City Kale versus Country Collards

by Barb Henny

American folklore tells the tale of the City Slicker and the Country Cousin. The city fellow is a smooth-tongued dandy who tries to best his rural relative. But the country cousin proves to be no bumpkin, but instead is charming and wise, if homespun.

In the world of vegetables, kale is the City Slicker and collards are the Country Cousin. Kale has become a nationally touted, urban market darling. October 2nd has been proposed as National Kale Day. Collards, by comparison, seem regional and old-fashioned.

Kale is a popular “super food,” with seed companies offering multiple hybrid, heirloom and open-pollinated types. Retail seed catalogs currently list about nine varieties, not counting ornamental types. Market demand for kale is high for organics, hydroponics, locally-grown edibles, garnishes on restaurant plates, specialty soups and salads and as healthy smoothies, snack crackers and chips.

Kale is considered a “super food.” Photo by Barb Henny — *Kale is considered a “super food.”* Photo by Barb Henny

Collards are “soul food,” usually accompanied by ham, black-eyed peas, vinegar pepper sauce and cornbread. Seed catalogs offer only two basic varieties of collards to home gardeners: a Georgia type and a Vates type. The University of North Florida Research and Education Center in Quincy is trialing new collard varieties, but at this time they are only available for commercial growers. (See the new Florida collard varieties at http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/hs353.)

Collards are “soul food.” Photo by Barb Henny — *Collards are “soul food.”* Photo by Barb Henny

Florida writer Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings reported that her butler quit his post when she requested a plate of collards for lunch. He felt the famous lady ought not to eat such common fare. People have very strong loyalty to one green or the other. Whether you choose kale or collards, the same growing program applies. Both are leafy greens from the same family. Both are easy-to-grow, cool-season crops, and both are delicious.

All Florida growing zones can plant kale and collards in the months of November and December. The planting schedule for other months depends on where your garden is located. Consult the Florida Vegetable Planting Guide, available at your county Extension or on http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/vh021. Both crops can survive frosts and light freezes in northern and central Florida; both need cooler winter temperatures to thrive in south Florida.

Start kale and collards from seed. Fill a 4-inch pot with good quality potting mix and moisten it. Sprinkle seeds onto the soil surface, cover to a depth of 1/2 inch with a little more potting mix and gently water. Germination takes about 7 to 10 days, depending on the temperature.

When the seedlings are large enough to handle, transplant them into a full-sun location. Sturdy seedlings can tolerate light frosts. Space 8 to 10 inches between transplants and 24 inches between rows. During the first week in the garden, water one time with dilute liquid fertilizer (1 tablespoon of 20-20-20 per 5-gallon bucket); after that side-dress with granular fertilizer (8-4-8) about once a month.

Treat leaf-chewing caterpillars with Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt). Aphids are a nuisance on kale; treat with a horticultural soap. We grow about 12 plants for the two of us with plenty to share with friends. We cut the leaves from the bottom up; our plants produce for 6 months this way.

Recipients of our greens never fail to comment on how clean they are. They don’t have to wash and wash them to remove sand before cooking. Our trick is to place cut greens immediately into a bucket and never lay them on the ground. Other gardeners employ a good layer of mulch around their greens for the same effect. All recipes for kale or collards start with instructions for a thorough washing of the leaves and the removal of the tough central vein.

Dr. Juanita Popenoe, Director for the Lake County Extension, is a kale enthusiast who makes her own kale chips for healthy snacking. She tosses cleaned and de-veined whole leaves in a bowl with a little olive oil, then places oil-coated leaves in a single layer on a baking sheet in a 350°oven for 8 to 10 minutes. When done, she sprinkles them with Parmesan cheese for a warm, crispy, nutritious snack.

Barb Henny loves collard greens with vinegar pepper sauce. The rest of her family prefers kale.