Crops › Collard Greens
How to grow Collard Greens
in the US
Sow March to September, plant out October, harvest May to November. About 70 days from seed to plate. You can sow it this month.
Shown for zone 6. Zone table further down.
If you're after something proper straightforward for your plot, collard greens are a cracking choice. They're part of the Brassicaceae family, like, but they don't form a tight head, giving you loads of lovely big leaves to harvest. Dead easy to grow, you know, and a brilliant addition to the kitchen garden.
Sowing
You can sow collard greens straight into the soil or get them started indoors, depending on your zone and when your last frost is. For most folks, this means sowing from early spring right through to late summer or early fall, ensuring they grow during the cool season. Just pop the seeds about half an inch (1 cm) deep, spaced a few inches apart. If you're sowing directly, thin them out later. Check your USDA zone; the GrowMore CookMore app has all the specific timings for you, making sure you get them in at the right cool part of the season.
Growing on
If you've started your collard greens indoors, get them pricked out into individual pots once they've got a couple of true leaves. Give them a good few weeks to harden off outside before planting them out properly after your last frost. Aim for a foot (30 cm) or so between plants in rows about 18 inches (45 cm) apart. They're big plants, you see, and they like their space. You can even grow a couple in a big container, mind, if your backyard is on the smaller side.
Looking after it
Collard greens are pretty unfussy, to be honest. Just make sure they get a steady supply of water, especially when it's dry, or those leaves can get a bit bitter. A bit of general purpose feed every now and then won't hurt, particularly if your soil isn't the richest. Keep the weeds down around them, of course, and a good mulch will help keep the moisture in.
What goes wrong
Now, the main things to watch out for are cabbage worms, aphids, and slugs. Cabbage worms can munch through leaves proper fast, so a row cover is your best bet to keep them off. Slugs and snails, well, they'll always be about, won't they? Marigolds and nasturtiums planted nearby can help deter some pests, which is a nice, natural way to go about it.
Harvest
You'll be harvesting your collard greens in about 70 days from sowing, picking the outer leaves first. This 'cut-and-come-again' method means you get to keep harvesting for ages. Just snip off the bigger leaves, leaving the smaller ones to grow on. If you've got a glut, they'll keep well in the fridge for a week or so, or you can blanch and freeze them for later, like I do.
I always try to get a couple of successional sowings in for collard greens. That way, you've got a steady supply of fresh leaves through spring and then again in the fall, instead of a massive glut all at once.
Dates for your plot
Type your zone and the plant-out advice shifts to your frost dates.
Varieties, and whether the club would grow them again
| Variety | Club verdict |
|---|---|
| Georgia Southern A classic choice, Georgia Southern is known for its sturdy growth and good flavor. It's a reliable performer that does well when started indoors. | No club votes yet |
| Vates The Vates variety is a dependable one, well-suited for direct sowing right into the garden. It's a reliable performer, giving you plenty of tasty leaves. | No club votes yet |
| Champion Champion collard greens live up to their name, offering strong growth and consistent harvests. This reliable performer benefits from an undercover start. | No club votes yet |
| Morris Heading Morris Heading is a cracking variety that produces a more compact plant, almost like a loose cabbage. This reliable performer is best started indoors. | No club votes yet |
| Top Bunch If you're looking for a good crop with minimal fuss, Top Bunch is an excellent choice for direct sowing. It's a reliable performer that gives you plenty of leaves. | No club votes yet |
| Tiger Tiger collard greens offer robust plants and a good, strong flavor, making them a kitchen favorite. This reliable performer gets a head start when sown undercover. | No club votes yet |
| Flash Flash is a quick-growing variety, perfect if you're keen to get an early harvest. This reliable performer does best when you start it indoors. | No club votes yet |
| Even' Star Even' Star is a hardy and vigorous collard green, perfect for sowing straight into the ground. It's a reliable performer that holds up well in the garden. | No club votes yet |
