Growing Collard Greens From Stems & Seeds

Growing collard greens from stems, scraps and seeds is super quick and easy and a super healthy way to get our daily dose of leafy greens.

You can grow collard greens from scraps and stems in as little as 5 weeks so they are ideal plants for starting a new vegetable garden fast.

And as collard greens grow well in pots and containers, they are great for very small or balcony gardens.

This collard growing guide covers all you need to know including:

1. Growing collards from stems
2. When to plant collard greens
3. How long collards take to grow
4. Growing collards from seeds
5. Growing collards in containers
6. Harvesting collard greens

PLUS key collard growing FAQ :

• How often to water collard greens?
• Will collards grow in summer?
• What is eating my collard greens?
• What is wrong with my collards?

AND that old chestnut : are collard greens the same as spring greens?

I do hope the guide helps you grow a bumper collard harvest.

For quick reference later bookmark or save on Pinterest.

Are Collard Greens The Same As Spring Greens?

Collard greens are more or less the same thing as spring greens.

Basically, the loose leaf, slim, pointed cabbages known as collards by Americans are typically called spring greens by us British.

Very strictly speaking, collards are a type of spring green but these collard growing tips apply to all varieties of spring green.

And all types of spring green can be grown and regrown from stems.

How To Grow Collard Greens From Stems & Scraps

Growing collards from stems, then regrowing them could not be easier.

In my experience it is a fun foolproof way to start a vegetable garden fast as a beginner or with kids.

What You Need To Regrow Collard Greens From Stems

To grow collard stems you just need:

• Small containers of water: any little pots, bowls, jars or tubs will do.
• Leftover collard stems from your store bought collards.
• Cocktail sticks (optional).

How To Grow Collard Stems

To regrow your collard stem simply :

1. Put collard stem right way up in your container of water.
2. If stem is very small, balance it upright with a few cocktail sticks.
3. Leave collard stem for a week in a bright but not too hot spot indoors.
4. Freshen water every 2 or 3 days

Within a week your collard stem should have started to grow both :

• New roots
• And new leaves.

Give your collard green stem another 4 or 5 days in its pot of water and it should have some nice healthy roots and be ready to plant out.

Planting Out Collard Stems

You can plant out regrown stems in a vegetable bed or container.

Ideal planting conditions for your collard green stems are :

• Sunny but not over hot spot.
• Rich soil that's not too soggy.
• At least 7 inches apart.
• Underneath butterfly netting or ultra-fine insect mesh.
• Close to strong smelling herbs.

In my experience regrown collard plants are robust and grow quickly even if your soil isn't great.

These are my regrown collard greens just two weeks after planting out in a fairly poor bit of vegetable bed I reclaimed from the lawn! Not ready for eating yet, but growing fast ...

What Month To Plant Collard Greens?

Collard greens typically prefer cooler weather so it is best to plant them in:

• Early Spring
• Late Summer For Fall

Growing Collards In Spring

Collard seeds germinate when the temperature is at least 8 degrees Celsius (46F) and are happiest growing at under 25C (77F).

So depending on which zone you are growing in, the best months to plant collard greens are usually :

• February
• March
• April
• And May (if summers are cool).

Established plants can often tolerate frost but little seedlings can't.

If your early spring weather is poor, start seeds inside or under cover or grow collards from stems.

Growing Collards In Fall

Collards will germinate at high temperatures (up to 30c/86f) so seeds can be sown right at the end of summer for an autumn crop.

The best months to plant autumn collard crops are typically :

• Late August
• September
• Early October

Some collard varieties are frost tolerant and can be over-wintered with only basic cover.

How Long Do Collard Greens Take To Grow?

Collard greens aren't the quickest growing vegetable from seed but are very quick grown from stems :

• From seed : 10 weeks
• From stem : 5-6 weeks

If you harvest collards by cutting leaves back down to the stem, they will regrow again in another 3 weeks.

How To Grow Collard Greens From Seed

Growing collards from seeds lets us pick plants perfect for the zone we live in and extend the season with over wintering plants in some zones.

You can start collard seeds indoors in pots or sow directly outdoors.

Sowing Collard Seeds Indoors

Sow collard greens seeds indoors :

1. Into separate pots or pods (egg boxes or loo roll pots are fine)
2. 1.5cm or ½ inch deep
3. In plenty of light.

Collard green seedlings are ready to transplant outdoors when :

• 3 inches tall
• With 3-5 proper leaves (i.e. not counting the first 2 seed leaves)
• Temperature is above 8 degrees celsius / 45 degrees Fahrenheit.

Plant out collard seedlings :

• Deeply so leaves just above ground
• 20-25cm / 8-10 inches apart
• Firm the ground well around them
• With protection from slugs & snails.

Sowing Collard Green Seeds Directly Outdoors

Most collard seeds can be sown directly outside once temperature is consistently above 8-10 degrees Celsius / 46-50 Fahrenheit.

But check seed packets!!

There is lots of variation and germination rates outdoors can be poor for some varieties at lower temperatures in early spring.

If like me - in London - you are growing in unpredictable early spring and autumn weather I would always start some seeds indoors.

Growing Collard Greens In Containers And Pots

Collard greens can easily be grown in containers and pots, so are great if you are gardening in a small space.

Collards grown in containers are best harvested regularly as a cut-and-come-again crop which allows leaves to re-grow from the stem.

Best Pot Size For Collards

Cut-and-come-again collard crops need much less space so you can squeeze 3 collard plants into a standard 3 gallon or 15 litre pot.

If your grow full size collards each plant will need its own 3 gal/15l pot.

