How to Grow Turnip Greens and Collard Greens in Containers

Fill two 5-gallon containers with a moistened soilless potting mixture. Mix 2 ½ tbsp. of a 14-14-14 slow-release fertilizer with the soil in each container.

Plant collard seedlings 6 inches apart in one container. Sow turnip seeds 1/2 inch deep and spaced 3 to 4 inches apart in the other container.

Set the containers in a sunny area protected from high winds. A location near the home or a building protects the plants from heavy frost.

Water the plants every one to three days, or when the top inch of soil feels dry. Water from the soil surface until the excess water drains out the bottom of the pot to ensure the soil is moistened throughout its depth.

Fertilize the plants with a soluble balanced fertilizer beginning six weeks after planting. Apply the fertilizer every one to two weeks, following the application amount recommended on the package.

Harvest collard greens when the outer leaves of the plants touch or are approximately 6 inches long. Cut off the entire plant at the base or pick the larger outer leaves while leaving the inner leaves to grow on. Cut off turnip greens, leaving 2 inches of stem attached to the roots, when the greens are approximately 6 inches long. The stems regrow fresh greens within two to three weeks.