When to Plant Collards in Cairns, Tropical Guide
Soil temperature is modelled from Open-Meteo forecast (Cairns), not a live sensor.
What this month normally looks like in Tropical
In October the Tropical zone normally runs 34°C by day and 23°C overnight, with about 53 mm of rain over 5 or 6 wet days. Averages 1991 to 2026, 37 postcodes, SILO.
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This Collards guide is written for the Tropical zone, which takes in Cairns, Townsville and Darwin. Somewhere else? Your postcode picks the right one.
Not your zone? Brisbane Sydney Melbourne Canberra Alice Springs Perth
Also handy: will it frost this week? and what grows in shade.
- Planting window
- Apr to Sep
- Days to harvest
- 60 days
- Sun
- Full sun to part shade
- Water
- Regular
- Spacing
- 60 cm apart
- Soil pH
- 6.0–6.8
Collards (also called collard greens or borekale) are a non-heading brassica producing large, flat, dark green leaves on sturdy stems.
Published · By GardenBuddy.au
Planting dates, current conditions and prices on this page update daily.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Planting Calendar for Tropical
- Jan -
- Feb -
- Mar -
- Apr S/D
- May S/D
- Jun S/T/D
- Jul S/T/D
- Aug T
- Sep T
- Oct -
- Nov -
- Dec -
S = Seed Tray T = Transplant D = Direct Sow
Want a nudge when it is sowing time?
One email a week with what is worth planting in the Tropical zone right now, Collards included, plus which veg has jumped in price at the supermarket. Free, and you can stop it in one click.
How to Grow Collards in Tropical Australia
- Soil
- Rich, well-drained soil amended with plenty of compost and aged manure. Tolerates heavier clay soils better than most brassicas.
- Salt
- Moderately sensitive. Copes with a little salt, but the harvest drops on salty bore water.
- pH Range
- 6.0-6.8
- Sunlight
- Full sun (6+ hours). Tolerates part shade, especially in warmer zones. Minimum 3 hours direct sun.
- Spacing
- 60cm apart, 75cm between rows
- Watering
- Deep watering 2-3 times per week. Consistent moisture produces tender leaves. Drought stress toughens leaves and may trigger bolting. Drip irrigation ideal.
- Good companions
- Nasturtium (trap crop), Dwarf Beans, Onion, Cucumber, Dill
- Keep away from
- Strawberry, Tomato
- Grow before it
- Legumes (Beans - Dwarf, Peas, Broad Beans)
- Grow after it
- Fruiting crops (Tomato, Capsicum, Zucchini)
Give the bed 3 turns before brassicas go back in. The cabbage family is hungry for nitrogen and shares club root and other soil diseases.
Tropical Growing Tips for Collards
Recommended Varieties
- Georgia Southern
- Vates
- Morris Heading
Key Challenges
- Caterpillar and aphid pressure
- Humidity-related diseases
- Still prefers cool weather despite heat tolerance
Pro Tips
- Collards are more heat-tolerant than other brassicas. Worth trying where cabbage fails
- Harvest young leaves for best texture in warm conditions
- Insect netting essential
Pests and problems for Collards in Tropical
Harvesting Collards
When ready: Leaves are large (20-30cm), dark green, and firm. Harvest from the bottom of the plant upwards. Leaves should snap cleanly when bent.
How to harvest: Cut-and-come-again: snap or cut lower leaves, leaving the growing tip and upper leaves to continue producing. Never harvest more than 1/3 of leaves at once.
Storing and preserving collards
How to keep it
- Blanching and Freezing. Wash leaves. Remove tough stems. Blanch in boiling water for 3 minutes (collards need longer than spinach due to tougher leaves). Ice bath, drain, squeeze out water. Pack into freezer bags. Keeps: 10-12 months.
- Dehydrating. Wash and remove stems. Tear into pieces. Blanch 2 minutes, cool, drain. Dehydrate at 55C for 6-10 hours until crispy. Crumble for use in soups, or store whole for rehydrating. Keeps: 6-12 months.
- Fermented Collard Wraps. Blanch whole leaves 30 seconds to soften. Layer in jar with salt brine (30g salt per litre water). Weight down. Ferment 5-7 days at room temperature. Refrigerate. Use as wraps for fillings. Keeps: 2-3 months refrigerated.
What members get
- Soil and weather from your nearest station
- An email when it's time to sow
- Your own garden plan, including planning from a photo
- Price history and price alerts
- Pest risk alerts for your area
- Full salt and canning detail
Common Questions About Collards
When do you plant collards in Australia?
It depends on your climate zone, not the calendar month alone. Planting months by zone:
- Tropical (Cairns): Apr to Sep
- Subtropical (Brisbane): Feb to Jul
- Warm Temperate (Sydney): Feb to Jun, Aug to Nov
- Cool Temperate (Melbourne): Jan to Mar, Aug to Dec
- Cold / Highland (Canberra): Jan to Apr
- Arid / Semi-Arid (Alice Springs): Mar to Aug
- Mediterranean (Perth): Feb to May, Aug to Oct
Can you grow collards all year round in Cairns?
No. In the Tropical zone the planting months are Apr to Sep. Outside that window it either bolts, sulks or gets cut down by the weather.
When should I plant Collards in Cairns?
A dry season crop. Sow from April to July and plant out seedlings up to September. More heat-tolerant than kale but still prefers cooler conditions, so avoid the wet season.
What soil temperature do Collards need?
Collards germinate best when soil temperature is between 8°C and 30°C.
How do I know when Collards are ready to harvest?
Leaves are large (20-30cm), dark green, and firm. Harvest from the bottom of the plant upwards. Leaves should snap cleanly when bent.
What are the best Collards varieties for Cairns?
Recommended varieties for the Tropical zone include: Georgia Southern, Vates, Morris Heading.
What grows well with Collards?
Good companion plants for Collards include: Nasturtium, Dwarf Beans, Onion, Cucumber, Dill.
Are collards salt tolerant?
Only a little. Collards are moderately sensitive to salt, so the harvest drops on salty bore water. Mix salty water with rainwater, and mulch the bed.
Which zone am I in?
Type your postcode into the box near the top of the page and it tells you, and links this crop in your own zone if it differs. Or look it up on the grow zone map. This page is the Tropical zone, Cairns is its reference city.