Variety field guide
What to expect from Champion
Champion is a biennial collards selection grown for leaves or swollen stems, repeated harvest, cool weather, and seed saving.
Read the complete product descriptionTraits, flavor, garden use, variety notes, and the full catalog record
Champion Collard is a dependable, heavy-yielding collard selected for big plants, broad dark-green leaves, and a steady harvest through cool weather. This variety grows with a strong upright habit and builds thick, tender leaves that hold up well in the garden and in the pot. The leaves are large and substantial with a rich, traditional collard flavor that sweetens noticeably after cool nights and light frosts.
About Champion
Champion is a biennial selection of collards, with an upright/erect habit and an expected height or spread of 25–30 in. It is best suited to leaves or swollen stems, repeated harvest, cool weather, and seed saving. Notable traits include harvest outer leaves repeatedly or lift kohlrabi at the intended stem size; mild to robust brassica flavor that improves with careful timing.
Treat Champion as a named seed line with its own observations, not as a generic stand-in for the entire collards crop.
History and provenance
Broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, collards, kale, and kohlrabi are distinct crop groups within Brassica oleracea. Generations of selection emphasized different plant organs: flower buds, heads, leaves, side buds, or swollen stems. Their shared species identity is especially important in seed-saving isolation. HISTORY AND CULTURE - Champion Collards (Brassica oleracea var. viridis) Champion Collards are a classic Southern-style collard grown for dependable harvests, sturdy plants, and broad, flavorful leaves that hold up beautifully in the pot. In many gardens across the Southeast, collards are not just a “green”, they are a seasonal staple crop, planted for steady cutting, hardiness, and the way their flavor deepens after cool weather. At the species level, Brassica oleracea is an old and widely developed food plant that includes many of the leafy and heading vegetables people already know, such as kale, cabbage, broccoli, and collards. Over generations, growers selected certain lines for strong leaf production and cold tolerance rather than tight heads. Collards are part of that lineage, built for leaf harvest, resilience, and repeated picking. The leaves are large and substantial with a rich, traditional collard flavor that sweetens noticeably after cool nights and light frosts.
Growing facts
| Scientific name | Brassica oleracea L. Viridis Group |
|---|---|
| Life cycle | Biennial |
| Maturity | 70-79 Days |
| Germination | 5-10 Days at 50–65 °F |
| Seed depth | 1/4 in |
| Plant height / spread | 25–30 in |
| Growth habit | Upright/Erect |
| Spacing | 18 in between plants; 30 in between rows |
| Sunlight | Full sun |
| Soil | Loamy; pH 6.0–6.5 |
| Water | Moderate |
| Support | No-Support |
Starting Champion from seed
Sow 1/4 in deep and keep the seed zone evenly moist. Expect emergence in 5-10 Days when the seed-zone temperature is near 50–65 °F. Germination preparation: Start in clean seed-starting mix when season length requires it, then transplant at a sturdy but not root-bound stage. Light requirement: Cover evenly to 1/4 in. Soaking: None required. Stratification: None required. Scarification: None required.
Planting and care
Plant during spring/Fall and provide full sun. Space plants 18 in apart with 30 in between rows. Use loamy with a pH near 6.0–6.5, and follow a moderate watering plan. Support requirement: No-Support. Frost response: Semi-Hardy. Medium to large container or in-ground bed; avoid crowding
Harvest and use
Approximately 70-79 Days, from transplanting to the primary market harvest stage. Weather, soil temperature, and planting method can shift the actual harvest date. Harvest: Harvest outer leaves repeatedly or lift kohlrabi at the intended stem size. Uses: Leaves or swollen stems, repeated harvest, cool weather, and seed saving. Flavor: mild to robust brassica flavor that improves with careful timing. Seed saving: Insect-pollinated Brassica oleracea. Best uses include leaves or swollen stems, repeated harvest, cool weather, and seed saving. Flavor and eating quality: mild to robust brassica flavor that improves with careful timing.
Saving seed
Select several healthy, true-to-type Champion plants that match the expected upright/erect habit and overall plant form. Avoid saving seed only from the earliest or largest individual unless that is your deliberate selection goal. Pollination system: Insect-pollinated Brassica oleracea. Crop groups within Brassica oleracea can cross with one another. Separate compatible varieties that may flower together, or use cages, barriers, hand pollination, or another documented control appropriate to the crop. Champion is a biennial. Seed production may require overwintering, vernalization, or more than one growing season, depending on climate and crop biology. Clean the seed carefully, dry it thoroughly away from direct heat, label the lot with variety and year, and store it cool, dark, and dry. Test germination before an important planting or distribution season.
Common problems
Common concerns: Flea beetles, imported cabbageworm, cabbage loopers, aphids, slugs, root maggots, and clubroot risk where the pathogen is present. Management: Use rotation, insect netting before pests arrive, regular leaf inspection, sanitation, and well-drained soil. Do not plant the same brassica family repeatedly in one bed. Diagnosis note: Similar symptoms can have different causes. Compare plants of the same age, record weather and irrigation, and use local Extension or diagnostic support before applying a control.
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions - Champion
When is Champion ready? Use 70-79 Days. Approximately 70-79 Days, from transplanting to the primary market harvest stage. Weather, soil temperature, and planting method can shift the actual harvest date.
How long does germination take? Expect 5-10 Days at about 50–65 °F. Cooler, hotter, crusted, saturated, or dry seedbeds can slow emergence.
How large does it grow? Expect about 25–30 in with an upright/erect habit. Space plants 18 in apart and rows 30 in apart. Support: No-Support.
Can it grow in a container? Medium to large container or in-ground bed; avoid crowding Use a container with drainage and enough volume to maintain the listed spacing and steady moisture.
Can I save seed? Insect-pollinated Brassica oleracea. Keep compatible varieties isolated and allow selected plants to reach full seed maturity.
