I am growing collards in packs for your garden. How many of you have planted collards? Let us know how you like them.

image from garden.org

      Good morning, it is snowing here in Dougherty at 11:00 AM and has been through the night.  It is very wet snow, so great for snowmen, and snowballs.  We might have 3 inches but it looks like we will get more.  The temperature is at 34F(1C) low tonight of 22F(-5C).  Stay warm, stay safe.
 
Australia family and friends at Sale, Victoria, Aust for their Saturday March 8 High of 81F(27C) with temperatures next week going up to 90F(32C).  They are still having summer like weather, but soon it will be fall for them.  Isn’t that unbelievable.  Stay cool, stay safe.
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I am growing a new vegetable this year.  Collards, Flash and found this on the growing guides of the Farmer’s Almanac.  How many of you have grown this?
Planting, Growing, and Harvesting Collard Greens  by Andy Wilcox
Leafy, large, and in charge, collard greens are an easy-to-grow staple in many gardens. This cold-hardy vegetable is a popular fall and winter crop, has many health benefits, and is a favorite, savory comfort food in the South. Learn how to plant, grow, and care for wonderful collards.
About Collards
Collards are one of the oldest members of the cabbage or Brassicaceae family, and they look prehistoric! Their species name is Brassica oleracea, the same as kale, cabbage, cauliflower, and broccoli. Unlike some of their family, collards don’t form a head. Large leafy green foliage is the goal, and collard greens are a favorite in the American South, Africa, and South America.
Collards are a biennial in moderate climates and will return in spring to make a flower stalk and seed. However, they are usually grown as an annual. They are mildly cold hardy, and some varieties can survive freezing temperatures as low as 15 degrees.
A dark green leaf, you won’t be surprised to learn that collard greens are packed with nutrients. They’re an excellent source of Vitamin A and C as well as rich in iron, magnesium, calcium,  and potassium. They’re full of antioxidants and contain fiber to aid digestion and lower cholesterol.
Southern-style collards are commonly prepared by simmering with spices and smokey meat for a delicious meal loaded with flavor. If growing your own, wash them thoroughly after bringing them into the kitchen. The large leaves can gather grit and bugs and need a good cleaning. Plan ahead. Unlike wilting kale in your soup, collards are usually cooked for an hour or two.
Planting
Collards do best in fertile, well-draining soil. A pH of 6.0 to 7.0 is ideal. They are large plants and benefit from a healthy dose of compost worked into the soil before planting. Select a spot with partial to full sun, at least 4 to 5 hours daily. Leave enough space in your garden–these plants can get quite large.
When to Plant Collard Greens
In warm climates, collards do best when planted in the fall, as this allows them to mature during cooler weather. (They will bolt in the heat of summer!) Plus, collard greens taste even better when “kissed” by frost and will grow through snow. In cooler climates, collards can also be planted in early spring for a late spring or early summer crop.
Spring Planting:
Indoors, start the seeds about 4 to 6 weeks before your last frost spring date.
Outdoors, direct-sow seeds 2 to 4 weeks before your last spring frost date.
Fall Planting:
Outdoors, direct-sow seeds 2 to 3 months before your first fall frost date.
Gardeners in warm climates with little or no frost can transplant collards outdoors in fall all the way through until spring.
How to Plant Collards
Collards may be started indoors and transplanted or direct seeded in the garden. Starting collards indoors is the method for spring planting, as the seeds will germinate slowly in cold soil. Direct seed in the summer for the fall harvest.
To Start Collards Indoors
Sow 2 seeds per cell in standard trays or use soil blocks.
Sow seeds about ¼ inch deep.
After germination, thin to one seedling per cell.
Snip the extras, don’t pull them, or you might damage the roots of the remaining plants.
Seeds germinate better at slightly warmer temperatures, about 75 degrees, but a cool windowsill is fine once sprouted. Once a set of true leaves has been established, they can be transplanted outside.
To Direct-Seed
Sow seeds ½ inch deep in groups of 3 to 4.
Space groups about 15 inches apart, in rows 2 feet apart.
Thin to one seedling per group once they have sprouted.
Growing
Collards are easy to grow and make a lush display in your garden. Follow these tips for large, healthy plants. Collards like fertile, nitrogen-rich soil to support all that green, leafy vegetation. Provide adequate compost and organic matter.
Keep soil moisture even, and don’t let them dry out. Collards will wilt if exposed to warm temperatures and dry soil.
Mulch between plants when they are young. Eventually, the collards will close the canopy and shade out the weeds. However, mulch helps to reduce weeding and maintain an even soil moisture when the plants are young.
Water in the morning. The plants will have water available during the hottest part of the day, and their leaves will dry out before cooler night temperatures, reducing foliar disease problems.
Water deeply. Frequent short waterings can encourage shallow roots. Check the soil moisture with your finger about 6 inches down after irrigating. It should be moist but not soggy.
Harvesting
Collards can provide months of harvesting opportunities, especially with succession planting. Even northern gardeners can enjoy extended harvests of tasty greens.
All green parts are edible. The leaves are most tender at 6- to 8-inch leaves long. Use scissors, pruners, or a knife. Start with the larger lower leaves and work up the stalk, leaving the smaller leaves alone to continue growing. 
Plants that are thinned can be eaten! Don’t toss them into the compost. Take them into the kitchen.
A light frost will enhance the flavor of collards. Keep harvesting until the hard freezes of winter finally kill the plant.
From https://www.almanac.com/plant/collards
Till next week, this is Becky’s Greenhouse, Larry, Becky Litterer, [email protected]  641-794-3337  cell 641-903-9365  Facebook Becky Kerndt Litterer, Becky’s Greenhouse