The Scoop on Collards

February 20, 2024 Jordan Charbonneau Leave a comment

Collards are one of our favorite greens here at Southern Exposure! They’re tasty garden workhorses that can handle the heat much better than many other greens. Unfortunately, they don’t seem to have gotten the same love that kale, spinach, moringa, and other greens have gotten, as we’ve seen a resurgence in local food.

This is so sad because collards have so much to give. In addition to being easy to grow, they contain impressive levels of calcium and vitamin K, both of which are essential for bone health. They’re also culturally significant.

Utopian Seed Project Founder Chris Smith got it right when he said, “It needs stating explicitly: We owe thanks to the enslaved African Americans who, robbed of their freedom and their homelands’ foods, adopted the collard and integrated it into gardens, kitchens, and therefore Southern foodways.”

So today, we’ll dive into the types of collards and how to grow and enjoy them!

Types of Collards

A collard is a collard? Generally, growers divide collards into six general categories. Though they are similar to grow, they have a few unique characteristics. Understanding these can help you find a suitable variety for your garden and taste.

Cabbage Collards

Cabbage collards typically have large light green or almost yellow leaves with large petioles. While they don’t create the same heads as cabbage, these varieties will often begin to form loose heads if left in the ground for an extended period. You may find that these varieties also have a more cabbage-like flavor than other collard greens. They make lovely sauerkraut! Many of these cabbage collards are from the Carolinas.

A great example of this type is Georgia Cabbage Collards (pictured above), an Heirloom Collard Project standout, originally from Bobby Prevatte, whose grandparents grew them near Lumberton, NC.

Alabama Blue Collards (left) and Variegated Collards (right)

Colored Collards

Any variety of collards may have some unique color variation in its leaves, leaf veins, or petioles. As such, this category can overlap with the others. However, certain heirlooms were kept and known for their particularly unusual or vibrant coloration. Most commonly, collards are shades of green, greenish-yellow, or blue-green, but some varieties have rarer colors like red or purple.

Alabama Blue Collards (above left) and Variegated Collards (above right) are good examples of this type. Alabama Blue features green, blue-green, and purple leaves adorned with white, pale green, and plum-colored veins. Variegated Collards change color in cold weather. At least half the plants’ leaves become a beautiful green-and-white during the winter.

Curly Leaf Collards

Most collards have large, broad leaves with fairly smooth edges. These heirloom curly-leaf types usually have serrated edges that give them a more kale-like appearance.

Hen Peck (above) is one of these interesting varieties. It’s a North Carolina heirloom from Benny and Vickie Cox that features unusual toothed leaf margins that appear as if a bird had nibbled on them.

Glazed Collards

These collards share a glossy or glazed look. This appearance is caused by a gene mutation that controls the normal, waxy substance that covers the leaf surface. These glazed varieties appear shiny because they have less wax than other collards.

A great example is Green Glaze Collards (above), which were introduced in 1820 by David Landreth. Green Glaze features smooth, bright green leaves.

Heading Collards

Just as the name suggests, heading collards tend to start forming loose, cabbage-like heads as they mature. They tend to have shorter petioles than other varieties, which allows the leaves to curl into a head easily.

We are currently offering William Alexander Heading Collards (above). This heirloom was one of the first releases from the Collard Project. It comes from 79-year-old black farmer William Alexander, who got the seeds from his father. The leaves have a rich, mustardy taste with a hint of sweetness.

Tree Collards

These unusual collards elongate more than other collard varieties and can obtain great heights over multiple growing seasons. They may even grow taller than you! They are an excellent year-round source of vegetables in milder climates.

We recommend visiting the Project Tree Collard Website for more information on this type.

Join the Utopian Seed Project’s Community Seed Selection Project

In 2020, The Utopian Seed Project (Asheville, NC), along with eight other trial sites (including Southern Exposure Seed Exchange [SESE]), grew 20 collard varieties as part of a nationwide collard trial for The Heirloom Collard Project. The Utopian Seed Project also grew “Lottie” Collard, bringing the heirloom total to 21.

