When to plant collards in USDA Zone 9b

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.

Orlando, Tampa, San Antonio, southern LA coast. Average last spring frost February 5, first fall frost December 15 — a 313-day frost-free season.

Zone fit: good
Cool-season crops bolt fast under Zone 9b heat. Prioritize the fall planting window and use shade cloth for any spring succession.

Key dates

Start seeds indoors
December 25 – January 8
Direct-seed or transplant outdoors
January 1 – January 22
Expected first harvest
March 9 – April 6
Fall planting window
September 15 – October 6
Fall harvest window
November 21 – December 19

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 9b

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 9b

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.