A staple in the South, collards are a nutritious and versatile vegetable that grows in hot or cold regions with ease. 'Georgia Southern' has been enjoyed since the 1800s. The large leaves not only make delicious steamed greens, they also make fantastic wraps (a low-calorie substitute for tortillas), and when young, hearty salad greens. Fall frosts make them sweeter, and they may overwinter, as they can survive temperatures down to 20°F. Excellent container variety.

Botanical Name: Brassica oleracea var. viridis

Days to Maturity: 50–80 days

Family: Brassicaceae

Native: Europe

Hardiness: Frost-tolerant biennial, grown as annual. Can tolerate freezes (down to 20°F) and summer heat better than other greens.

Plant Dimensions: 24"–36" tall, 18" wide

Variety Information: Large, cabbage-like, blue-green, slightly crumpled leaves. Collards are a non-head-forming cabbage. 'Georgia Southern' is also known as 'True Southern', 'Southern', 'True Georgia', 'Creole', and 'Georgia Green'.

Attributes: Good for Containers, Heat Tolerant

When to Sow Outside: 2 to 4 weeks before your average last frost date, when soil temperature is at least 55°, ideally 75°-85°F, or 14 to 16 weeks before your average first fall frost date. In mild climates, sow in fall for cool-season harvest.

When to Start Inside: 4 to 6 weeks before your average last frost date.

Days to Emerge: 10 – 15 days

Seed Depth: ½"

Seed Spacing: A group of 3 seeds every 18" – 24"

Row Spacing: 24"

Thinning: When 3" tall, thin to 1 every 18" – 24"