During the winter of 2020, the collards survived lows of 8°F, and in spring/summer 2021, seeds were saved from the surviving plants. Given the obligate outcrossing nature of Brassica oleracea and the randomized two-block design of the trial, we can be assured that there was a high degree of inter-variety cross-pollination. These seeds represent massive genetic diversity, firstly because the original heirloom collards are genetically diverse and secondly because they’ve cross-pollinated with each other.

Collard grower and Heirloom Collard participant Melony Edwards described them as an ultracross: this is not a technical term, but it captures the spirit of these collards!

By purchasing and growing a packet of these seeds, you will have the option to join our Community Seed Selection (CSS) project. A CSS project allows a wide group of people to come together and grow a crop with a shared seed selection goal. The Utopian Seed Project, with support from SESE, will provide guidance and education for the process of selective seed saving. Our objective is to save seeds from the most cold-tolerant and tasty collards while preserving a wide diversity of types and colors. You can also save seeds based on your own selection criteria or not save seeds and simply enjoy the unknown wonders that these seeds contain! Once you’ve purchased a packet of seeds, we’ll be in touch to see if you want to participate in the Collard CSS Project. If you’re interested in learning more, check out the already-established Whidby White Okra CSS Project (Facebook Group, YouTube Playlist, and Website).

50% of all packet sales go straight to supporting the work of The Utopian Seed Project.

How to Grow Collards

Collards are easy to grow. You can direct sow them or start them indoors. To direct sow, plant 2 to 4 weeks before your last spring frost date. Plant the seeds in flats or pots about 1/4 inch deep.

For indoor planting, start seeds 4 to 6 weeks before your last frost spring date. Plant seeds outdoors about 1/2 inch deep.

Note: if you’re planting for a fall garden, sow 2 to 3 months before your first fall frost date.

Collards thrive in rich soil with a pH of 6.0 to 7.0. Adding compost to your bed before planting is a great idea. Collards grow to be surprisingly large plants. Give them plenty of room to grow, with plants about 12 inches apart in rows about 2 feet apart. Mulch around young plants.

To harvest your collards, use scissors or garden snips to clip the leaves near the base. It’s best to harvest leaves that are less than 12 inches long; larger leaves may become tough and stringy.

How to Eat Collards

Collards are versatile greens that you can easily incorporate into your own recipes, like stir-fries and stews. However, there are also some classic, tasty ways to prepare them if you need inspiration!

Micheal Twitty, one of our favorite historians, has an excellent recipe for Kosher/Soul Collards on his website.

The Heirloom Collard Project also shared a wonderful collection of collard-inspired beverages. They have a drink for everyone, from alcoholic cocktails to a nutritious green smoothie.

The Bitter Southerner shared a tasty Potlikker Greens & Skillet Cornbread recipe as part of their Seven Essential Southern Dishes collection.

We always like to ring in the New Year with collards. Visit the blog for Ira Wallace’s take on this fun tradition.

The Heirloom Collard Project also featured another Southern classic, Hoppin’ John, that’s great for New Year or any time of year.

Often we cook collards but they can also be tasty fresh. For a tasty summer side, try this Juneteenth Collard Green Salad from Black Girls Who Brunch.

Garden Advice

Valentine’s Day: 10 Red or Pink Crops

February 13, 2024 Jordan Charbonneau Leave a comment

Tomorrow is Valentine’s Day! Hallmark holiday, though it may be, we decided a little celebration was in order, so we compiled a list of ten of our favorite red and pink varieties. These beautiful red and pink vegetables, flowers, and herbs are sure to leave a mark on your heart.

Sweet Valentine Lettuce

We couldn’t have a Valentine’s list without including Sweet Valentine! This romaine lettuce has deep red leaves and is the sweetest lettuce we offer. It’s perfect for spring planting, and the heads hold long into the summer heat without bolting.

Scarlet Runner Beans

Easily recognized for its scarlet red flowers, these beans look just as at home in an ornamental garden as in a vegetable patch. Scarlet Runner beans are a timeless heirloom that dates to pre-1750. Early colonists grew these beans after receiving seeds from Native Americans. They are beloved by gardeners alike.