Watering Collards In Pots

Effective watering of collards grown in containers is critical as the soil needs to be moist but not soggy.

You will need to water collards in pots more frequently than in raised beds but the containers must drain well so the collard roots don't sit in water as this can cause root rot.

Where To Put Collard Pots

One of the big benefits of growing collards in containers is you can move them as the weather changes

In early to mid spring and autumn collards need plenty of direct light and sunshine but in hotter weather move them into some shade.

How Often To Water Collard Greens?

Collard greens, like most cabbages, need to be kept in moist but not soggy soil. Over watering can cause problems such as rot and mildew.

In the absence of rain, water collard greens roughly to this schedule :

• Seedlings : Daily spritz or light water using e.g. watering bell.
• Young plants : Every 2-3 days.
• Mature plants : Every 4-7 days.

Collards grown in containers may need more frequent watering.

Mature plants will need an 1-2 inches of water a week. As the weather heats up in late spring do make sure soil doesn't dry out else your collards will bolt and flower.

Harvesting Collard Greens

The best way to harvest collard greens is to cut good sized leaves right down to the stem.

Your collards will then grow back again from the stem in as little as 3 weeks to give you another harvest.

There are all sorts of quick, delicious ways to cook fresh collard leaves. For inspiration check out these collard green recipes.

Will Collard Greens Keep Growing In Summer?

Collard greens do prefer growing in cooler weather but I have found you can keep growing them through the summer in milder climates below 25 degrees celsius (77 fahrenheit).

In early summer I free up sunny beds by moving collards to a shadier spot where they to do well unless it is an unusually hot English summer.

Just do keep an eye out for whiteflies in warmer weather.

What Is Eating My Collards?

Collard greens, like others cabbages, are vulnerable to being eaten by :

1. Cabbage Worms
2. Large Cabbage White Caterpillars
3. Owlet Moth Caterpillars
4. Whiteflies
5. Flea Beetles
6. Slugs & Snails

To control these garden pests effectively naturally, take action as the first signs of damage and don't just hope they'll go away!!

Cabbage Worms

The cabbage worm is the most likely garden pest to eat your collards.

It is the caterpillar of Pieris rapae, the small cabbage white butterfly but is a big green caterpillar perfectly camouflaged by collard leaves.

If you spot munch holes, check for cabbage worms on both sides of leaves - they are often on the main leaf rib - and remove manually.

Also look out for and remove the single grey-white eggs the caterpillars hatch from.

The best ways to keep cabbage worms off your collards are :

• Butterfly Nets
• Strong Smelling Herbs

Butterfly Nets

You can buy lengths of butterfly netting cheaply and cut to fit over DIY frames for beds and containers.

Make sure mature collards don't grow up against nets as otherwise the butterflies lay through them.

Strong Smelling Herbs

Strong smelling herbs and flowers hide the fragrance of collards from cabbage white butterflies so include pots of some of these around your collard beds and containers :

• Thyme
• Mint
• Marjoram
• Sage
• Chamomile
• Marigolds.

Large White Caterpillars

The caterpillars of the large white butterfly (pieris brassicae) will also unfortunately eat collard greens.

These caterpillars are actually much smaller than cabbage worms and easier to spot with black markings.

Butterfly nets and strong smelling herbs are again your best protection.

Owlet Moth Caterpillars

Owlet moth caterpillars - known as cabbage loopers - also eat collards. They look like cabbage worms and eat collards at speed so do check leaves at first signs of big bites.

You can again protect collards from cabbage loopers with butterfly nets and strong smelling herbs.

Whiteflies

Whiteflies are easy to control on collards but can become a big problem if you don't take prompt action to prevent infestations.

Look out for clusters of whiteflies at the heart of collards and underneath leaves. At first sight spray with water and a little dish soap. Destroy badly damaged leaves in a bucket of dish soap to kill off all the whiteflies.

You can also spray them with :

• Garlic tea
• Nettle tea.

If whiteflies and aphids are a known challenge in your garden or area - ask neighbours - it is better to cover your collards - and other greens - with extra-fine insect mesh rather than just butterfly nets.

You can also deter whiteflies from your collards with these strong smelling companion plants :

• Marigolds
• Chives
• Onions
• Garlic.

Whiteflies on your collards may be herded and protected by ants. Controlling ant nests near vegetable beds can help to get rid of whiteflies.

Flea Beetles

Flea beetles are tiny jumping beetles that pepper collards and spring greens with tiny bullet holes.

To stop flea beetles eating collards :

• Cover with fine insect proof mesh
• Companion plant with basil.

Slugs & Snails

Slugs and snails also enjoy eating young collard green plants and can do considerable damage.

These tips for getting rid of slugs & snails naturally will help protect all your vegetables that flourish in cool, moist weather e.g. peas, spinach.

But it is worth giving young collards specific slug & snail protection with copper rings as below ...

They are not cheap but last forever and can be rotated between different vegetables e.g. zucchini at those key times when most likely to be eaten by slugs and snails.

What Is Wrong With My Collard Greens?

In my experience collard greens grown from seeds and stems are robust plants that reliably deliver long cut-and-come-again harvests.

But collards like all brassicas can suffer a number of diseases :

• Club Root
• Downy Mildew.

You can help prevent these problems with careful watering and companion plants that improve the bacterial and fungal health of soil:

• Radishes
• Garlic
• Turnips.

And there you are, all the tips you need for growing collard greens from stems, scraps and seeds.

Do bookmark or save on Pinterest to come back to.

For more gardening tips for beginners check out my other grow your own posts and follow me on Pinterest.