When to plant collards in USDA Zone 7b

Plan your collards planting around local frost risk and soil temperature, then work backward from the harvest week your buyers need. The calendar below is a starting point, not a field-level weather forecast.

Raleigh, Greensboro, Richmond, Knoxville, Memphis. Average last spring frost April 8, first fall frost October 22 — a 197-day frost-free season.

Zone fit: excellent
Collards is well suited to Zone 7b. Standard planting dates work with minor adjustments for microclimates.

Key dates

Start seeds indoors
February 25 – March 11
Direct-seed or transplant outdoors
March 4 – March 25
Expected first harvest
May 10 – June 7
Fall planting window
July 23 – August 13
Fall harvest window
September 28 – October 26

Windows are calculated from your zone's average frost dates. Adjust ±1 week for microclimates, elevation, and your own frost records.

Spacing and soil

Plant spacing
18″
Row spacing
24″
Seed depth
0.5″
Soil temperature
55–75°F
Frost tolerance
hardy
Days to harvest
60 days

Grower notes for Zone 7b

Southern staple. Flavor sweetens after two hard frosts — fall crop always beats spring for quality.

Plant near: onions, beets, carrots

Keep away from: tomatoes

Other brassicas for Zone 7b

Same crop, other zones

Track your own plantings

BAU Farm Intelligence turns these windows into per-field tasks — indoor seed-start reminders, transplant dates, harvest projections — using your farm's actual frost history.