Collards
Dates below are counted from the average last spring frost or the average first fall frost. Enter a ZIP in the calendar for NOAA 1991–2020 station averages, or pick a zone and use the zone table.
When to plant
Soil and site
Rich, limed soil, pH 6.5+. A heavy feeder — side-dress with compost midseason.
Seedlings
Transplant at 4–6 weeks, buried to the first leaves. Row cover at transplant stops cabbage worms cold.
In the garden
The Southern staple for a reason: collards handle both Tennessee summer heat and winter cold better than kale does.
Picking
Pick lower leaves and let the crown keep producing — a fall planting feeds you clear through winter, sweetest after frost.
Gear placeholders
These rows are reserved for affiliate links later. They are not links, and nothing here is for sale.
- Placeholder: seeds for Collards
- Placeholder: canning gear
- Placeholder: home freeze dryer
Dates by zone
These pages turn the same frost offsets into calendar dates for each zone the calendar covers.