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.
DeleteI just got some woody tree collard cuttings. Can I take cuttings from it once I get some good green growth and hence get a "viable" (not the right word but i hope you know what i mean) unstunted 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.
Deleteexcept that they're not evolving, because the genetic material is exactly the same as the original plant. :-p (you need seed production for evolution... or at the very least, mutation leading to an unusual sprout that's selected and grown on, but it doesn't seem like this is the case here.)
Delete(sorry. just being nitpicky. love your commitment to this veggie.)
Yes, you are correct. Being nitpicky is always appreciated in order to have better understanding of the process. I guess what I meant is that . . . well . . . a better question might be: Why then does this hybrid rarely flower? Is it not because "it knows" that humans will propagate it? And if that is so, does that not indicate it has "evolved" (maybe a better word is adapted) to the fact that it doesn't have to go to seed anymore?
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.
Came across this plant on the youtube channel growingyourgreens. John from the youtube channel calls these both tree collards and tree kale, what is the scientific name for this and where can someone buy these in Oregon?
ReplyDeleteHi, I came across tree collard on the internet and I am fascinated. I live in Santa Cruz (9b) and would love to try some. Would you have any cuttings you could share or sell? Also, I happen to pick up a new plant at the local college horticulture dept called Dick's picotee kale that sounds like a perennial kale similar to the tree collard. I have no idea how big it gets. Have you heard of it?
ReplyDeleteSo sorry - I no longer sell or share them. Only place I know is Common Ground in Palo Alto. Give them a call.
ReplyDeleteI just looked up Dick's picotee - OMG, I'd love to have some seed, but I can't find seed online.
If you come across any seed or if yours flowers and go to seed and you save seed, please keep me on your list to share.
I have two other awesome brassica hybrid seeds/plants I can share with you:
One is Yellow Cabbage Collard or Carolina Collard and the other is Wild Collard which is semi-perennial.
I bought a healthy small TC from Annie's Annuals in Richmond CA, "anniesannual.com"
DeleteAnnie's Annuals in Richmond, CA has tree collards available and they ship to most states. Look up "purple tree collard" on the search button at anniesannuals.com.
ReplyDeleteThanks! Now I have ideas as to why my cuttings are not doing so well and some places to try for more. Do you have data on tree collards nutrition?
ReplyDeleteThanks again,
Galen
I grew tree collards once... I did a few experiments on how to propagate the few I had. I had to because I neglected my plants and they became woody and nearly died. fearing I would lose the plant, I chopped the trunk into 6-12 inch segments and buried them in potting soil. All along the buried trunk, new shoots popped up that didn't seem to be woody at all... just food for thought!
ReplyDeleteHi,is there any chance you could sell me a cutting of your collard plant please? I've been looking for these for a long time now.
DeleteI live in England .
Many thanks,
Jayne
From David's other posts, it seems that, yes woody pieces will 'sprout'and grow, but those plants will be 'stunted', i.e., never grow as tall (?) as one from a green stem. (I think I got that right... David?)
DeleteBut can't you just take cuttings from the woody cutting once there is enough green shoot?
DeleteHi,
ReplyDeleteAny chance you could send to Peru a purple tree collard cutting? Or where could I buy one? I was able to get the green walking stick kale seeds but I just realize it's not as tall as the purple tree collard and I can get purple tree collard only by cuttings and not seeds.
Thanks in advance for any help with this.
Regards,
Thomas
Hi,
ReplyDeleteAny chance you could send to Peru a purple tree collard cutting? Or where could I buy one? I was able to get the green walking stick kale seeds but I just realize it's not as tall as the purple tree collard and I can get purple tree collard only by cuttings and not seeds.
Thanks in advance for any help with this.
Regards,
Thomas
PS: if you don't sell them maybe you would like to interchange cuttings with peruvian plants or seeds
DeleteStill hoping to find true Tree Collard cuttings in Australia. Collard Greens seed I can get but I'm really after the perennial plant. If anyone ever hears of a true Tree Collard in Australia I would love details please.
ReplyDeleteYour articles make whole sense of every topic.
ReplyDeleteShane's Trees
If you still want tree collard cuttings you can order them online from bountiful gardens
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteAnother source - Craigslist! I just bought some in Temecula (NE of San Diego) from a guy I found on craigslist. Here is a useful search term for CL, just go to your local craigslist, under for sale, cut and paste this: "collard|brassica collard|acephala|tree" It should pull up any ads by people selling tree collards.
So for planting placement - is this right?
Every 3 feet in a row? 1 per 9 square foot?
And for exposure...In hot dry climate (zone 10) would you choose east or west facing, full or partial sun? Sounds like maybe morning + filtered afternoon might be right?
How are people espaliering them? What shape? Cordon? Belgian Fence? Losange? Fan? Freeform 2-D? Pleaching? Will they grow straight if you tilt the main stalk?
Thanks for your superb blog!
Yes, I would suggest morning sun + filtered afternoon if you can swing it. Even better would be filtered afternoon sun from a deciduous tree, so that in the winter you would have full sun. I would love to see a picture of one that was pleached!
DeleteIf you tilt the main stalk they will start growing side shoots that go upwards, and the 'central leader' that you tilted will start to twist and upwards for the sun as well.
We offer purple tree collard cuttings for sale throughout the US. We are also putting together a number of videos and recipes that are tree collard related.
ReplyDeleteprojecttreecollard.org
I love your youtube video's. Have cabbage worms been an issue for you? I would hate to order them and then watch them get eaten in three days
DeleteI have a plot at a community garden where we can grow plants that do not exceed 5 feet. It sounds like your TC would be perfect if I manages for non-woody plants. Does that sound right?
ReplyDeletei ordered some tree collards off ebay. I know they came from southern CA. 4 of 6 developed leaves quickly within 2 weeks but 2 have nothing. The stems are still firm. How do you know which way is up?
ReplyDeleteI live in zone 5 (mid West Virgina) and have grown southern collard greens, (they live through the snowy winter) and love them. My main problem has always been the cabbage worm. Never figured out how to combat the worms organically so I stopped growing them. Which pests have you guys encountered with tree collards? I would love to try these Purple Tree Collards if cabbage worms are not an issue.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for providing all this invaluable information!! It has really helped me, as my tree collard got quite 'big' and 'old' before I realized I had better propagate pronto!! Fortunately, one (of many attemps) DID grow... and it is very vigorous and happy... will be a 'parent' this spring :)
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ReplyDeleteI started my 3rd Purple Tree Collard plant about a month ago. The 1st was from a cutting I got from a friend. That plant got old and a bit out of control so I took cuttings from it, potted them in about 2 quart pots. I planted a good looking one after about 6 weeks at my back fence which is at the north end of my Berkeley, CA property. About 6 inches behind the plant, right up against the fence, I mounted vertically an approximately 10 foot piece of standard rebar to support the growing PTC plant. It too eventually became large, so large it had taken over a substantial portion of the north side of my back yard, so I removed it (more easily done than I anticipated) and started 3 cuttings, again in about 2 quart plastic pots. My 3rd is doing well, expect to be able to cut leaves for stews or whatever in a few months. I've found the plants to be extremely hardy and not finicky. I do have problems with cabbage looper butterfly larvae, especially on the developing cuttings. I intend to buy some more BT for control. When there's lots of new growth, I have no trouble harvesting pristine leaves, but I want to control at the initial growth stage.
ReplyDelete