Collards may be a Southern staple, but they do well in areas well beyond the southeastern U.S.. In fact, collards are a cool-weather crop that continue growing well in the heat, meaning that they can be planted almost as early as kale, but continue growing well into the summer. In Mediterranean climates, they can go into the ground in March or April. Like most leafy greens, collards rely on extra-heavy feeding. Start them off with a compost-enriched soil and feed them with seaweed extract two to three times during the growing season.
Mix the amount of seaweed concentrate and water specified on the label. If the label lists different ratios for varying applications, look for "outdoor plants" or "leafy greens." Use a bucket with a lip for larger applications, or a large measuring cup for smaller applications.
Add 1/8 teaspoon of mild dishwashing soap for every 1/2 gallon of water used. The soap helps the solution adhere to collard leaves.
Stir the ingredients together until the soap and seaweed extract are dispersed in the water.
Unscrew the sprayer head of a spray bottle and insert a funnel.
Pour the solution into the bottle until it is within 1/2 inch of the bottle's lip.
Screw the top back onto the spray mister and shake the bottle well.
Set the the spray cap to "fine mist," or as light a setting as possible on your spray bottle.
Tip the collard leaves until the undersides of the foliage is exposed to the sprayer. Holding the leaves gently, spray the undersides thoroughly, until the spray drips off the leaves. The pores in the underside of foliage are more open than those on the upper portion, meaning that they absorb more nutrients.
Refill the bottle from the bucket of mixed solution, as needed.
Spray the upper potion of the leaves. Coat them thoroughly, until they are so wet that the solution drips off the leaves.
Repeat two more times, or about once a month, during the collards' growing season.
Things You Will Need
- Bucket or measuring cup with pouring spout
- Concentrated seaweed product
- Liquid soap
- Mixing implement (e.g. stick or long-handled spoon)
- Spray mist bottle or commercial sprayer
- Pour any leftover seaweed solution into a watering can and use it to moisten the soil around the collards' stems. This method provides additional nutrients to the leafy vegetables by allowing the roots to take in the fertilizer over time.
- Set seeds or seedlings into the ground about four weeks before your last expected frost date. They are also useful fall crops -- plant them in late summer.
- Always follow the recommended ratio of seaweed concentrate to water, even if you're tempted to "superfeed" sickly-looking collards. High concentrations of liquid fertlitlier can damage plants.
- Do not use a sprayer which has been used for herbicide products. Residue may linger which can kill the collards.
- Rodale's Ultimate Encyclopedia of Organic Gardening; Fern Marshall Bradley, et al.
- Sunset.com: A Crash Course in Fertilizers
- University of California: Your Alameda County Garden, Month-by-Month
- Brand X Pictures/Brand X Pictures/Getty Images