Vates vs. Georgia Southern Collards

I've always grown Vates collards which have been readily available in small seed packs, farm packs or bundles. This past year the seed and feeds have Bonnie cell packs (9 plants for $3.50), Mayo or Imperial seed and all are Georgia Southern collards. So I did a little research and Georgia Southern is supposed to be prone to bolt and not uniform in leaf size or shape. Vates leaves are uniform and one of the most bolt resistant varieties. Any ideas why they made the switch? Any comments on these varieties? Luckily I had enough seed for Fall planting but will have to go scouting by Spring.
Laurel

I am not fond of either Georgia or Vates. Vates is an improved version and a bit more uniform than Georgia. Georgia is still popular among those that pick the older leaves and leave the crown. They call them walking collards. In the spring they look like a tall stick with a little bunch of leaves at the top. I prefer to cut the whole plant so I much prefer the cabbage collards which have a loose head of tender leaves, but also like some of the newer hybrids like Flash, Top Bunch, Blue Max ....
Bonnie plants sells 4 collard varieties. Top Bunch. Carolina Cabbage, Morris Heading, and Georgia. Here most of retailers sell two of the four. Which ones depend on what they think the local folks want.
This year I am trialing Bulldog, a Georgia based hybrid released by UGA in addition to regular and yellow cabbage collards. have a few Flash as a control. They are ready to transplant, but the soil is hot and powder dry so I am waiting for a break in the weather.

I'm coming in from busting that dry soil. Luckily I can water the scaled down Fall garden. We've had no rain for three weeks in N. GA.. Thanks for the speedy response, Dill. I've not preferred the heading collards because we forage collards from our winter garden and then those same plants take off again in Spring. I then plant a Spring patch to come behind them after they flower. The Vates often walk for a couple of years and I bury the stems as they wander. Do you pick and can or freeze all your collards at once? Do you think there is a flavor difference between heading and non-heading types? Are the newer hybrids you listed heading or non-heading? Those collards are gorgeous!

I began cutting collards at Thanksgiving, cut the majority for new years, when I supply my neighbors and church family and then cut as needed into February. At which time I am tired of collards and ready to move on to spring crops. and No, that is a sufficient period of eating collards so I don't preserve any. I am old and set in my ways, and tend to eat in season. Georgia and to a lesser extent its derivatives have large tough leaves. The heading types are much more melt in your mouth tender altho I am not fond of Morris Heading. That's mostly because it is a finicky plant. The hybrids are all loose leaf, but tend to be more tender than Georgia. Very uniform and productive in the ones that I have tried. The leaves are close together and not only give a high yield for the size of the plant, but I think that close set of the leaves provides some protection that leaves them more tender. The photo is of Blue Max.
This is a green Cabbage collard, The yellow is even more tender.

You always give good advice and I'll take it. The Vates seed is already out but I will look for Top Bunch plants. Bonnie plants are cheaper in Atlanta than up here. I'm not seeing any other growers as an option. I'll let you know what I find. Off to plant arugula and turnips. Thanks again.
Laurel

"because we forage collards from our winter garden"

Does that mean you harvest leaves a little at a time, Maypop? I'm one of those that "prime" collard plants (like you would prime tobacco) and end up with the weird looking mopheads late in the winter!

Like Dill I prefer the more tender cabbage collards, too. I have plenty of seed of yellow cabbage collards if you would like to try some. Farmerdill grew them out last year and posted good pics in Plant Files if you want to see them. If I mail the seed out tomorrow you'd have them by Saturday, I would think.

Farmerdill, I'll be looking forward to your report on the hybrid collards.

Shoe

Don't forget the rutabagas, In January -February, they really come into thier own. Greens are good too when mixed with kale, turnip or mustard spinach (komatsuna). I also grow Asian radishes for both tops and greens. Every retailer both large and small only has Bonnie vegetable plants, so thier offering is all thats available in plants. Seems to hold tru for much of east.
Top Bunch

Shoe, I'd love to try them but only see the listing for Cabbage Collards and that looks like an old one. Can you point me to a thread? I'm about to DM you.

