Growing Collards?

Q: I planted my collards in the Spring of 2005 and cut them back in the Fall of 2005. These plants are still going strong. How many years can collard plants grow? Shall I cut them back to the stem again to keep them growing? Would it do any good?

Hardiness Zone: 8a

Thanking you in advance.
Holly from Dallas, TX

A: Holly,

Since is doesn't sound like you are looking to harvest the collards over the winter, I would keep cutting them back in the fall the same way you did last year. Collards are usually grown as annuals, but they can also be grown as biennials or perennials in warmer climates. They can survive temperatures to the upper 20s-even cooler if they are located in the right microclimate.

I've heard of them growing for several years before tiring out. Collards taste best during the cooler parts of the season, especially right after a light frost. This is because the plant responds to cooler temperatures by moving water from the leaves to the roots, which concentrates the sugars in the leaves and ultimately gives them a sweet flavor.

You can get this same "sweet" flavor in the heat of the summer if you pop the whole plant (stems and all) into the freezer for about 10 minutes. You end up sacrificing the plant, but you get leaves with that post-frost sweet flavor.