The most important aspect to making new plants is to make sure you take cuttings prior to your Mother plant getting too woody. It is highly recommended that you start to make new plants for yourself (or for others) between Year One and Year Two. If you don't, you will eventually end up with a mature tree collard that you can no longer make cuttings from. Timing of cuttings depends on your Zone and your micro climate (full sun, partial shade, mostly shade). My three year old plants growing in full sun in Zone 9 are now too woody to make new cuttings. "Too woody" means that even when I cut the first 4 - 6 inches of a top branch, the woodiness has crept too close to the apical meristem (tip of the branch). I will publish more photos soon of cuttings that aren't woody.
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| Close-up of new branches forming on Woody trunk |
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| 6 month old cutting. Notice how it's stunted due to the cutting being taken from a woody branch. |
Great site! Would love to get some cuttings to start my own tree collard orchard.
ReplyDeleteI live in Florida, could I buy some from you.
Thanks, Mark
I've just ordered a few seeds for tree collard like things, but I'm not sure they are tree collards.
ReplyDeleteKale 'Chou Moellier - Brassica oleracea var. acephala
Cabbage 'Walking Stick' - Brassica oleracea var. longata
Do your tree collards produce seeds? I heard they may need to be propagated by cuttings only, but haven't managed to find anywhere in Australia yet that can provide them.
Yes, traditional tree collards ONLY grow from cuttings. They rarely flower and seed and the seed will not produce a true tree collard.
Deletehow long should it take for tree collards to start a root system? i have tree collard cuttings that i have been trying to root for about a month and a half and still no roots. but the leaves that i let on the plants are still alive. should i give them more humidity or just leave them to do their thing? Is a month and a half normal.
ReplyDeleteDavid:
Deletesorry that I missed your post and question. There are many variables that contribute to how quickly cuttings root. Please revisit the Blog in a week or so and I'll have a post up about all aspects of propagation. For now, yes, it can take up to three months for a cutting to root and those roots are very very very fragile growing only at the very bottom of the cutting. So you have to be extra careful when taking it out of the pot it's rooting in. I always wait at least three months and let the soil dry out completely before potting it out of the pot to plant in the ground. Well, I might also add that I always keep the cuttings in full shade if it's Summer or very warm/hot weather and always keep them moist. More later .. . .
Hi, I would like to plant tree collards in my garden. Do you happen to know any source of cuttings in Europe? Or do you have the experience of cuttings surviving transport form US to Europe? :) Thanks
ReplyDeleteCannot send vegetables through the Post to Europe. Sorry. And as far as I know, they aren't available on that continent.
DeleteHi, interesting concept, this. I read (with great enthusiasm) Michael Pollan's Botany of Desire, and can't remember mention of tree collards. Can you tell me in what context, or in which chapter he mentions them? I'd love to check it out.
ReplyDeleteRegarding the Michael Pollen reference. Pollen didn't refer to Tree Collards. I was just making the connection to the fact that Tree Collards are co-evolving with humans from the perspective that they've adapted to only propagating via humans making cuttings.
DeleteSomeone asked why woody cuttings won't grow into mature plants. side note: they will root, but they'll be stunted. It's because there's no significant Cambian layer.
ReplyDeleteCould you ship clippings to arizona? I would love to try to grow these and I cant find anyplace to buy them. thank you for all the great info!
ReplyDeletethat's a possibility. email me at wellspringorganics@gmail.com
ReplyDeleteI live in a temperate rain forest with a climate similar to Seattle. We rarely get freezing weather, but we get lots of rain. Do you think tree collards would grow there? If so would I be able to buy some cuttings from you?
ReplyDeleteI live in Southern Arizona. Winters have a handful of nights reaching the low 20's... otherwise are pretty much above freezing... mid to upper 30's, or warmer. Summer days CAN reach 107 - 112! Could I grow TC's here... and also, can I get some cuttings??
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't suggest TCs for your zone. those extreme heat days would really take a toll on the TCs.
ReplyDeleteCuttings are really hard to come by - I'm no longer making cuttings. Just too much work and little time.