How to Transplant Collard Greens

Sprinkle 3 lbs. of 5-10-10 fertilizer evenly over every 100 square feet of collards bed 5 to 7 days before transplanting. Turn the fertilizer into the top 5 inches of soil using a spade or hoe.

Set the collards seedlings outdoors on a patio or other protected area 5 to 7 days before transplanting. Leave the plants outdoors for 3 to 4 hours the first day and gradually increase the time outside until the collards spend the entire day outdoors. Bring the plants in at night or when a frost is expected.

Dig a planting hole in the prepared garden bed to the same depth as the collard's seedling pot. Make the hole approximately twice as wide as the pot. Space planting holes 15 to 18 inches apart in rows set 3 feet apart.

Water the soil in the pots thoroughly until the excess moisture drips from the bottom of the containers. Allow the soil to absorb the water for 15 to 20 minutes before proceeding. Moistened soil lifts from the pot more easily than dry, hard soil.

Turn the pot on its side and slide the soil and root ball out, while supporting it with your hand. Squeeze the sides of the pot or thump the bottom firmly to help loosen the soil so it slides out more easily.

Set the transplant in the hole so the top of the root ball sits level with the surrounding garden bed soil. Fill in the hole around the collard's roots with soil.

Water the plants well immediately following transplanting, thoroughly moistening the top 6 to 8 inches of soil.