Growing Collards

A harvested bundle of broad collard leaves with pale green stems.
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A harvested bundle of broad collard leaves with pale green stems. Photo: Evan-Amos · Public domain. Resized and converted to WebP.

Collards in pictures · Select a photo to look closer

Young collard plants with upright green leaves, photographed in Kashmir.
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Young leaves

These are described by the photographer as Kashmiri haakh. Leaf shape varies between collard types; this close view does not show recommended spacing.

Photo: شارق کشمیری · Source image · CC BY-SA 4.0. Orientation normalized, resized and converted to WebP; no crop.

Broad veined leaves spreading from three young collard plants in a container.
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Leaf structure

Notice the open leaf arrangement rather than a tight cabbage head. The photographed container is an example of plant appearance, not a recommended spacing or watering design.

Photo: Downtowngal · Source image · Public domain. Orientation normalized, resized and converted to WebP; no crop.

A collard plant viewed from above, with large outer leaves and smaller central leaves.
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Whole plant

The central growing leaves are easy to distinguish from the larger outer leaves. Use the harvest guidance below when deciding which leaves to pick.

Photo: MEvalyn · Source image · CC BY-SA 4.0. Orientation normalized, resized and converted to WebP; no crop.

Collards are sturdy brassica greens that reward a longer fall runway than baby salad crops. Once established, a plant can supply outer leaves repeatedly through cool weather.

Establishment

For a late-summer crop, direct sow into moist soil or transplant young, unstressed seedlings. Keep water consistent during establishment; heat at planting can matter even though the mature crop prefers cool weather.

Give plants airflow and harvest access. Close spacing can work for young leaves, but a full plant needs room and can shade its neighbors.

Harvest from the bottom up

Take the largest sound outer leaves and leave the growing center intact. Frequent harvest keeps leaves useful and makes caterpillars, aphids, and disease symptoms easier to see.

Like other brassicas, collards can benefit from early row cover where flea beetles or cabbage worms are persistent. Rotate with kale, cabbage, bok choy, radishes, arugula, and turnips in mind.

Record transplant or sowing date, first harvest, frost exposure, leaf tenderness, and pest timing. Compare flavor before and after cool nights.

Try it in your garden