How to grow collards
Brassica oleracea var. acephala
Get your exact dates
The windows below are relative to your frost dates. Enter your ZIP for the calendar dates.
Open the planting calendarWhen to plant collards
Start seeds indoors8 weeks before your last spring frost
Transplant outdoors2 weeks before your last spring frost
Direct sow3 weeks before your last spring frost
Fall planting13 weeks before your first fall frost
Growing conditions
- Days to maturity
- 60 to 80 (from sowing)
- Spacing
- 6 to 18 in apart, rows 18 in
- Planting depth
- 0.25 in
- Sun
- Full sun
- Soil pH
- 6 to 6.5
Common problems
- imported cabbage worm
- cabbage looper
- diamondback moth
- harlequin bugs
- aphids
- black rot
- downy mildew
- alternaria leaf spot
- fusarium yellows
Collards by hardiness zone
Planting dates for a typical location in each zone:
Sources
- Clemson Cooperative Extension, Home & Garden Information Center: Collards (HGIC 1307)
- Cornell University Home Gardening: Vegetable Growing Guides: Collards
Last updated 2026-06-11.