key growing information

Growing Collard Greens From Seed

How to grow collards from seed: soil and moisture, sowing for bunching or baby leaf, transplants, fall and winter crops, pest and disease prevention, and harvest.

By Hensley’s Seed Co. September 3, 2026

Collards - Key Growing Information

Leaves of two favorite collard greens varieties, Georgia type (left) and Vates type (right).

SCIENTIFIC NAME:

Brassica oleracea

CULTURE:

Collards like fertile, well-drained soil rich in organic matter, with a pH of 6.0–7.5, and steady moisture for the best leaves. In the South, grow them for fall, winter and early-spring harvests to avoid midsummer extremes, although they handle some heat. Their strong cold tolerance also makes them a good Northern crop, and frost sweetens the flavor.

DAYS TO MATURITY:

Counted from direct sowing; take off about 14 days for transplants.

DIRECT SEEDING:

Sow from early spring until roughly 3 months before your expected fall frost. For bunching, plant ½" deep in groups of 3–4 seeds every 12–18", rows 18–36" apart, and thin to one plant per group. For baby leaf, sow ¼–½" deep at about 60 seeds per foot in a band 2–4" wide.

AVG. DIRECT SEEDING RATE:

For bunching: 1,000 seeds sow about 220'; 1 oz. about 1,110'; 1 lb. about 24,000'.

EARLY SPRING CROP:

Sow ¼" deep, 2 seeds per cell in 50- to 72-cell plug flats, 3–4 seeds per inch in 20-row flats, or in an outdoor seedbed. Transplants are usually ready in 4–6 weeks. If you can, hold the soil above 75°F (24°C) until seedlings emerge, then drop the air temperature to around 60°F (16°C). Set plants 12–18" apart in rows 18–36" apart. Collards grow best between 55 and 75°F (13–24°C), ideally 60–70°F (16–21°C), but still produce well in summer warmth.

FALL CROP:

Start seedlings the same way in May and plant them out in June or July. Where hard freezes come early in fall, sow early enough for the crop to mature.

WINTER CROP:

In mild-winter areas where temperatures seldom drop below 32°F (0°C), collards can be grown through winter, with transplants set out from September through February.INSECT PESTS: Fabric row covers put on at planting are the most effective insect control, since they physically keep pests off the plants. DISEASE: Prevention is the best approach: (1) rotate with non-brassica crops for several years, (2) use clean seed-starting mix and seedbeds, and (3) keep tools and fields clean. Select collard seed lots that tested negative for black rot (Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris) and black leg (Phoma lingam). Keep in mind that a negative test only means the pathogen wasn't detected in the sample examined; it is not a guarantee the whole lot is disease-free, and no seed treatment can promise that either. Feel free to contact us with specific questions.

HARVEST:

Start picking individual leaves about 2 months after planting. Collards are very hardy, and light frosts improve their eating quality into late fall. Plantings made in late summer can be carried through winter in cold frames or hoop houses, or in the open where winters are mild, and row covers extend the picking season.

TRANSPLANTS:

About 4,450 transplants per oz.

SEEDS/LB. (AVG.):

92,400.

PACKET:

100 seeds per packet, enough for about 22'.