How Far Apart Should You Plant Each Collard Plant?

Season

• Collards tolerate warm weather better than some of their other leafy cousins, and do well in early spring, summer and fall gardens. Plant the first collard seeds or seedlings at the last frost in spring for ideal temperatures of 60 to 65 degrees F. The Clemson Cooperative Extension warns that collard plants bolt and go to flower in prolonged cold.

Site and Soil

• The Clemson Cooperative Extension recommends loamy, quick-draining soil for collards, with high organic content and good fertility. Choose a plot with four to six hours of sun every day and a flat, even surface. Turn 3 to 4 inches of organic compost into the top 6 to 8 inches of soil to provide nutrition, drainage and moisture retention. Add 5-10-10 fertilizer at planting for quick root establishment.

Planting Distance

• Plant collards as seeds or seedlings in spring. Space the rows at every 3 feet o allow space for growth and gardening. The Clemson Cooperative Extension recommends spacing the collards based on harvest plans. For early-harvest collards, space the plants at 10 to 15 inches in the row. For mature, late-harvest collards, give each plant 15 to 18 inches of space.

Staggered Plantings

• Collards require moderately long growing seasons of 60 to 73 days, but do well in staggered plantings. Plant new collard rows every 10 to 14 days until mid-summer to guarantee a continued harvest into fall. Discontinue these plantings 40 to 50 days before first frost, and harvest the last collard crop just after the first frost of fall.