Scientific Name: Brassica oleracea Acephala Cultivar Group

Common Names: Champion Collards, Champion Collard Greens

Family: Brassicaceae

Origin:

This open-pollinated, heirloom champion variety of collard greens was developed in 1979 by the US Department of Agriculture in Virginia, USA. 

Culinary Uses:

Collard greens taste best when picked during Winter, ideally after the first frost when they start to become sweeter.  Collard greens can be eaten cooked like a stronger tasting version of cabbage or raw like a milder tasting kale.  Collard greens are rich in Vitamin K, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, manganese, calcium and iron.

Growing Tips:

Collard greens can be grown in full sun or part shade.  Collard plants grow quickly and require a fertile, free-draining soil rich in organic matter, if your soil is lacking place down layer of well-rotted manure or compost prior to planting collard greens.  Top dress around collard plants with a complete organic fertiliser if growth is slow or at the first sign of any nutrient deficiencies.  Collard greens are tolerant of cold temperatures and frosts.  To control cabbage looper caterpillars spray the leaves of collard greens with a commercially-available organic Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis) solution.  To produce high quality collard greens ensure consistent soil moisture, water plants regularly and mulch around plants to help retain soil moisture and reduce competition from weeds.

When to Sow:

In cold and mountainous areas of Australia sow collard greens seed from mid to late Spring or from late Summer to early Autumn.  In temperate regions of Australia sow collard greens seed from late Summer to mid Autumn.  In subtropical areas of Australia sow collard greens seed from early Autumn to early Winter.  In tropical regions of Australia sow collard greens seed during the dry season from mid Autumn to late Winter.

How to Sow:

Sow collards seed 6mm deep spacing plantings about 30cm apart to give their root systems room to expand and facilitate airflow between plants.  For maximum seedling vigour sow several seeds per planting hole and prune away all but the healthy seedlings that germinate from each hole.  When planting out collard greens seedlings plant them deeply, up to the level of the seed leaves (cotyledons), this will result in sturdy plants that will be less likely to topple over in strong winds.

Germination Time:

Collard greens seed germinate quickly and consistently with most seedlings emerging 7 to 10 days after sowing.

Time to Harvest:

Champion is an early variety of collard greens taking between 10 and 12 weeks to grow big enough to begin harvesting leaves from.  Harvest outer leaves first leaving the smaller inner leaves to continue growing.  Champion is a bolt resistant variety of collard greens that should produce leaves over a long harvesting period.