| Yellow Cabbage Despite the name, Yellow Cabbage collards give you those big, tender leaves you're after, not a tight head. This reliable performer is best started undercover. | No club votes yet |
| Ole Timey Blue Ole Timey Blue is an heirloom variety, cherished for its traditional flavor and beautiful bluish-green leaves. This reliable performer is a joy to grow from an indoor start. | No club votes yet |
| Green Glaze Green Glaze is a smooth-leaved collard, often said to be more resistant to cabbage worms, which is a bonus. This reliable performer is great for direct sowing. | No club votes yet |
| Bulldog Bulldog collards are known for their tough nature and prolific yields, standing up well to various conditions. This reliable performer benefits from starting undercover. | No club votes yet |
| Big Daddy Big Daddy delivers just what its name suggests: large, abundant leaves, perfect for a big harvest. This reliable performer thrives when started indoors. | No club votes yet |
| Hi Crop Hi Crop is a fantastic variety for getting a generous yield from your plot, growing strong and steady. This reliable performer is ideal for direct sowing into the garden. | No club votes yet |
| Blue Max Blue Max offers lovely, deep blue-green leaves and a robust growth habit, making it a garden favorite. This reliable performer is best when started undercover. | No club votes yet |
Votes are members rating varieties in their Seed Tin, one vote per gardener. Tap a variety for the full page and where to buy.
Buy Collard Greens seeds
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Sowing by USDA zone
| Zone | Sow / plant | Harvest |
|---|---|---|
| Zone 3 | May to July | July to September |
| Zone 4 | April to August | June to October |
| Zone 5 | March to August | May to October |
| Zone 6 | March to September | May to November |
| Zone 7 | February to September | April to December |
| Zone 8 | February to October | April to December |
| Zone 9 | January to November | March to December |
| Zone 10 | September to February | March to December |
Cook the harvest
The definitive Southern collard greens — slow-braised for hours with a smoky ham hock until silk-soft, deeply savory, and pooled in a rich, pot-likker broth that begs for cornbread. This is the recipe that anchors holiday tables and Sunday suppers across the American South, built on patience and a handful of humble ingredients. A splash of hot sauce and a pinch of sugar are the secrets to getting the balance exactly right.
170 min · easyA rustic, nourishing soup packed with silky collard ribbons, creamy white beans, and Italian sausage in a garlicky tomato broth — hearty enough to be a full meal and deeply comforting on a cold evening. The beans thicken the broth naturally as they break down, and the collards soften into the soup while maintaining just enough structure. A swirl of good olive oil and a shower of Parmesan at the bowl is non-negotiable.
55 min · easyA sturdy, substantial take on Caesar salad using massaged collard greens in place of romaine lettuce. The thick, waxy leaves stand up to bold Caesar dressing without wilting, making this an excellent make-ahead salad that holds its texture for hours. Topped with crispy homemade croutons and shaved Parmesan, it is a revelation.
30 min · mediumA hearty, rustic Italian-American soup that combines tender collard greens with creamy cannellini beans and smoky bacon in a rich tomato-infused broth. This is classic winter comfort food — deeply savory and filling with minimal effort. A generous drizzle of olive oil and shaved Parmesan at the finish elevate it to something special.
55 min · easyWatch for, and grow alongside
Companions: marigolds, nasturtium
Questions people ask
When do you sow Collard Greens in the US?
Sow Collard Greens from March to September in zone 6, earlier or later by zone. Plant out October, after the last frost.
How long does Collard Greens take from sowing to harvest?
Roughly 70 days, with the harvest May to November.
Which Collard Greens varieties do gardeners grow again?
Club members rate every variety they grow. This page shows the grow-again votes for Georgia Southern, Vates, Champion, Morris Heading and more.
Track your Collard Greens from packet to plate
Sowing reminders and harvest forecasts for your own frost dates, the Seed Tin, Scan Centre for any label or packet, and the Potty Mouth Garden Club. Free to start.
Allotment keeper in the North East of England, the voice behind the Tony C Smith YouTube channel, and the gardener who built GrowMore CookMore. Club numbers on this page update as members log their plots. Last updated 3 September 2026.