Brassica oleracea, Acephela group is a member of the Brassicaceae (mustard) family.

Varieties include Vates, Champion and Georgia

The collard is a green leafy vegetable. The dark green leaves are borne in rosette fashion around an upright, stocky main stem. The long stemmed leaves resemble cabbage leaves, except that they are oval in shape instead of round.

Marketing. Leaves from the plant can be clipped for as long as the weather and the plants flavor hold up. A good freeze greatly improves flavor.

Bunch tightly, tie, pack and hydrocool. Pack twenty four bunches in a twenty five pound wirebound or leaf carton. Sell by sampling fresh leaves.

Current production and yield. In California, in 1987, the County Agricultural Commissioners reported collard greens grown in Fresno, San Diego, and Santa Barbara counties.

Use. The nutritious leaves are cooked as greens.

Climatic requirements. Collards thrive over a wide range of growing conditions but the quality and taste are better and the plant grows best during the cooler months of the the year. Along the coast they can be grown all summer. The plants can stand temperatures as low as 15° F unless such a freeze abruptly follows a warm period of growth.

Propagation and care. Commercially collards are direct seeded. Rows should be spaced 24-36 inches apart, and plants 10 inches apart if transplanted. They respond very well to fertile soil conditions. They require 6-8 weeks after planting before they are ready to harvest. They may be harvested over an extended period of time (several pickings) as long as the weather is cool and quality remains good. Thrips, aphids, flea beetles and cabbage looper are all common pests of collards.

Harvest and postharvest practices. USDA storage recommendations are 32°F (0°C) at 95 to 100 percent relative humidity, with an approximate storage life of 10 to 14 days.

Asgrow Seed Co., P.O. Box 5038, Salinas, CA 93915

Ferry-Morse Seed Co., P.O. Box 4938, Modesto, CA 95352

Harris Moran Seed Co., 3670 Buffalo Rd., Rochester, NY 14624.

W. Atlee Burpee & Co., 300 Park Avenue, Warmister, PA 18974.
Johnny's Selected Seeds, Foss Hill Rd., Albion, Maine 04910.
Nichols Garden and Nursery, 1190 North Pacific Hwy, Albany, OR 97321.
Park Seed Co., Cokesbury Road, Greenwood, SC 29647-0001.
Seeds Blum, Idaho City Stage, Boise, ID 83706.

Le Jardin du Gourmet, P. O. Box 75, St. Johnsbury Center, VT 05863.

Also check with your local seed companies.

Adapted from James Stephens bulletin Minor Vegetables by Claudia Myers, UC Small Farm Center.

Reviewed by Richard Smith, 11/27/89.

Captions:

Figure 1. Collard leaves are dark green and grow in rosette fashion around an upright stem. (Photo by Hunter Johnson).

4/30/90