![]() ![]() We add this amendment to our perennials along with a yearly maintenance dressing of compost. Once we have the test results, we send them to our soil expert John Beeby ( )to create an amendment recipe based on the needs of our soil. We make sure all our beds have a proper balance of nutrients, and we determine this through soil testing. In hotter locations they prefer partial shade and plenty of water. Tree collards have similar needs to other brassicas. When staking the plants, we use a 10-foot-long stake and drive it three feet into the ground to make sure it is anchored well. The plants do need to be staked, for they grow taller than I am, at 5' 4" hence their name, 'tree collards'! Taller plants usually produce larger leaves and have been reported to grow up to 11 feet tall. When harvesting we collect the lower leaves first. Not every cutting will propagate, so take several. Plant the stalk in a pot, burying at least three nodes. Remove the leaves from this stalk, except the last one or two. A cutting should have at least six leaf nodes. We propagate them from cuttings, and once they are established, you can take cuttings from the green side branches or the tops. Occasionally they will need some protection from cold snaps. They prefer zones 8–10 but can grow in zone 7 as well. Tree collards are tender and delicious in cool weather and, as with most perennials, are low-maintenance. After designing a majority of our garden to create enough biomass for compost, and enough calories in the smallest area possible, we use 10% of the area left to make up for any missing nutrients in our garden design, creating a complete diet. ![]() 10% crops in a GROW BIOINTENSIVE garden are the common vegetable crops. Tree collards are one of our favorite "10% crops". But we love perennials like tree collards too! Unlike annuals, the farmer or gardener plants them once, and with a little yearly care, they produce harvests for many years. Mature tree collards at The Jeavons Center Mini-Farm, Willits, CAĪt Ecology Action, annual crops are important because of their incredible ability to produce a lot of biomass for the compost. Garden Tip: Care and Feeding of Tree Collardsīy Justin Bartolini, Golden Rule Mini-Farm Assistant Field Coordinator-Apprentice ![]()
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