When to plant collard greens this fall?

SalsaMom Mon 18 Aug 2014 - 14:15

Hello all -
When should I plant some collard green seeds for a fall/winter crop?
I'm in middle TN.
Friend gave me a pack of seeds and I've never grown them before.
How many per square do I plant - looks like they get pretty big.

Looking forward to having something going this fall/winter.

Thanks!

**walshevak** Mon 18 Aug 2014 - 15:53

Start now. 1 per square. You can start them in small cups and transplant( my preferred way) or direct sow a couple of seeds per square and thin to strongest plant. Cover with tulle or lightweight row cover until after the first frost or the bugs will get them.

Kay

VJ72584 Mon 18 Aug 2014 - 19:42

I did not know I should cover them. What about cabbage, will bugs get them too? I have never tried either one til this year.

**walshevak** Tue 19 Aug 2014 - 1:44

VJ72584 wrote:I did not know I should cover them. What about cabbage, will bugs get them too? I have never tried either one til this year.

Yes, it helps reduce insecticide use.

Kay

CapeCoddess Tue 19 Aug 2014 - 6:57

Yes, plant now and cover. Here is my greens box that was planted early last spring. The tulle is weather beaten so has holes now. Next year I'll use agribon in hopes that it will last longer than one season.
The generic collards are across the back row as they are the tallest, with 2 Champion collards at each end of the center row. Kale fills the rest of the box:

When to plant collard greens this fall? Aug_1810

I harvest them young because I like them tender.

CC

SalsaMom Fri 29 Aug 2014 - 10:09

Thanks for the tips!
I will get the collards out soon.

Have some sweet potatoes to dig out and get cured and we've got a LOT of work on our pasture fence to do....
Always something!

yolos Fri 29 Aug 2014 - 13:07

Plant them now. I have been in 4 different nurseries over the past week and all of them are carrying the collard transplants.

**sanderson** Fri 29 Aug 2014 - 22:22

I wonder if it's too late to direct sow in my area?? We just finished raising the cabbage/kale box. First frost is Nov 21.

**walshevak** Sat 30 Aug 2014 - 10:14

sanderson wrote:I wonder if it's too late to direct sow in my area?? We just finished raising the cabbage/kale box. First frost is Nov 21.

You can try because collards can take light frost and keep growing slowly, but I would try to get some starts for insurance. Same with kale and chard. Plant extras for the fall garden and these cut and come again plants will provided greens until a very hard freeze. Even then they might leaf out in the very early spring. Last year's extended hard freezes did them in, but the year before all mine did exactly that.

Even my Lowes store has collard, kale, cabbage and other fall plants right now. My first frost date is usually around mid Nov.

Kay

Judy McConnell Sun 31 Aug 2014 - 6:08

Remember - if you have to buy transplants, they are outside - no tulle or protection from cabbage butterflies.

**walshevak** Sun 31 Aug 2014 - 16:52

Judy McConnell wrote:Remember - if you have to buy transplants, they are outside - no tulle or protection from cabbage butterflies.

Good reminder. I still cover with tulle as soon as I transplant. I wonder if you can spray with BT before or right after transplanting?

Kay

yolos Sun 31 Aug 2014 - 17:33

I had 3 four packs that I purchased about 4 days ago. I set them on my screened-in porch waiting for this heat wave to pass. They already have tinsy tiny little green worms on them that are putting holes in the leaves. I sprayed them today so I hope they will be worm free before I plant them and put the tulle over them.

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