If you want a later crop, plant in Feb-March before to establish before the heat sets in. Here's how it works: Plant annual flowers and vegetables that bear crops above ground during the light, or waxing, of the Moon.

Swiss Chard.

Plant collard greens in spring 3 to 4 weeks before the last frost.

The collards grow in the cool fall temperatures and provide a harvest well into winter. Collard greens are a cool-season plant like other leaf vegetables, including lettuce and spinach. Turnip greens like a cooler temperature.

Collards belong to the cruciferous family like their cousin Kale.

At the end of the season, my grandfather would harvest the remaining leaves and pull up the collard plants and I would take the plants and go plant them in the backyard for them to grow more. The color in the leaf it is a sign of more antioxidants and phytonutrients. Although most areas of the state receive 40 to 50 inches of rain a year, the summer months are often dry, so your garden may require constant watering.

For small plants that need thinning, cut the entire plant about 4 inches above the ground (Fig. Collard Seeds $ 3.25. The leaf has a blue vein and takes on even an even bluer color in cold weather. Space plants 18 to 24 inches apart in an area with full sun and fertile, well-drained soil with a pH of 6.5 to 6.8.

Make sure you do not plant them (and your other similar vegetables) in the same spot each year, instead rotate your plants every year.

Thin seedlings to 18 inches apart for adequate room in the rows. In the warmest regions the plants may continue to produce until spring. Add tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, cauliflower, and Brussels sprouts to cold frames. However, growing collards can be done throughout the country. Collard is a kind of kale and a primitive member of the cabbage family.

Turnip greens like a cooler temperature. Growing collard from seed in your garden is simple, as the plant requires minimal care and tolerates light spring frost.

Plant your swiss chard twelve to eighteen inches apart.

If you are looking for a winter crop, plant your greens in Sept-Oct after the heat has passed, but still maintaining some warmth for the new plant's growth.

Learn More How to Grow Collards. If you want a later crop, plant in Feb-March before to establish before the heat sets in.

Alabama has warm, humid summers and rich soil, making it fertile ground for vegetable growing. Harvest collards as you would kale. Do the same with lettuce and spinach.. Plant onion starts and potatoes around January 21. Pick outer leaves first and once the leaves reach their desired size.