When to Plant Collards in Sydney, Warm Temperate Guide

Sow February to June and August to November. Right now in October you can sow.

Planting window
Sow from February to May (autumn) and August to October (spring). Avoid sowing in the heat of summer.
Days to harvest
60 days
Sunlight
Full sun (6+ hours). Tolerates part shade, especially in warmer zones. Minimum 3 hours direct sun.
Water needs
Deep watering 2-3 times per week. Consistent moisture produces tender leaves. Drought...
Spacing
60cm apart, 75cm between rows
Soil pH
6.0-6.8

Published · Last reviewed · By GardenBuddy.au
Growing advice is reviewed by hand. Planting dates, current conditions and prices on this page update daily.

This Collards guide is written for the Warm Temperate zone, which takes in Sydney, Newcastle and Wollongong. Somewhere else? Your postcode picks the right one.

Not your zone? Cairns Brisbane Melbourne Canberra Alice Springs Perth

Also handy: will it frost this week? and what grows in shade.

Collards

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

Collards (also called collard greens or borekale) are a non-heading brassica producing large, flat, dark green leaves on sturdy stems. More heat-tolerant than cabbage and kale, and equally cold-hardy, making them one of the most versatile brassica greens for Australian gardens. The flavour is mild and slightly sweet, improving after frost exposure. Underutilised in Australia but gaining popularity.

See what grows now in your own postcode

Planting Calendar for Warm Temperate

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
- S/D S/T/D S/T/D S/T/D T - S/D S/T/D S/T/D T -

S = Seed Tray   T = Transplant   D = Direct Sow

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Current Growing Conditions

Soil temperature: 18.5°C (optimal range: 8–30°C) ✓ Ready to plant

Modelled from Open-Meteo forecast (Sydney), not a live sensor.

What this month normally looks like

In October the Warm Temperate zone normally runs 24°C by day and 13°C overnight, with about 66 mm of rain over 7 or 8 wet days. The coldest October night on record across the zone was -1.5°C, so a late frost is not out of the question. Averages 1991 to 2026, 153 postcodes, SILO.

How to Grow Collards in Warm Temperate Australia

When to Plant

Sow from February to May (autumn) and August to October (spring). Avoid sowing in the heat of summer.

Soil
Rich, well-drained soil amended with plenty of compost and aged manure. Tolerates heavier clay soils better than most brassicas.
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.

Companion plants: Onion, Garlic, Celery, Dill, Chamomile, Nasturtium (trap crop)

Avoid planting near: Strawberry, Tomato, Other brassicas in succession (disease buildup)

Grow before, grow after

Collards belong with the brassicas, the leafy greens and brassicas turn of a four turn bed rotation.

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.

Warm Temperate Growing Tips for Collards

Recommended Varieties

  • Georgia Southern
  • Vates
  • Champion
  • Morris Heading

Key Challenges

  • Less commercially available than kale
  • Caterpillars in warmer months

Pro Tips

  • Grows well in Sydney climate year-round with variety selection
  • An excellent kale alternative with milder flavour
  • Harvest lower leaves regularly, leaving top growth to continue producing

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.

Preserving: pressure canning

1 tested pressure-canning recipe for Collards: 1 where it is the crop being canned. Each one comes from published home canning guidelines. The conversion to Australian units is ours, with psi beside every kPa. Always follow your pressure canner's manual.

Recipes in this set

  • Spinach and other greens

The full recipe details are for members on a paid plan: jar sizes, headspace, process time, the pressure for a weighted or dial gauge at your altitude, the ingredients, the preparation steps and the safety notes.

See the plans

Common Collards Pests in Warm Temperate Zones

Aphids, risk: MODERATE (score: 45/100)

Organic prevention (Aphids): Avoid excess nitrogen. Check transplants. Grow flowering companions to attract beneficials.

View all pest alerts →

Where to next

Also worth sowing in the warm temperate zone this October: Lemongrass, Beetroot, Dwarf Beans (Bush) and Eggplant (Aubergine).

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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:

Does collards grow all year round in Sydney?

No. In the Warm Temperate zone the planting months are Feb to Jun, Aug to Nov. Outside that window it either bolts, sulks or gets cut down by the weather.

Which zone am I in?

Type your postcode into the box under the heading and the page 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 Warm Temperate zone, Sydney is its reference city.