They’ve got more than good looks, though! Scarlet Runner beans produce 8-12 inch pods with mottled reddish-purple beans. Harvest these versatile beans as snap beans when pods are small, or use them as green shelly or dried beans, each offering a unique culinary experience. Dried beans from the Runner Bean possess a delightful nut-like flavor.

For optimal growth, be aware that high temperatures over 90°F may limit pod set. If grown for consumption, expect pod production primarily during late summer or early fall in the Mid-Atlantic and southward. A bulbous root is produced in mild climates, allowing for fall digging and spring replanting.

Oxheart Tomato

These heavy-yielding tomatoes produce large, pink fruit weighing one to two pounds! Their distinctive oxheart shape resulted from a genetic mutation, probably around 1925! They have firm, meaty flesh with few seeds and mild flavor.

Beaujolais Spinach

The fantastic folks at Uprising Seeds recently bred this OSSI variety. Beaujolais has glowing magenta or red veins, much like Swiss chard. However, its smooth, tender leaves are milder than baby chard. We’ve found that it bolts sooner in spring than Bloomsdale types but has good survival of winter freezes.

Pink Zinnias

These stunning pink flowers are new to the Southern Exposure Seed Exchange listings for 2024. Pink zinnias are easy to grow and produce a smorgasbord of pink flowers on tall plants. They have a lovely mix of single, double, and semi-double flowers.

One of the best features of zinnias is that if you keep up with deadheading, zinnias can bloom until frost!

Crosby Egyptian (Early Crosby Egyptian) Beet

Beets are, without a date, one of the most intensely red vegetables we have! Before the advent of chemical dyes, beets were often the red dye of choice for cloth and food.

These Crosby Egyptian Beets are one of our favorite historical varieties introduced in 1880. Their parent strain originated in Germany in 1865. Crosby Egyptian beets grow predominantly on the surface of the soil. They grow 3 to 5 inches wide and have a unique flattened shape. They have a rich red interior.

Lipstick Sweet Pepper

Bred at Johnny’s Selected Seeds, these bright, sweet peppers are one of our earliest varieties. They’re great for short-season areas because they’re ready to harvest in just 55 days! Lipstick produces chunky, triangular peppers with flavorful, juicy flesh. The plants grow about 4 feet tall.

Thai Red Roselle

This hibiscus species produces bright red calyxes you can use to make “zingy” tea, sauce, syrup, jam, or even candy whole for a unique treat. Historically known as “Florida cranberry” in the 1890s, this plant offers edible flowers and young leaves with a citrus tang, perfect for Burmese cooking!

Thai Red produces beautiful 3 to 5-foot plants with striking red stems and leaf veins. These plants thrive in warmer climates and need plenty of space for good production.

Cherry Belle Radish

Cherry Belles are our sweetest spring radishes! Ready in just 24 days, they bring a lot of color and flavor to the garden early in the season with their round roots, bright red skin, and firm white flesh.

Cherry Belles are less susceptible to developing pithiness than other varieties and were the 1949 All-American Selection winner.

Bowling Red Okra

This heirloom was stewarded by the Bowling family of Virginia since the 1920s and was one of the best varieties in the Kerr Center’s trial of 30 heirloom varieties! The early, productive plants have beautiful red stems, red-veined leaves, and long, slim, tender red pods.

If you’re ordering yourself a little Valentine’s Day seed list, be sure to add a splash of red or pink! These stunning varieties will bring a lot of color to the garden and table in the coming season.

Garden Advice

Top Tips for Growing Broccoli

February 6, 2024 Jordan Charbonneau Leave a comment

Broccoli is among the first spring crops we begin tucking into trays indoors. It’s got a lot going for it, too. Broccoli is cold-hardy, packed with vitamins, and edible in its entirety, including the leaves, stem, and flower head. It’s also a simple crop to start from seed; no scarification, stratification, or heat mats are needed. Broccoli is a low-maintenance seedling. Like all crops, broccoli isn’t without its growing challenges. To ensure you have success growing broccoli this season, follow these steps and tips!

When to Sow Broccoli Indoors

For these first spring plantings, you’ll want to know your estimated last frost date. We like to have transplants ready to go about one month before our last frost, so we start broccoli seedlings indoors about 4 to 5 weeks before that. Generally, we’re starting broccoli indoors between January 31st and May 31st.

