Homegrown Vegetables, Fruits & Herbs by Walter Chandoha

Author:Walter Chandoha
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Fox Chapel Publishing

ESSENTIAL STATS

Life span

Biennial, grown as a cool-weather annual. Collard seeds sprout quickly and within 80 days will produce the first of many meals.

Grow from

Direct seeding.

When to plant

In Zones 3 through 5 sow seeds in spring as soon as the soil is dry enough to work. Hot weather will damage plants, so harvest them and plant seeds again in late summer for a fall harvest. Farther south, wait until August 15 or later before direct seeding. Sow seeds 3 to 6 inches apart to reduce the chore of thinning.

Best site

Collards are not wimpy vegetables; they will thrive wherever planted, if you start them within the window of planting time for your hardiness zone. In the Deep South and warm western areas, afternoon shade will help collards sail through the last days of hot weather before entering the cool, moist days of fall and early winter.

How much to plant

Southerners rely so much on collards that it is not unusual to see a 30-foot row planted to provide for two people—12 to 15 collard plants would fit into a row of that length, if the plants were staggered. Collard leaves will “hold” on the plant for weeks after reaching full size, retaining flavor and tenderness.

Continuing care

Not much attention is required, just thinning and frequent enough watering to avoid serious wilting. Avoid fertilizing fall-planted collards after the first light frost. The nitrogen fraction could make the plants susceptible to freezing.

Harvesting

Nip off the lower leaves a few at a time to avoid shocking the plants. The upper leaves will continue to extract energy from the sun. After several weeks, collards typically show a foot or so of bare central stem, but they keep on ticking. Leaves harvested during hot weather should be placed in a plastic bag and stored in the vegetable keeper. After a week or two, they will be sweeter when cooked.

Insect, pest, and plant diseases

Collards are susceptible to the same diseases and insects as cabbages. Cabbageworm infestations can be particularly bad during the waning warm days of late summer. Keep Bt bacteria sprays handy.

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