Yes, I like to harvest and cook about two bunches worth at a time but in single leaves through December and then the plants slow considerably. I go out to the garden January-March and am able to get enough frosty leaves, along with kale, to add to soups, stews or stir fry. I freeze leaves in Fall to supplement the slow harvest in Winter. Since we don't live full time at our veggie garden location I use some creative harvest maneuvers to get my "farmer" on. Anyway, the collards take off again in early April and put out lots of light-colored tender leaves and then flower. We use the flowers in salads and Spring soups.

Dill, I got the Swedes seed in earlier today (Purple Top). What kind do you grow? I also planted mustards and turnips. I planted Savoy cabbage and the Bonnie 45 day golden one (?). Never grown it. I saw afterward there were flatheads available but I wanted a fast cabbage and love savoy. I've got Fordhook chard from this past Spring that usually does well through the following Spring. This year it's struggled so I planted a Fall row. There's something coming up in the Spring lettuce patch that must be radishes, arugula or both. Either way, it's all good.

Do either of you plant beets in Fall?
Laurel

http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/54730/ http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/178737/ No I don't do fall beets or any fall chenopodia. By the time the soil temps drop enough for germination, it is too late. Tried several times to outsmart them, but even when I got germination, the plants grew long spindly roots trying to escape the hot soil.
American Purple Top is my standard for rutabagas, have tried Helenor to no advantage.

Can't grow Brussels sprouts though they sell them everywhere here. I've grown fair but very small cauliflower and did better before the days of self-blanching when I used to tie them up. Now I know I've veered from my original thread, but the extension service planting guide says there's still a few days left to plant cucumbers. Maybe a few fast picklers? What do you think? The veggie garden is in 7a. I forgot to mention that I seeded kale too which along with the chard did not do well this year for the first time. I can live without mustard and turnips if there's collard's, kale and chard. What else is in your Fall gardens? We've harvested all but a couple of Winter squash. They came in earlier this year.
Laurel

I don't have any luck with Brussels sprouts either. Too long a season. For late summer early fall, I plant snap beans and summer squash in August. Squash are doing ok but costing me a fortune in water. Beans burned out. 10 inches behind in rainfall and it all occured beginning the middle of June until the present. Not only dry but hot all summer. I normally plant late fall winter garden beginning around Labor Day but not this year. I normall have pretty good luck with short season cauliflower and broccoli, turnips, rutabaga, radishes ( European early and Asian late) mustard ( both Indian and komatsuna). Cabbage has been hit and miss. Around Thanks giving I will plant smooth seeded English peas (Willet Wonders) conditions permitting. Not a chard person, nor regular beet greens.

I think you've posted about hot dry conditions for several years now, Dill. I need to send you my rain stick. Will be watching the weather and thinking of you. We hopefully have some rain coming later this week.

Collards are biannuals that need a pronouced cold period followed by a warm period to begin flowering. If planted in the Spring they won't bolt until the next spring. If planted in the fall they will bolt in the spring. Timing your crop is more important than the variety, IME.

I've grown Vates, Georgia Southern and Morris Heading. Georgia Southern is the largest and most productive but has a stronger flavor and tougher leaves. This variety is the best for cooking traditional Southern greens. Vates is a bit smaller and milder. Morris Heading is also pretty good, too. Its also much milder, if I remember correctly.

My experiences with Georgia Southern have been positive. They hold up very well to heat, even is a very hot summer area. There was never a hint of bitterness even when harvesting in June and July.

Why don't you try growing several different types of collards?! They are very easy to start in flats or directly in the garden.

Thanks for the input Dlbailey. Actually what Dill calls "walking" collards, though considered biennial, can last for an additional year. I've grown collards for over thirty years, mostly by seed or sometimes in bunch packs, and settled for Vates early on. I'm willing to experiment though. I might try a variety of Bonnie plants to see if buying that variety of seed is worthwhile. This is where my info came from. http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/hs353 Thanks again.
Laurel