Not all fertilizers are created equal. The difference between the best ones out there and an average one is drastic. Your collard greens needs proper nutrients to grow strong and healthy.
Luckily, there are many products on the market that you can choose from. However, having so many products also makes it hard to identify the which ones have the ideal nutrient profile and uses good quality ingredients. I have done the hard work to help you find the top products for your collard greens. Read on below to learn what makes a good fertilizer and the best products that can all be found online at great prices.
We have plenty of other articles on vegetables and fruits. We have a great article on starting your own herb garden at home.
At A Glance
- OUR TOP CHOICEMiracle-Gro Nature’s Care Organic Blood Meal
- Down to Earth Blood Meal
- Burpee Organic Blood Meal
- Easy Peasy Urea Fertilizer
- Epsoma Blood Meal
Comparison Table
Here is a table of my picks for the top fertilizers. Take a scroll through and use my more detailed product roundup below to help you make your decision.
Table could not be displayed.
Miracle-Gro Nature’s Care Organic Blood Meal
- N-P-K Ratio: 12-0-0
- Type: Granules
- Amount: 3 lbs
Miracle-Gro Nature’s Care Organic Blood Meal is a nitrogen based fertilizer that was created in order to nourish plants from the roots up. It improves the soil quality and releases nutrients directly to plants’ roots. The slow release formula means that it continuously feeds and nourishes plants. When used beginning in the spring, gardeners will only need to apply it every two months. Collard greens treated with this blood meal are often larger and healthier. Gardeners will be able to have fuller, greener harvests after using it.
Down to Earth Blood Meal
- N-P-K Ratio: 12-0-0
- Type: Granules
- Amount: 5 lbs
For an excellent organic fertilizer, Down to Earth Blood Meal is a great choice. It is high in nitrogen, which helps to nourish plants from the leaves down. The nitrogen helps to encourage growth, so it’s perfect for assisting in establishing new plants or stimulating growth in older plants. Because nitrogen is so essential for a plant’s leaves, this product promotes not only fuller foliage but also darker, richer color in that foliage. Collard greens treated with it are often larger, greener, and have a delicious flavor.
Burpee Organic Blood Meal
- N-P-K Ratio: 12-0-0
- Type: Granules
- Amount: 3 lbs
The Organic Blood Meal from Burpee is an excellent choice for leafy greens, such as collard greens, as it promotes abundant growth and fuller plants. The blood meal features a high nitrogen content. This helps to nourish the soil, promoting the release of nutrients. More importantly, plants that have high nitrogen levels in their leaves are better able to photosynthesize, so they grow more rapidly. They are also healthier, greener, and more lush. Harvests will be abundant when gardeners use this product. Aside from nourishing plants, this product also works well to keep deer away, which can save many plants.
Easy Peasy Urea Fertilizer
- N-P-K Ratio: 46-0-0
- Type: Granules
- Amount: 5 lbs
Easy Peasy Urea Fertilizer is the perfect choice for collard greens. Its formula is specifically designed to encourage new growth in plants, including flowers and vegetables. It also encourages a deep green color in a plant’s leaves. The product is made up of urea nitrogen, which works quickly to encourage rapid growth. In addition, the ingredients are safe to use, so gardeners can feel good about using this to nourish their plants. Collard greens treated with Easy Peasy Urea are often larger and healthier overall, and they tend to produce more foliage.
Epsoma Blood Meal
- N-P-K Ratio: 12-0-0
- Type: Granules
- Amount: 17 lbs
Epsoma Blood Meal is designed to help plants grow. The formula encourages larger, fuller leaves, so gardeners who use this product can expect an abundant harvest. The product, which is made of organic materials, is rich in nitrogen, which is essential for strong leaves and, therefore, healthier plants overall. Not only is blood meal excellent for encouraging growth, however, but it also works well to discourage deer and other wild animals from entering gardens and eating plants.
Note the amount of fertilizer that you will be purchasing with this bag. It is 17 pounds. The price is high, but it makes sense once you look at the amount you are purchasing.
Make sure to also check out our guide on how to care for onions.
A Short Guide
Collard greens fall into the category of vegetable known as brassica. This category includes vegetables like mustard greens, kale, bok choi, broccoli and many others. Growing them yourself can be a great cost-saving and interesting hobby or it can be done on larger scales to sell at farmer’s markets.
With the proper care, growing healthy, nutritious and tasty greens is easy.
Appropriate Fertilization
Collards need a moderate amount of nutrients and fertilization to grow well. When you are looking at a product’s labeling you often will find the N-P-K ratio. The N stands for nitrogen, P stands for phosphorous, and K stands for potassium. If you don’t see a specific N-P-K ratio listed, you can look in the ingredients and just look for the percentage of the product that is nitrogen vs phosphorous vs potassium. Different plants have different requirements.
We recommend a N-P-K ratio with very high levels of nitrogen. The N-P-K ratio may be 12-0-0 or 27-3-3, etc. The ratio does not have to be exact, but make sure the nitrogen levels by far supersede the phosphorous and potassium. The nitrogen is what allows the greens to develop dark green leaves.
Make sure to follow the instructions on the fertilizer that you buy in regards to how much to apply. Do not add too much as this can lead to as many issues as under fertilizing. Excessive nutrients can lead to diseases or “leaf burn”.
Plant in Full Sun
Collard greens will tolerate some shade, but they really thrive in full sun. They should receive about 5-7 hours of full sun per day.
Watering Requirements
Using a drip system with soaker hoses or irrigation systems are the ideal way to water. Deep waterings once per week is preferred over frequent shallow waterings.
If possible, use well-drained soil as this will further help boost growth and prevent root rot.
Avoid Herbicides, But Remove Weeds
Weeds can cause havoc on just about any plant, but particularly collards because of their nutritional requirements. Weeds compete with your plants for nitrogen in the soil. We recommend that you manually remove any weeds. Do not add any herbicides or weed killers, as these will inadvertently affect your collards.
Length to Harvest
Most collards take about 55 to 75 days to mature to the point that they are ready to be harvested. We suggest that you cut the entire plant. If done at the appropriate time, the leftover crown often will sprout for another harvest. Try to harvest when they are dark green and before they reach a foot long. The later the time of harvest, the more likely the leaves will be fibrous and not as tasteful.
Wrapping it up
I hope you use this guide and one of these great fertilizers to help you raise healthy collard greens. Remember that with water and fertilization, the most important thing is to apply just the right amount – not too much and not too little.
This is a very informative article. I learned alot about what I should be doing to grow my five collard plants in pots.
I will apply your suggestions as I didn’t realize some of the things I neglected and the things I should actually be doing to have this first collards harvest to be a success.
I’m trying…Something is biting the leaves but I don’t see a worm or other insects.