them there.

Facts about Collard Greens:

• It would take at least 2 to 3 months to grow Collard Greens starting from seed germination to harvesting stage. When you are planting with the starters, they would be at least a month old at the time of planting. So, when you are going to plant Collards from scratch, then you can harvest them within 1 ½ months from planting.
• Spring months are the best time to grow collard greens. In particular, when you plan to plant them for 2-3 weeks before the last frost date in the spring, it will ensure that the plants are getting a very good amount of cold temperature that gives them flavor. The seedlings must be planted in the autumn months about 6 to 8 weeks before the first frost.
• Collard greens will be back all season. You will need to cut the collards back by leaving 80% of the leaves. Just remove them and keep treating them for pests and you will see them come back within 15 days or so.
• A fertilizer with a high nitrogen content is best for collard greens. Such fertilizers are like calcium nitrate which has an n-p-k ratio of 16-0-0. You can also use any garden fertilizer whose n-pk ratio is 28-3-3 or any similar formula with high amounts of nitrogen.
• You can plant collard greens along with thyme, hyssop, and artemisia. These are the plants that are also known as cabbage moth repellent. Dill is also one of the beneficial plants that can be used as a companion to collard greens as this will attract wasps that eat cabbage worms.
• Collard greens are more versatile than any other plant belonging to the brassica family.
• We cannot eat collard greens when they are in bloom. Moreover, with the development of the flower stem the collard greens will be less edible. So it is always recommended to harvest the collard greens as soon as possible to restore the nutrition and flavor.
• Collards love to grow in sunlight like any other vegetable. They will also be able to live in partial shade but make sure that they are getting at least 4 hours of sun so that they give up the full flavor.
• Sometimes you will see that the collard green leaves have a purple color. This mostly occurs when there is a phosphorus deficiency. All plants will need phosphorus to create sugars, energy. If the soil is cold in the growing season, some plants would develop a phosphorus deficiency.
• Grow collard greens from seeds, cuttings in pots, containers, square foot gardens, backyards, balconies even on the terrace are very easy and simple.

Those are all the people growing collard greens in your house. Good luck and happy gardening! .