Ole Timey Blue Organic Collards

Nature & Nurture Seeds

Brassica oleracea

$5.49

Pkt(≈110 seeds)
Certified Organic
60-80 days. Beauty and kale-like flavor combine in this historic variety. We adore the 2’ tall, majestic blue-green leaves streaked with purple veins. Large leaves and upright growth make for an easy harvest. Collards have the same flavor and health benefits as kale so throw them in any dish calling for kale. With deep Southern roots tracing back over a century, this variety has found a new home on our farm in Michigan. This is a Seed Savers Exchange variety donated by Ralph Blackwell of Alabama, whose mother used the greens to make a dish like sauerkraut. A traditional African-American recipe calls for long-cooking collard greens with smoked/salted meet such as ham hocks which makes them extra tender and flavorful. Many African-Americans are working to revive traditional foodways to connect with the past and provide a healthy food future.

Collards tolerate cold weather so they can be started extra early. You can start collard seeds indoors 3/15-8/1 at 72-85° (can use a heating mat). Days to germination: 5-8. Transplant outside , 12” apart. Or, sow collard seeds directly outside anytime 4/15 – 8/15. Sow 3-4 seeds together in a group ½” deep, spaced 12” between groups. Keep seeds evenly moist until germination. Thin to the strongest plant in each group. Protect collard plants from deer, groundhogs, and rabbits which will devour them. Collard plants may be eaten by several different species of caterpillars. If they cause damage, hand remove caterpillars or spray organic BT.