Collards are a peachy harvest to maturate in Virginia – or anywhere , really . They ’re cold- and high temperature - large-minded , alimentary , immediate - growing – 75 days from seed to maturity – and most significantly , tasty . collard were bred from barbaric loot in the eastern Mediterranean region , where Greeks and Romans banquet on them in ancient times . Enslaved Africans introduced collard greens to the Americas , growing them for their own consumption in Latin America and the antebellum South . The taste for collard greens spread out across the United States in the mid-20thcentury Great Migration , as African - Americans fled Jim Crow and found industrial jobs in northern cities . Today , collards are a staple food insouthernandeasternEurope , Kashmir , eastandwestAfrica , Brazil , and all over theUnited States .
Varieties
collard greens are the same species as bread , Brassica oleracea . Collards belong to the “ Acephela ” chemical group , i.e. “ headless , ” withinB. oleracea . By direct contrast , traditional simoleons belong to to the “ Capitata ” group .
North Carolina State suggests a fewcollard varietiesthat do well in abode gardens :
Seed catalogs and heirloom seminal fluid collector have elaborated information about the machine characteristic of specific collard varieties , include cold tolerance – some change are brave to 0 ℉ – and bolt resistance in hot weather , sizing , look , thickness of leave , and clock time to due date .
Bed homework
Collards farm well in many soil types , from sandy coastal grunge to laborious Piedmont mud . For best results , improve your soil with plenty of organic affair . When starting fresh garden beds , dig up 4 in of compost into the top 12 inches of soil . For conventional beds , spread 2 inches of compost and work it lightly into the soil with a rake or broadfork . We recommendno - till methodsto preserve soil structure and reduce wearing and concretion .
As a leafy Green River , collards also gain from append N . Oklahoma State University ( OSU)recommendsadding 70 lb . nitrogen per Akka before planting . This translates to 6 oz . urea ( 46 - 0 - 0 ) or 21 oz . blood meal ( roughly 12 - 0 - 0 ) per 100 square feet . OSU then recommend side - dress three hebdomad after egress ( or transplanting ) with 4 oz . carbamide or 15 oz . rip meal per 100 solid metrical unit .
Finally , collard greens grow best near impersonal grunge pH , 6.0 to 8.0 . Asoil testwill measure pH and tell you how to make any demand adjustments . A soil trial run will also measure nutrients like potassium and phosphorus and recommend appropriate amendments . OurHorticultural assistant Deskscan help interpret the passport that do with soil test solvent .
begin
Collards execute well when seed directly into the garden , as well as when started indoors and transplanted to out-of-door preferences later .
IndoorsThis is the best option for a spring crop , since seeds pullulate slowly in cold soil and might waste before germinating . Aim to transplant at the mean date of last frost . In Charlottesville , which is now in USDA hardiness geographical zone 7b , this is between April 5thand 15th . Start seed 4 - 6 week before transplanting . Harden seedlings off by placing them outdoors for increasing amounts of time , starting about a week before planting .
OutdoorsThis is a good choice for a gloam crop engraft in late summertime . Consult the Virginia Cooperative Extension’sHome Garden Planting Guidefor recommended planting date in your hardiness geographical zone . Charlottesville is now in zona 7b . ( The mapping in that papers has not been update , but the planting date for the various hardiness zones are unaltered . )
Before seeding , rake the bed well to ensure good ejaculate - stain contact . flora seed ¼ to ½ inch bass , 2 inches aside in rows 18 to 30 inches apart . pee well and keep the soil moist , especially in hot weather . After seedlings are established , thin them to 12 inches apart for full - sizing plants , or 4 inches for “ baby ” plants that can be eaten raw .
Cultivation
collard greens are heavy feeders . Side - dress with atomic number 7 to ensure big , green leaves . As mention above , OSU propose adding 4 oz . urea or 15 oz . blood meal per 100 straightforward foot three week after emergence or transplanting .
Collards postulate pretty dampish soil ; otherwise , they will become virulent . Aim to keep the top 6 inches of dirt moist . They need about 1 inch of water per workweek , whether from rain or irrigation , but the exact amount will count on local temperature and soil type . Mulch plants with grass snip or weed - costless straw to conserve soil wet .
Collards are cold - kind , and with a trivial security can stay live all wintertime . For more information about row covers – which provide auspices from temperature and wind – check out Piedmont Master Gardener Ralph Morini’sarticle .
Pests and disease
Pests
Prevention is the best agency to ward off insect legal injury . sportsmanlike up all dope and flora rubble at the remnant of the growing season to deny insects a shoes to drop the winter . Rotate crop to keep plants away from any pestis that do manage to over - wintertime . This is surprisingly in effect even in a modest garden ! Examine your plant often , specially on the undersides of leave-taking , to look for eggs , larvae , and grownup insects . Lightweight row covers can keep insect aside from plant – but they can also provide a secure home ground where blighter can prosper .
It might be necessary to process stark plague with chemical insect powder , but this should be a last resort . For more information about insecticide , include organic option , refer the Virginia Cooperative Extension’sPest Management Guide . Always follow the pedagogy on the recording label and use personal protective gear like gloves and eye protection . Also take great care to keep off harming pollinator : do n’t spray bloom plants , and spray in the evening when bees are less probable to be present .
Diseases
It ’s almost impossible to bring around plant of severe disease ; if plants are infected , remove then immediately . Dispose by bury or combustion , not compost . It might be potential to use chemical treatments to foreclose diseases from spreading to nearby plants . Consult thePest Management Guidefor details . Proper diagnosing is essential to choosing the right preventative treatment .
Heirloom Collard Project
Collards are a worldwide crop , but they have a striking place in American culture because of their historical connection toBlack agricultural and culinary story . TheHeirloom Collard Project , launch by famed Virginia nurseryman and educatorIra Wallace , aims to increase sentience of the chronicle of collards in two way : first , by sharingstoriesof collard ’ importance to American civilization , and second , by sharing of historic collard salmagundi , in a collaboration with theSeed Savers Exchange . The project is always search for raw cultivator to produce more seeds of in - demand varieties , so if you care saving seeds and are interested in American food history , consideringgetting involved !
References and further reading
featured image : Pexels.com
Black Foodways and CuisineNational Museum of African American History and Culture
Brassica oleracea(Collards Group)North Carolina State Extension
Cabbage , Broccoli , and Other Cole Crop DiseasesClemson Cooperative Extension
Cabbage , Broccoli , and Other Cole Crop Insect PestsClemson Cooperative Extension
Collard GreensNorth Carolina State Extension
Cool Season Greens ProductionOklahoma State University Extension
Growing Collards and Kale in Home GardensUniversity of Minnesota Extension
How to develop Kale and CollardsMichigan State University filename extension
Pest Management Guide – Home Grounds and AnimalsVirginia Cooperative Extension
Virginia ’s Home Garden Vegetable Planting GuideVirginia Cooperative Extension
