Crop guide
How to grow collards
How to grow collards means matching cited spacing notes to your bed, keeping sources separate by geography. There is no single trick.
Growing guidance is general information. Timing, spacing, and care depend on cultivar, weather, soil, and local conditions. Check the sources and adjust the plan for your garden.
Steps (range, not a promise)
- 01Read cited names and spacing — they are not one BioArva average.
- 02Match spacing notes to the sheet for your geography.
- 03Log the bed so next season is not a guess.
Collards in a home garden bed.
The season, on your ground
Save this bed — freeWhat the sources say — at a glance
One source per card. Facts are not averaged.
UMN Extension (Minnesota)
Large, smooth, thick leaves. Seed 1/4–1/2 in. Rows 18–30 in. Thin 8–12 in.
Details and limits (3)
Types
UMN Extension (Minnesota): collards (Brassica oleracea var. acephala) produce large, smooth, thick leaves. They are a leafy form of the same species as broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage.
Spacing
UMN Extension (Minnesota): plant seeds one-fourth to one-half inch deep, in rows 18 to 30 inches apart. Thin seedlings after they emerge allowing eight to 12 inches between them.
Limit
Minnesota collards sheet. Collard clauses only.
Maryland Extension (Maryland)
12–24 in in-row × 30–36 in rows. Hardy. Partial shade 4–6 hours.
Details and limits (3)
Spacing
Maryland Extension (Maryland): collards, 12 to 24 inches in-row by 30 to 36 inches between rows for large plants. Maryland spacing — not a national formula.
Types
Maryland Extension (Maryland): collards are hardy. Tolerates partial shade (4 to 6 hours of direct light per day).
Limit
Maryland leafy-greens sheet. Hardiness note — not a frost guarantee.
Illinois Extension (Illinois)
1/4–1/2 in deep. Thin 6 in, then 18 in. Rows at least 3 ft.
Details and limits (2)
Spacing
Illinois Extension (Illinois): sow the seeds 1/4 to 1/2 inch deep. Thin the seedlings to 6 inches apart, allow them to grow until they begin to touch, then harvest whole plants to give 18 inches between plants. Allow at least 3 feet between rows because plants become large.
Limit
Illinois collard page. Spacing on this hub — dates stay on when-to-plant.
Clemson HGIC 1307 (South Carolina)
Rows 18–36 in. Plants 6–18 in. Seed 1/4–1/2 in.
Details and limits (2)
Spacing
Clemson HGIC 1307 (South Carolina): plant collards in rows that are 18 to 36 inches apart. Space plants 6 to 18 inches apart on the row. Plant seed in moist soil about 1/4 to 1/2 inch deep.
Limit
South Carolina HGIC 1307. Spacing on this hub — dates stay on when-to-plant.
Make it yours
Save the bed in the Field Book so next season is not a guess.
Sources differ
Verified suppliers only
No supplier on this page
When a partner is listed, it will be outbound and disclosed. Nothing to buy here. Fertilizer, soils, and pesticides stay off this slot.
What to record in the Field Book
Save the bed with the crop and the date. You may add a photo and notes. Compare entries you have recorded with each other — not with a diagnosis from this page. If you want an identification, bring the record to local Extension.
How we know — methodology. Ranges and assertions are cited per source, not blended.