Champion Collards
Brassica oleracea • Open-Pollinated • Organic • Heirloom
Collards are incredible. You don’t have to wait until they are huge to harvest and make a “mess of greens.” I use the massive leaves in place of a tortilla as a gluten free wrap or harvest baby leaf and treat them like cabbage.
JOY MAX SCALE ✦✦✦✦✦
Collards are so easy once they are established. Coddle them a bit when they are babies, and they’ll grow into beautiful, sea green giants you barely have to think about.
✦ Their giant round leaves are gorgeous in the garden. With the right conditions, they will grow up to 3’ tall so make sure you give them plenty of space.
✦ One or two plants will be enough to feed a family of four.
✦ Can be grown as baby leaf or full size. Beginning about 2 months after planting, harvest by clipping individual leaves.
✦ Selected to hold in the field up to two weeks longer than other varieties for an extended harvest.
✦ Bolt-resistant, productive and hardy. A cool season plant that will endure into summer if planted where it will get shade in the afternoon.
✦ Waxy leaf surface provides natural protection from cabbage worms.
✦'Champion' is a stabilized selection of 'Vates' collards developed and introduced by the Virginia Agricultural Experiment Station in 1979.
PLANT HEIGHT: 24-36” PLANT WIDTH: 36" SEED SPACING: Direct sow generously and then thin to 24-36" SEED DEPTH: 1/4-1/2” PLANT SPACING: 24-36” GERM: 5-17 days. Direct sow or start indoors to manage. IDEAL TEMP: 55–75°F DAYS TO MATURITY: 70 SOIL: ertile, well-drained soil high in organic matter with a pH range of 6.0–7.5. LIGHT: Full Sun/ Part shade
Basic Growing Information
Kale and collards are hardy biennials that will overwinter in milder climates, and improve in flavor with the onset of cold weather. They are in the Brassicaceae family, sharing species name Brassica oleracea with cauliflower, cabbage, broccoli, brussels sprouts, and kohlrabi. Collards are more heat tolerant than other brassicas. I find them to be some of the easiest crops to care for in the garden once they get going. Collards are very hardy, and the eating quality will improve into the late fall with light frost. Late summer sown or planted collards will take off once temps drop.
Since collards grow so large, they need soil that will support their foot-long roots. Fertile, rich, and deep. Direct sow 1/4” deep 4” apart (eventually thin or carefully move seedlings to 18” apart.) Keep soil moist until germination and protect from squirrels. You may want to start collards indoors and set out just to protect the seedlings from squirrel interference or from snails getting them. Since you only need one or two though, you can always just plant more seeds than you need and then thin the ones that make it to 18” apart. If starting seeds indoors, use a heat mat to speed germination. Seedlings should be ready to transplant in 4-6 weeks. Alternatively, start them in a trusty fruit container and move them outside in the container once they’ve sprouted. Transfer to the garden once they have their true leaves and seem mature enough to handle the transition. Water them in with seaweed water and keep them protected and babied until they are strong.
If you want to mostly eat the leaves when they are small, you can treat them like cabbage and grow it as a baby leaf.
Tips for Growing Collards
• Collards grow deep roots so are best planted in rich garden soil or raised beds rather than containers. Amend beds with compost a week prior to planting to give them lots of organic material to start.
• Make sure each plant has at least 1 foot of spacing. Collards will compete with each other and with other brassicas and leeks for resources. Rotate plantings every year to allow soil to replenish and to avoid cultivating disease.
• They will be their unhealthiest when it’s hot, so make sure they are well-watered and treat with BT if you want to keep them going into warmer months.
Companion Planting
Collards also do well when planted with fragranced herbs like hyssop, thyme, rosemary, oregano, marjoram, and dill that deter moths and loosen the soil. Mint improves soil conditions and the flavor of collard greens. All alliums are good companions for collards. Chamomile can improve the growth behavior of collard greens. Catnip improves their flavor. Beets love brassicas, a great interplanting. Avoid growing next to other brassicas as they will compete for the same minerals and nutrients.