A Perennial Permaculture Original! The Crocodile Collard is a wonderful, care-free perennial replacement for lacinato kale. It has a similar bumpy textured, deep green leaves, and mild taste. You'll love this addition to your garden. (Brassica oleracea)
Why We Love It
Here are some of the reasons why we love The Crocodile Collard...
1) GREAT TEXTURE - These leaves have a wonderful, bumpy texture that grabs onto any flavoring that you add.
2) EASY- This perennial collard asks for so little and gives so much! Add a couple scoops of compost and some ground egg shells and you're good to go!
3) ABUNDANT - This variety loves to branch and give you endless green leaves to enjoy year-round.
How to Grow It
Here's how to grow The Crocodile Collard:
| SUN | FULL SUN to PART SHADE |
| MOISTURE | REGULAR GARDEN MOISTURE |
| GROWING ZONES | PERENNIAL OUTDOORS IN ZONES 8-10, CUTTINGS CAN BE OVERWINTERED INDOORS EVERYWHERE ELSE (Not sure? Find your growing zone here) |
| SIZE | 5 FEET TALL & WIDE |
| PRO TIP |
All brassicas like a good dose of calcium from time to time. We save our egg shells and grind them up in the blender and sprinkle around our perennial collards. How to root cuttings: We like to root cuttings in 4" or 1 gallon pots. Fill with moistened potting soil. Simply bury the cutting halfway in the soil. Tamp around the cutting to secure. Water occasionally to keep the soil moist. That's it! They root super easily and you should see new leaves start popping in 4-8 weeks. We root outside year-round in zone 9 and above. If you're colder than this, keep your potted cutting on a window sill until Spring. Let us know if you need any support. We're here for you! From rooted plant: We trim all of the leaves except for the top leaf for shipping to prevent dehydration. Once you plant into moist soil, it will spring to life for you and immediately start growing leaves. It's best not to let your plant flower as it's getting settled into its new home. Trim off any flowers for the first few months. It will seem to grow slowly for the first couple months as the roots settle in, and then it will boom with growth! How to keep your collard going indefinitely: If your weather is expected to drop below 20 degrees, take a few cuttings, trim off all the leaves except for the top leaf, and stick into a pot with moist soil and keep on a sunny windowsill until it warms up. This will ensure that you'll have an endless supply of this amazing plant for years to come. |
How to Harvest & Use It
Snap off the larger, outer leaves. It's best to harvest from the outside/in. Always leave at least 6-8 leaves to photosynthesize and feed the plant.
You can use this perennial green in soups, salads, stir fries. It tastes delicious chopped up and stir fried with garlic and olive oil. Add a little salt and pepper and serve over rice for a yummy dish.