Hi Larry,

I know my mother direct seeded some collard seeds into her backyard fall garden in late summer (2011) here in Decatur/Atlanta. She got a lot of collards. I direct seeded this last Spring in Florida and got the same result.

One thing to know about collards is that they will sprout and then just grow very slowly for the first 6 weeks to two months. Then, they all of sudden just take off and get real big and healthy. Hence, patience is key.

Some extra info is that Neem oil worked well for us in preventing a good amount of bug damage. Also, collards are 'cut and come again', which means pulling the plant out of the ground like it's a radish is unnecessary. You'll continue to get growth if you just cut the spine near the base of each collard leaf.

Hope this helps.

I'm in North/East Cobb and they do very well for me. They always come up within a few days and as Stella mentioned, they grow slowly the first 6 weeks or so and then really take off. I start harvesting the leaves while they're still small and it doesn't bother them a bit. They grow and grow. My favorite is "Georgia Collard" seed that I pick up at Home Depot or Lowes.

Good luck!