For starters, you’ll want to place tall plants on the north side of your square foot garden … a friend gave me two cutting from a tree collard, and I was curious if these would do well in a raised bed. In the north, you can plant collards in the early spring, and … Cover and turn heat down so the pot just barely bubbles. Collard greens will require a plenty amount of light for growing in a good manner. It is packed full of info about seed starting, garden planning, and links to lots of great videos to watch. Whatever your location, get some collard greens growing in the vegetable garden this year. Square Foot Gardening. If your soil is seriously deficient in nutrients, adding manure, compost or garden soil at a rate of 2 lbs. Figure 5. Fertilizer Recommendations Once planted, collard greens have marginal fertilizer needs. Collard greens can take a light frost, but you will lose your plants if the temperatures stay below freezing for long periods. Collards have descended from wild cabbages that once grew in Europe. Collard greens can be cut when half- or fully-grown. Use a rake to mix the fertilizer 3 to 4 inches into the soil. Today collards are grown throughout North America. Plant seed in moist soil about ½ to ¾ of an inch deep but never deeper than an inch. Collard greens sprout between 4-10 days and require moderate and consistent watering. Collard greens are planted 1/4 inch deep, 1 per square foot, in the full sun. Collards do well in containers. Give row plants 12-24 inches with 2-4 feet between rows. Collards have descended from wild cabbages that once grew in Europe. One method for producing baby leafy greens is to adapt the head lettuce production system described above by sowing multiple seeds per cell (for example, six to 12 depending on crop) and then transplanting to the high density spacing (nine cells per square foot). A soil pH of 6.5 to 7.5 is best. If you want to maximize your small garden space, here is a square foot gardening planner for you! Collards grow 2 to 3 feet tall with rosettes of large, non-heading, waxy leaves growing on sturdy stems. An individual collard leaf can easily grow to occupy over a square foot … If ever there was a leafy green vegetable accused of using steroids this would be the one. Collard greens are a cool-season plant like other leaf vegetables, including lettuce and spinach. For maximum results, add aged compost to your garden bed or containers prior to planting. Harvest any turnip leaves that reach 4 to 6 inches tall. Grow, Pick and Cook your own Collard Greens (video): Use 2 or 3 pounds for each 100 square feet, or about 1 cup for each 10 feet of row. Collard varieties suitable for growing in Texas include Blue Max, Champion, Flash, Georgia LS, Georgia Southern, Top Bunch, and Vates. If not, where is the best location to plant the tree collards? Use sharp garden or kitchen scissors and cut the leaf near the base of the plant. Growing Collard Greens provides edible leaves and stems grown from a thick main stem. The ideal growing environment 3, 4, 5 for collard greens is in moist, compost-rich soil that is well drained. Collards are biennial, so plants will need to be overwintered if you plan to save seed. For the growing of Collard greens, you must have good seedbed or good area in your home garden. Collard plants prefer full sunlight. Collard is a kind of kale and a primitive member of the cabbage family. Planting Collards can be started from transplants or from seeds sown directly in the garden. Growing collard from seed in your garden is simple, as the plant requires minimal care and tolerates light spring frost. Greens must be just about the easiest possible crop for the home gardener to grow and prepare. If you want to harvest baby leaves, space the plants closer together at 4 per square foot if you’re a square foot gardener. Great article. A single plant can grow over four feet in height and spread five feet in width all without the use of stakes or additional support to prop them up. Collard greens 1 Corn 3 Cucumbers 2 Dill 1 ... your square foot gardening bed that provides you with 16 1’x1’ squares. I use the square foot garden technique, and if I put them in my raised bed, they have 28 inch tall sides, I would put them on the north end of the bed.