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Easy steps to Grow Collard Greens in containers for beginners in USA

Are you curious about how to grow dark edible collard green leaves in your house or garden? These edible leaves are rich in fiber, vitamin B, vitamin C, calcium, etc. You would like to include collard greens in your diet either as raw wrapped or stir-fried. 

Although it can be slightly challenging for beginner gardeners to grow collard green elegantly don't worry, I will give you every single possible detail on this. Let's see how one can grow collard greens in garden containers.

Growing Collard greens in containers

Collard greens are one of the best healthy edible leaves which have a sweet delicate flavor. 

Here you will know how to plant, grow and harvest collard greens in containers. But before that, you should take a look at its growing conditions and climate.

Growing collard green in containers in USA

Season of growing and harvesting collard greens

Collard greens don't take much time for the first harvesting in a season and less than that in further harvesting. So it doesn't like a drastic increase or drop in temperature. So better to start growing them in early spring or early fall. In either season, they can give you the first harvesting before the season change and further growth can adjust accordingly. 

Harvesting time for collard is near about 50 to 70 days and 15 to 20 days further in the next harvesting. In warm climates, it becomes difficult for collard greens to handle low humidity and higher temperatures. 

Growing conditions of Collard greens

Climate conditions

Always, cooler climates are good for leafy vegetables like collard greens because they reduce the chances of grubs and pests in the leaves. Higher temperatures and warm climates create extra stress and heat on the collard green plants so they can't grow healthy all the time. 

Soil type

Light soil with rich components should be well-drained while overirrigation. These types of soil are not easily available so we mix multiple components with soil to make it so. Using garden soil, compost, sand, and a few other dried components in a certain ratio can create better-growing soil for collard greens. 

Humidity 

high to moderate humidity is required for collard greens while growing in containers. From 30% to 50% humidity is good to grow collard greens in containers. 

Sunlight and shade

In cool climates, spring and fall both seasons have moderately intense sunlight so it is not harmful to provide 5 to 7 hours of daily sunlight to collard green plants regularly. 

Shade can create some negative impacts if it lasts on collard leaves for a long time. If the temperature is hot then try to keep them in bright sunlight or partial shade for 2 to 3 hours on hot days.

Other requirements for Collard greens 

Tools required

  • Small planter tool 
  • Small cultivator 
  • Harvesting Knife
  • Scissors
  • Spraying bottle 

Material required

  • Garden soil 
  • Sand 
  • Compost/Vermicompost
  • Collard green seeds

Choosing the container for collards

Collard greens develop longer roots than Swiss chard and Bok Choy like leafy vegetables. So you need a container that has a depth of at least 10 to 12 inches. The size of collard green leaves required bigger space while they expand so take a bigger container of 22 to 25 inches wide and 25 inches long. 

Better to use plastic containers for collard greens as they are reusable and easy to shift in the garden. 

Guide to growing Green Collard step by step

Step 1- Preparing soil for collard seeds

First, prepare a soil mixture of garden soil and compost in a small container just to germinate seeds in nursery cups. Take 1:1 of both and spray some water for moisture. Fill this fresh soil mixture in collard nursery cups. 

Step 2- Sowing collard green seeds

Wear gloves and press your finger in each soil cup to make a small space for seeds. Now, sow two to three seeds in each cup and cover it with the same soil mixture that you made for collard greens. Spray some water on it with a spray bottle or light shower.

Step 3- Seed germination and growth

Keep these nursery cups in sunlight to help the seeds to germinate on time within 7 to 10 days. You can't transplant these just after germination, so wait for 10 to 12 more days and let the become young plants. When these plants will reach a height of 4 to 5 inches, then you can transplant them into bigger pots for further growth and harvesting. 

Step 4- Transplantation of young collard plants

Prepare a new soil mixture for collard plant transplantation. Use 2:1:1 of garden soil, compost, and sand in new containers and mix them well with a cultivator tool. Spray some water. Don't fill the containers more than 75% each. 

Now, make 5 to 6 inches dig in each container or according to the number of plants in one container. Carefully, remove every plant from nursery cups and plant them in new containers. Cover their roots with the same soil mixture and spray some water so collard plants can get moisture. 

Step 5- Care for collard green plants

From here, you can irrigate your plants every 4 to 6 days regularly. Don't fertilize them as they grow faster in a quick time. Keep your eyes on pests and grubs in the soil. Provide each collard plant with enough sunlight and let them grow without any stress. 

Step 6- First harvesting of collard green

Finally, with your hard work, your collard plants will become ready to harvest in 50 to 70 days. During this period, the collard leaves will become wider and longer and you can start harvesting now. Use a harvesting knife or scissors anything you have and harvest the outer leaves at the bottom cut and let the young leaves grow further. 

Step 7- Further harvesting of collard

In the next 15 to 20 days, you can take further harvesting from the same collard plants and one or two more further. So always cut the outer leaves and let the young leaves become mature all the time. Wash collard greens, store them, or eat them as you wish. 

How to control pests on collard greens?

This may happen that your collard greens get pest attacks sometimes. These pests can damage leaves and create the worst conditions for your collard greens. 

Keeping regular inspection on leaves is very easy as these are quick-growing and harvesting leaves. 

If you figure out the pests in the early stages, then you can prevent them easily otherwise you need pest killers in further stages, which will not be good for your consumption. 

In case you see any pest damage in the early stages then take action quickly. Only use organic pest killers like neem soil in a dilute form so that they can kill pests and don't damage the plants. Avoid intense sun heat and low humidity for collard greens. 

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