Southern Standard Vates Collard Green Seeds

Southern Standard is a Vates type collard green selected for its longer standing ability. The plants are short stemmed with thick leaves, and they tend to be more vigorous with a higher yield potential. also has good winter hardiness. This is a very popular category for vegetables that was fairly non-existent 20 years ago. As consumer food preferences have evolved, so have the interest in leafy green varieties for salad mixes. 500 seeds per package.

Vegetable Garden � Tips on Growing Southern Standard Vates Collard Greens From Seed

Days to Maturity: 80
If you don�t live in the South, you might not see Collards or greens very often; they are a leafy, cool-weather vegetable very popular for cooked greens. However, collards grow well throughout the country. A relative of Cabbage, Broccoli, Brussels Sprouts, Kohlrabi, and Kale, this upright, dark green, waxy plant is a little like a Cabbage that doesn�t make a head.

It is one of the most cold-hardy of all vegetables, able to withstand temperatures in the upper teens. In Zone 8 and southward, collards often provide a harvest through the entire winter. You can plant them in spring and fall, although fall-planted collards are favored because the leaves are sweeter when kissed by frost.

Sow seeds 1" apart, cover lightly and thin seedlings 4-6" apart.
Germination period is 10-14 days.
Set out spring transplants 3 to 4 weeks before the last frost; in late summer.
Plant 6 to 8 weeks before the first frost for fall and winter harvests.

USDA Hardiness Zone -First Frost Date- Last Frost Date

Zone 1 -July 15th -June 15th
Zone 2 -August 15th- May 15th
Zone 3 -September 15th May 15th
Zone 4 -September 15th May 15th
Zone 5 -October 15th April 15th
Zone 6 -October 15th April 15th
Zone 7 -October 15th April 15th
Zone 8 -November 15th March 15th
Zone 9 -December 15th February 15th
Zone 10 -December 15th January 31st (sometimes earlier)
Zone 11 -No frost. No frost.

Like all vegetables, collards like full sun, but they will tolerate partial shade as long as they get the equivalent of 4 to 5 hours of sun to bring out their full flavor.
Plant in fertile soil because collard greens should grow fast to produce tender leaves. They need fertile, well-drained soil with a pH of 6.5 to 6.8 to discourage club root disease. To be sure about your soil pH, test the soil with a do-it-yourself kit.

Apply fertilizer and lime according to test recommendations. If you forgo the soil test, work nitrogen-rich amendments such as blood meal, cottonseed meal, or composted manure into the ground before planting. Or, apply a timed-release vegetable food such as 14-14-14 according to label directions.

Collard Greens are easy to transplant. Set plants deeply so that about half the stem is buried. A good general spacing is 36 inches apart. After planting, water the transplants well and apply a liquid starter fertilizer such as fish emulsion or 20-20-20 for a boost.

Collard Greens like a nice, even supply of water. Water regularly, applying 1 to 1.5 inches of water per week if it doesn�t rain. You can measure the amount of water with a rain gauge left in the garden. Mulch with compost, finely ground leaves, weed-free hay, or finely ground bark to keep the soil cool and moist and to keep down weeds. Mulching will also help keep the leaves clean.

Harvest leaves when they are up to 10 inches long, dark green, and still young. Old leaves may be tough or stringy. Pick the lower leaves first, working your way up the plant. You can even harvest leaves when frozen in the garden, but be careful because the frozen plant is brittle.

Of course, wash the leaves thoroughly because soil often clings to the undersides. Insects that like collards include cabbage loppers, slugs, imported cabbageworms, cabbage root maggots, aphids, and flea beetles. Disease problems include black leg, black rot, club root, and yellows. To prevent diseases from building up in the soil, do not plant collards or other Cole crops in the same spot each year. Rotate with a non-Cole crop for 2 years before returning to the same spot.