Champion, Collard Seeds

Champion Collard Seed

Compact collards hold quality well after maturity
Dark green leaves offer classic cabbage-like flavor
Improved bolt resistance extends the harvest window
Harvest young for salads or mature for cooking

See product details

Key Attributes

Botanical Name

Brassica oleracea

Days to maturity

60 Days

Sun

Full Sun

Packet

1,000 Seeds

About Champion, Collard Seed, Collard Seed

The Champion collard is a tasty improved Vates selection! These large, dark green, cabbage-like leaves retain eating quality for up to 2 weeks or longer. Champion is a compact collard plant that has an increased bolt resistance and enhanced winter hardiness, truly making it a champion!

Growing details

Planting

Sow Depth

1/4"

Days to Germination

3–10 days

In-row plant spacing

12-18"

Row Spacing

18-36"

Plant profile

Maturity

Spring, Fall

Life Cycle

Annual

Plant Height

36 inches

Growth Habits

Rosette, Upright

Seed & variety

Seeds Per Ounce

7,250

Color

Green

Seed Type

Open Pollinated

Growing Season

Cool-Season Crop

Before Planting

For Collard, select a full-sun site with fertile, well-drained soil where brassica crops have not recently grown. Incorporate compost and use a soil test to adjust pH and nutrients, supplying lime before planting only when needed. Prepare a firm, weed-free bed and harden transplants gradually before setting them outdoors.

Planting

Collard may be direct-sown in cool weather or started indoors 4–6 weeks before transplanting. Maintain about 70–75°F until germination, then give seedlings bright light and cooler conditions. Harden transplants gradually and set them out before summer heat for spring crops, or sow in midsummer for fall harvest. Thin direct-sown seedlings after true leaves develop.

Watering

Collard performs best with consistent moisture, generally 1–1½ inches weekly. Irrigate deeply during dry periods and direct water toward the root zone to keep foliage drier.

Fertilizer

Collard is a moderately heavy feeder. Apply balanced fertilizer according to soil tests, with a light nitrogen side-dressing as leaves, heads, or stems begin enlarging.

Harvesting

Cut collard leaves at the desired baby or mature size while they remain crisp and well colored. Harvest outer leaves repeatedly, or remove the whole plant before flowering begins.

Tips

Protect young collard with row cover before pests arrive. Maintain cool conditions with mulch, rotate crops regularly, and avoid letting old plants or weeds host brassica insects between seasons.

AVG. Seeding Rate

For bunching: 1,000 seeds/220', 1 oz./1,110', 1 lb./24,000'.

Pests & Diseases

Black rot, clubroot, downy mildew, Alternaria, and Fusarium yellows can persist through a long collard harvest. Pick off affected leaves early, but remove whole plants with V-shaped black-rot lesions or swollen roots. Resistant varieties, clean seed, brassica rotation, and aphid management reduce recurring losses.

Monitor collard for caterpillars, flea beetles, aphids, and root maggots. Use row cover before pests arrive, remove eggs and larvae by hand, and clear brassica residue after harvest.