When to Transplant Broccoli

As mentioned above, you can start transplanting broccoli out about one month before your last estimated frost date. Generally, we’re setting out broccoli plants between March 15th and July 15th, with the later dates intended for fall harvest.

While broccoli is cold-hardy, you do want to avoid very low temperatures. If seedlings experience 20° F or lower, they may “button up” and only make tiny heads. This is because the plants will think that they’ve gone through a winter and that it’s time to flower.

When transplanting, give your broccoli adequate space. Usually, rows 12 to 16 inches apart is a good spacing for broccoli.

Direct Sowing Broccoli

Many people choose to transplant broccoli as it can help plants reach maturity before the weather gets hot. However, you can also direct sow broccoli seeds. We like to direct sow broccoli from about March 10th through July 1st.

Check out our tips for direct sowing in hot weather.

Tips for Growing Broccoli

Broccoli isn’t high maintenance, but like any crop, it thrives with a bit of attention. Here are a few steps you can take to ensure your broccoli produces well.

Mulch Deeply

Broccoli produces best when the soil is kept cool, moist, and weed-free. A deep layer of mulch, particularly in the warmer months, can make a big difference in broccoli plantings.

Water Consistently

Again, broccoli will only produce nice heads if it has enough moisture. Consistent watering is essential, especially during hot, dry weather.

Keep the Cabbage Worms Away

Almost every gardener who has grown brassicas has dealt with the dreaded cabbage worms at some point. The name cabbage worms often refers to several species, all of which use brassicas as their primary host plant. These include the Cabbage White Butterfly (Pieris rapae), The Cabbage Moth (Mamestra brassicae), and the Cabbage Looper (Trichoplusia ni). They lay their eggs on brassicas, and the eggs hatch into very hungry little caterpillars that can turn cabbages to lace and infiltrate beautiful heads of broccoli.

Row Cover

Thankfully, there are some simple, organic methods for keeping them away. One of our favorites is to cover your plants with row cover. Usually, you can purchase a lightweight netting row cover and wire hoops to hold it off your plants. Tulle from your local fabric store works just as well and might be a cheaper option. You can also DIY the hoops from PVC or other flexible materials.

Organic Insecticides

One organic method is B.t. (Bacillus thuringiensis). This natural, soil-dwelling bacteria damages the caterpillars’ guts that feed on it. It’s safe for humans, and you can find OMRI (Organic Materials Review Institute) certified products for use on your plants.

Neem oil is another popular choice for repelling cabbage worms. It’s a naturally occurring oil from neem trees that can be applied to your broccoli. Like B.t., you can find OMRI-certified neem oil.

Companion Planting

Cabbage worms are often a more aggressive, intense issue in monoculture plantings. Though they can be more complicated to maintain, gardens mixed with flowers and other vegetables tend to have fewer pest issues. Some specific crops, like Wormwood (Artemisia absinthium), are especially noted for their ability to repel cabbage worms.

Harvesting Broccoli

After being transplanted into the garden, maturity typically ranges from 60 to 90 days, but it can vary. If you’re starting broccoli from seed rather than transplanting seedlings, you must add approximately 25 days to the maturity timeline. This accounts for the additional time it takes for broccoli plants to grow and mature from the seedling stage to full maturity.

Harvest your broccoli heads when they’re deep green and tightly packed. Those heads that have begun to flower or turn yellow should be harvested immediately or left for seed.

Don’t pull your broccoli right away after harvesting the main head. Side-sprouting varieties have smaller central heads with many side sprouts, a valuable feature for extended harvest.

Saving Seed from Broccoli

If you have a few heads that get past their prime, let them go to flower! Many pollinators love brassica flowers, and eventually, you will get seed.

Just know that broccoli will cross with any brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, collards, kohlrabi, and kale that’s flowering at the same time. Broccoli Raab will cross with Chinese cabbage, turnips, and some rapeseed (canola). Isolate by 1/8 mile for home use. For pure seed of small plantings, isolate by 1/4 to 1/2 mile.

Broccoli is a great, cold-hardy crop to have in your spring garden. Follow these tips for growing broccoli to help your plants thrive and produce beautiful heads this season!