When to Plant Collard Greens

Sow collard greens outside 1 to 4 weeks before your last frost, and again 8 to 12 weeks before your first fall frost for a fall crop.

Collard greens at a glance

Sow outside: 1 to 4 weeks before your last frost
Fall sowing: 8 to 12 weeks before your first fall frost
Time to harvest: 55 to 75 days from sowing
Harvest lasts: about 16 weeks
Spacing: 1 plant per square foot
Frost: Takes hard frosts

Growing collard greens

Collards are big, sturdy plants that grow from spring into winter. Give them rich soil and steady water, and room to spread. They are a Southern classic because they carry on through summer heat when other greens give up.

Dates by hardiness zone

Typical dates for each zone; your ZIP code gives your own.

When to plant collard greens in each USDA hardiness zone
Zone	Sow	Sow for fall	Harvest
Zone 3a	Apr 30 – May 21	Jun 22 – Jul 20	Jun 24 – Oct 26
Zone 3b	Apr 19 – May 10	Jul 3–31	Jun 13 – Nov 6
Zone 4a	Apr 14 – May 5	Jul 6 – Aug 3	Jun 8 – Nov 9
Zone 4b	Apr 10 – May 1	Jul 9 – Aug 6	Jun 4 – Nov 12
Zone 5a	Apr 5–26	Jul 13 – Aug 10	May 30 – Nov 16
Zone 5b	Apr 3–24	Jul 18 – Aug 15	May 28 – Nov 21
Zone 6a	Apr 1–22	Jul 24 – Aug 21	May 26 – Nov 27
Zone 6b	Mar 26 – Apr 16	Jul 30 – Aug 27	May 20 – Sep 9 · Sep 23 – Dec 3
Zone 7a	Mar 19 – Apr 9	Aug 2–30	May 13 – Sep 2 · Sep 26 – Dec 6
Zone 7b	Mar 8–29	Aug 9 – Sep 6	May 2 – Aug 22 · Oct 3 – Dec 13
Zone 8a	Mar 1–22	Aug 15 – Sep 12	Apr 25 – Aug 15 · Oct 9 – Dec 19
Zone 8b	Feb 17 – Mar 10	Aug 21 – Sep 18	Apr 13 – Aug 3 · Oct 15 – Dec 25
Zone 9a	Feb 2–23	Sep 3 – Oct 1	Mar 29 – Jul 19 · Oct 28 – Jan 7
Zone 9b	Jan 4–25	Sep 22 – Oct 20	Feb 28 – Jun 20 · Nov 16 – Jan 26
Zone 10a	Dec 27 – Jan 17	Oct 4 – Nov 1	Feb 20 – Jun 12 · Nov 28 – Feb 7
Zones 10b–11b	Frost is rare here, so grow collard greens in the cooler months, from fall to early spring.