Evaluation of Cultural Practices for Summer Collard Production
Robert C. Hochmuth¹

The production of collards has been important to many growers in North Florida.  Traditionally, collards have been produced during the fall, winter, and spring season due to the cool season nature of the crop.  However, year round demand exists for collards, especially for new cut and bagged collards.  This trial was conducted to evaluate various cultural practices for extending the collard season into the summer and early fall. 

This trial evaluated three cultural practices:

1. un-mulched bed culture with drip irrigation (Fig 1)
2. white-on-black mulched bed culture with drip irrigation (Fig 1)
3. soilless lay-flat bag culture under an open shade structure (50% shade). (Fig 2)

Field grown (bare root) Champion collard transplants were used in all plots.  Transplants were established on May 24, 2002.  Field plots were irrigated and fertigated via drip tape.  The irrigation schedule was set to maintain a soil water tension of 8-12 centibars at a depth of 12 inches.  The fertilizer program for the field plots included 500 lbs of 13-4-13 per acre incorporated into the bed prior to transplanting.  The fertigation schedule was weekly at the rate of 2.0 lbs/A/day of nitrogen and potash beginning two weeks after transplanting.  The shade house, soilless culture system was set to follow the typical recommendations used to produce greenhouse vegetable crops in perlite bag culture (see Keys to Successful Tomato and Cucumber Production in Perlite Media, by G.J. Hochmuth & R. C. Hochmuth, Ext Pub #HS169).  The nutrient solution was set for 150 ppm of N and K during the entire season.  The same plant spacings were used in all cultural systems.  Plots were harvested on July 25.  The marketable yield per plant in the three systems was:

1. un-mulched plots                        =        0.38 lbs/plant
2. mulched plots                              =        0.40 lbs/plant
3. shade house, soilless culture    =        0.69 lbs/plant

The yield for the shade house, soilless culture plots (Fig 3) was nearly twice the yield of both field systems.  There was essentially no difference in the mulched or un-mulched systems.  In addition, the shade house, soilless system could have been harvested one week earlier than the field plots.  A drawback of the soilless system used (lay-flat bag culture) include the difficulty in keeping the plants upright during high winds.  A different soilless system with a string support system may be necessary. 

In summary, this trial indicates great potential for producing summer collards in North Florida by using an open shade structure and soilless production system.  More research is needed to refine the cultural practices and economics of this practice. 

¹ Authors

Robert C. Hochmuth, Multi-County Extension Agent, University of Florida, North Florida Research and Education Center – Suwannee Valley, 7580 County Road 136, Live Oak, FL 32060-7434.