Why do collard greens turn purple

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. Answers kattankerous February 26, 1 found this helpful Hey Holly, Just make sure you don't let them go to 'seed'. It will make a flowering stem right out of the center and this will signal the plant to try to die.

Just cut it back. It will also change the flavor of the collards I've had plants come back for several years in the garden even after being plowed under, they would grow sideways, crooked Advertisement lol So keep it trimmed and you should keep getting leaves off of it for many years, at least. Hopefully more. And a frost makes them taste better, but be careful of a deep freeze. It may kill it. Just cover it like you would your other plants.

My neighbor has some collards that have been growing for about 20 years and they are better tasting every year. Good luck Yes, I have had the same results by repeatedly pinching off the flower stalks for many years now and it works great.

The plant can become like a small tree often times with many plants sprouting from the same stalk. Quite unusual as a striking yet still productive curiosity. Ask a Question Here are the questions asked by community members. Read on to see the answers provided by the ThriftyFun community or ask a new question. Thanks, Sheryl A: Sheryl, If you want to save the seeds from your collard greens, just leave some of the flowering plants alone to form seed pods.

You'll be able to identify them easily once they form because they look almost like green beans. In fact, some people even eat them.

The pods can be left to dry right on the plant in the same way you would leave bean pods to dry. Advertisement Once dry, store them in a paper bag until you plant them. Cutting off the stem of the plant while it's blooming and planting it won't work.

Collard greens are best grown from seed or by purchasing seedlings inexpensively from a nursery. Good luck! The flowers will produce seeds. Wait until they are just dry and take them for use. Depending on where you live, you may want to wait to replant as they probably won't appreciate the summer heat. Do I need to cut collard greens at the top with flowers growing in the middle or leave them.

You can pick the leaves as the plant grows, always cutting off the ones at the bottom of the plant. As the inner stalk continues to grow upwards and produce more leaves, your collard plant will eventually look like a little tree with a bare stem at the bottom and leaves on the top.

They will start to get top-heavy towards the end of the season and may require support. Advertisement For more information on growing collard greens, check out: www.

Your collard greens are bolting. It may be hot where you live. Cut the flowers off. Please log in again. The login page will open in a new tab. After logging in you can close it and return to this page. If you like this post, please share it:.

Share 0. Pin 0. Tweet 0. Continue the discussion at:. Wild Tip:. Growing and Harvesting Purple Tree Collards. You harvest the leaves like you would kale or regular collard greens. This makes them a fantastic winter green in milder climates. Info on Purple Tree Collard. Getting Started with this Great Perennial Vegetable. But tree collards are called that for a reason. They can get really big! Happy growing!

Thank you, Patrons! Related Posts. Daron Daron is a restoration ecologist, lifelong gardener, and founder of Growing with Nature. May 15, at am. Daron says:. May 17, at am. May 25, at am. May 26, at am. September 16, at pm. September 22, at pm. Close dialog. If you take a walk down the perennial long border, just left from the Gardens Corner gate, keep an eye out for the purple-leaved fennel, sedums and dahlias. For further information contact Carla de Boer.

We are the South's eyes and ears in crucial council meetings, at court hearings, on the sidelines of sporting events and on the frontline of breaking news. As our region faces uncharted waters in the wake of a global pandemic, Otago Daily Times continues to bring you local stories that matter.

We employ local journalists and photographers to tell your stories, as other outlets cut local coverage in favour of stories told out of Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch. Skip to main content. Like Swiss chard and rapini, collards are harvested for their edible and slightly bitter leaves.

But unlike Swiss chard and rapini, collard greens ' thick stalks are not commonly consumed. Collard greens are a staple of Southern cuisine. Here are 13 of the healthiest leafy green vegetables to include in your diet. Share on Pinterest. Microgreens are immature greens produced from the seeds of vegetables and herbs. Collard Greens. Beet Greens. Romaine Lettuce. Blanching Green Vegetables Bring salted water to a rolling boil in a large pot.

Place green vegetable in boiling water until tender. Once the vegetable becomes tender and the green color is solidified, shock in ice water. One of the quickest ways to use leftover greens is to incorporate them into a smoothie.

Greens make excellent smoothies that are both tasty and nutritious. Add a bit of fruit plus ginger for extra flavor. You can also try your hand at making a detox smoothie. To clean greens , start by pulling the leafy greens off their tough stem and placing them in your sink. Then, fill the sink with cold water and move the greens around with your hands to rinse them off. When you're finished, leave the greens to soak in the water for a few minutes.

Collards feature dark green leaves with tough stems. Indeed, collard greens share many characteristics with kale, turnip greens , and mustard greens , and they're all typically prepared in the same way at least in the southern U.