When To Plant Collard Greens In Georgia

If you’re a Georgia gardener, knowing when to plant collard greens is the key to a long and productive harvest. This guide covers Georgia’s ideal planting season to get your greens growing strong.

Collards are a Southern staple for good reason—they’re tough, nutritious, and thrive in our climate. Getting the timing right means you’ll have tender leaves for months, even through light frosts. Let’s break down the best schedule for your garden.

Georgia’s long growing season allows for two main planting windows. The most common is the late summer to early fall planting. This timing lets the plants mature in the cool weather they love.

For a spring harvest, you need to plant very early. The goal is to get collards established before the intense summer heat arrives, which can make them bitter and bolt.

Primary Fall Planting Season

This is the classic and most reliable method. Planting in late summer gives seedlings time to grow before days get short and cool.

Best Dates: Plant from early August through mid-September.
Why It Works: Plants mature during fall’s cool nights and mild days. Frost actually sweetens the flavor.
Harvest Window: You can start harvesting leaves in October and often continue right through winter into spring.

Secondary Spring Planting Season

A spring crop is possible but requires careful timing. Collards are biennials and will try to flower and set seed (bolt) in their second year, triggered by winter cold followed by lengthening days.

Best Dates: Sow seeds directly or transplant seedlings very early, between late February and mid-March.
The Challenge: You must harvest the spring crop promptly before summer heat stresses the plants. They won’t last as long as a fall planting.

Understanding Your Georgia Climate Zone

Georgia spans USDA hardiness zones 7a to 9a. This affects your exact frost dates and planting timing.

North Georgia (Zones 7a-7b): Frost comes earlier. Aim for the earlier side of the fall window (early August) and protect plants with row cover in winter.
Middle Georgia (Zones 8a-8b): This is prime collard country. The August-September window is perfect, and plants often survive winter with minimal protection.
South Georgia (Zones 8b-9a): You can plant a bit later in fall, even into early October. Your spring planting can also be a little earlier.

Step-by-Step Planting Guide

Once you’ve picked your season, follow these steps for success.

1. Choosing the Right Location

Collards need full sun for best growth, meaning at least 6 hours of direct light. They can tolerate partial afternoon shade in hot summers. Ensure the soil drains well to prevent rot.

2. Preparing Your Soil

Collards are heavy feeders. They thrive in rich, loamy soil with a slightly acidic to neutral pH (6.0-7.0).

Work in 3-4 inches of compost or well-rotted manure before planting.
Mix in a balanced, slow-release organic fertilizer according to package directions.
Rake the bed smooth to create a fine seedbed.

3. Planting Seeds or Transplants

You can start from seed directly in the garden or use transplants to get a head start, especially for the fall crop.

For Direct Seeding: Sow seeds ¼ to ½ inch deep. Space them about 3 inches apart. Later, you’ll thin seedlings to 12-18 inches apart.
Using Transplants: Set plants at the same depth they were growing in their pot. Space them 12 to 18 inches apart in rows 2-3 feet apart. This gives them room to grow into large, leafy plants.

4. Watering and Care After Planting

Water newly planted seeds or transplants deeply. Keep the soil consistently moist but not soggy until they’re established. A 2-3 inch layer of mulch around plants helps retain moisture, suppress weeds, and keep soil temperatures even.

Seasonal Care Tips for Georgia Gardens

Your care changes slightly with the season.

Fall and Winter Care

Water during dry spells in fall. Established plants are drought-tolerant but produce better with consistent moisture.
Protect from hard freezes (below 20°F) with a floating row cover or old bedsheets. This is especially useful in North Georgia.
You can often harvest right through winter by picking the outer leaves.

Spring and Summer Care

Harvest the spring crop regularly to encourage new leaf growth and prevent bolting.
Watch for pests like cabbage loopers and aphids as weather warms. Handpick or use organic controls like Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis).
If a plant starts to send up a flower stalk, harvest the entire plant soon, as leaves will become tougher.

Common Problems and Solutions

Even tough collards can face a few issues. Here’s how to handle them.

Yellowing Leaves: Often a sign of nitrogen deficiency. Side-dress plants with a high-nitrogen fertilizer or compost tea every 4-6 weeks.
Holes in Leaves: Likely cabbage worms or loopers. Inspect the undersides of leaves and remove pests. Row covers prevent moths from laying eggs.
Bolting (Flowering): Caused by temperature swings or age. For spring crops, harvest promptly. Fall crops are less likely to bolt until the following spring.
Slow Growth: Usually means the plants need more nutrients or water. Check soil moisture and consider a fertilizer boost.

Harvesting Your Georgia Collards

You can start harvesting when leaves are about the size of your hand. Never strip the whole plant at once.

Harvest the older, outer leaves first. Use a sharp knife to cut them off near the main stem.
Leave the central bud and younger inner leaves to continue growing. This “cut-and-come-again” method provides harvests for months.
For a final harvest, you can cut the entire plant about 4 inches above the soil. Sometimes, it will send up new, smaller leaves for one last picking.

FAQ: Planting Collard Greens in Georgia

Can I plant collard greens in October in Georgia?

Yes, in South and Middle Georgia, early October planting is often succesful. Use transplants instead of seeds for a faster start before cool weather. In North Georgia, aim to have plants established by mid-September.

What is the latest month to plant collards?

For a reliable crop, mid-September is the latest recommended planting for most of Georgia. Later plantings risk that plants won’t reach a good size before the slowest winter growth sets in.

Do collards come back every year?

Collards are technically biennials, but we grow them as annuals. They won’t reliably come back like a perennial. However, a fall planting often survives winter and can be harvested into the following spring before it finally bolts.

How do I protect my collards from Georgia frost?

Collards are frost-tolerant and taste better after a light frost. For a hard freeze forecast, simply cover the plants with a frost cloth, blanket, or even cardboard boxes overnight. Remove covers during the day.

Can I grow collards in a Georgia summer?

It’s challenging. Summer heat stresses the plants, making leaves bitter and triggering bolting. For a summer harvest, plant very early in spring and provide afternoon shade and ample water. The fall crop is always superior.

Following this schedule for Georgia’s ideal planting season ensures you’ll have a bounty of collard greens. Remember, the fall planting is your most dependable bet for a long harvest. With a little planning, you can enjoy this nutritious green from your garden for much of the year.