Collard greens are a popular leafy vegetable and a staple cool-season crop. Successful cultivation in Florida depends on precise timing, aligning planting with the brief window of cool weather. Planting at the wrong time risks premature bolting, causing the plant to flower and the leaves to develop a bitter taste. The goal is to maximize leaf production before Florida’s high summer heat returns.
Understanding Florida’s Planting Zones
Florida is divided into three distinct zones that dictate vegetable planting schedules based on varying patterns of cold weather. North Florida, including the Panhandle and Jacksonville, experiences a true winter with the longest duration of cool temperatures and the most frequent chance of frost.
The Central Florida zone (Orlando and Tampa) has a shorter, milder winter season with fewer frost events. This cool period begins later than in the north. South Florida (Miami and the Keys) rarely experiences frost and struggles with persistent warmth that limits the cool-season window. Defining these zones by their average frost dates provides the context for determining the best time to plant collards.
Ideal Planting Times for Collards
The season for planting collards in Florida is fall and winter. North Florida has the longest window, with direct seeding beginning in August and continuing through February. Transplants can be set out from September through November to speed up the harvest time.
Central Florida’s planting window is slightly delayed, running from September through February for both seeds and transplants. The goal is to ensure plants mature during the coolest part of the year. For both the northern and central regions, a limited spring planting is possible. This must be completed early enough to avoid temperatures consistently above 75°F, which encourages bolting.
South Florida has the most constrained planting schedule, starting in September and ending in January. Collards are planted here to take advantage of the mild, relatively cool temperatures. Planting past January risks exposing the plants to excessive heat stress too early in their growth cycle.
Site Preparation and Initial Care
Collards grow best in a location that receives full sun, requiring at least five to six hours of direct sunlight daily. The soil should have a slightly acidic to neutral pH, ideally between 6.0 and 6.8.
Florida’s typically sandy soil benefits from incorporating several inches of organic matter, such as compost, before planting. This amendment improves the soil’s ability to hold nutrients and moisture. Collards are heavy feeders, so work a fertilizer with a high nitrogen ratio into the soil to promote lush, leafy growth. Plants should be spaced generously, about 18 to 24 inches apart, allowing for large leaf development and adequate air circulation.
Initial care involves keeping the soil consistently moist, especially following the transplanting of seedlings. Collards require about 1 to 1.5 inches of water per week, often best delivered through consistent irrigation. Applying a layer of mulch around the plants helps retain moisture and suppresses competing weed growth.
Harvesting and Season Extension
Collard greens are typically ready for their first harvest 70 to 90 days after sowing seed, or 50 to 70 days from setting out transplants. The preferred harvesting method is the “cut-and-come-again” technique, which allows for multiple yields from a single plant. This involves removing the lower, outer leaves when they are about 10 to 12 inches long, while leaving the central growing point intact.
Gardeners should never remove more than one-third of the plant’s foliage at any single harvest to ensure continued production. A light frost improves their flavor by converting starches into sugars, resulting in a sweeter taste.
To extend the harvest period as temperatures climb in the late spring, gardeners can provide afternoon shade to the plants. This shading helps prevent the heat stress that causes premature bolting and bitter leaves. Maintaining consistent moisture and continuing nitrogen fertilization also encourages mature plants to keep producing usable foliage.