Our readers keep the lights on and the coffee maker working hard! As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Specs are compiled from manufacturer listings and verified buyer reviews and can change over time — please confirm the key details on the product page before buying.
For a crop that practically defines the Southern kitchen, collard greens are surprisingly simple to start from seed — a little dirt, a little water, and you are weeks away from harvests that just keep giving. But choose the wrong packet, and you end up with spotty germination, weak stalks, or a variety that bolts (shoots a flower stalk and turns bitter) the minute the soil warms. What sets the best seeds for collard greens apart is a mix of proven genetics, real-world germination performance, and the right variety for how you actually grow — whether that is a single raised bed or a row of microgreens trays.
I’m Mohammad Maruf — the founder and writer behind Gardening Beyond. This guide is built by comparing the manufacturers’ published specifications and the patterns across verified customer reviews, so you get each pick’s real strengths and trade-offs instead of marketing spin.
If you want collards that taste sweet after a frost and stand up to summer heat, the seeds for collard greens you pick determine everything from days to harvest to how long the leaves stay tender on the stalk.
Our Picks at a Glance
How To Choose The Best Seeds For Collard Greens
Picking the right collard seed is less about flashy claims and more about matching the variety to your season, your soil, and how much you plan to grow. Here are the three things to get right before you buy.
Variety: Georgia Southern vs. Morris Heading
Georgia Southern is the classic — large, tender leaves that spread out like a fan, great for repeated leaf-by-leaf harvesting. Morris Heading produces a tighter, cabbage-like head of blue-green leaves with a denser texture. Georgia Southern tends to be faster to germinate in cool soil; Morris Heading often yields heavier per plant in a single harvest.
Germination records and seed age
Fresh seeds from a reputable source should show strong germination rates within a week under good conditions. Reviews from hundreds of growers are the real test — a packet that delivers “100% germination in five days” from multiple owners is worth more than any marketing line. Avoid seed lots that attract frequent complaints about blank cells in the tray.
Quantity and intended use
If you are filling a 50-foot row, you want bulk — 1 lb packs holding around 128,000 seeds. If you are starting a small fall patch or trying microgreens, a 5-pack of smaller envelopes is plenty. Variety packs with multiple greens let you test collards alongside kale, chard, and lettuce without committing to a whole pound.
Quick Comparison
| Model | Best For | Seed Count | Plant Height | Type | Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gardeners Basics 8 Greens★ Best Overall | Variety & beginners | 16 pieces (8 varieties) | — | Heirloom / Non-GMO | Amazon |
| Georgia Southern 5-PackTop Performer | Home garden rows | 5 | 36 inches | Heirloom / Non-GMO | Amazon |
| Morris Heading (1000 seeds) | Cabbage-like heads | 1000 | 1 foot | Heirloom | Amazon |
| Georgia Southern Large (8000) | Big fall patch | 8000 | 14 inches | Heirloom | Amazon |
| 1 Lb Morris Heading Gold Vault | Bulk planting / storage | 1 lb | — | Non-GMO | Amazon |
| Mountain Valley 1 Lb Georgia Southern | Microgreens / bulk rows | ~128,000 | 70 days to maturity | Heirloom / Non-GMO | Amazon |
| Southern Vegetable Collection | Southern garden variety | 15 varieties | 60 inches | Heirloom / Non-GMO | Amazon |
In‑Depth Reviews
1. Gardeners Basics, 8 Leafy Garden Greens Seeds for Planting Individual Packets
Our pick — over 4.5★ from 100+ verified ratings; the strongest balance of quality and price.
Eight heirloom greens in one bundle — the easiest way to trial collards without buying a dedicated packet.
This assortment puts collard greens right alongside arugula, spinach, Swiss chard, kale, and three types of lettuce, so you can scatter a fall patch of mixed greens from one order. Each of the 16 pieces (eight seed packets plus eight free plant markers) is individually packed in water-resistant envelopes with growing instructions printed on the back — no hunting online for how deep to sow. The collards are open-pollinated (plants that breed true from saved seed) and non-GMO, grown and produced in the USA, and the whole bundle lands at a price that makes it nearly risk-free for a first-time grower.
Buyers report that everything germinated excellently except the spinach, which one owner tried twice across 18 cells and got just one sprout. Several others note that germination was fast and the seedlings were “strong” — one even called it “a nice selection of different greens” and wished they had planted earlier in their zone. The peat-soil preference and regular watering needs are standard for leafy greens, so these fit right into any raised bed or container setup.
Why this bundle works
- 8 different greens in one purchase — low commitment, high variety.
- Water-resistant packets with full growing instructions on each.
- Free plant markers included to label rows.
The honest shuffle
- Spinach seeds in this batch had spotty germination for some owners.
- Collard yield per packet is small — best for a trial patch, not a long row.
The collector’s start: Perfect if you want to grow a few collards alongside a whole salad garden and you are not ready to commit to a bulk bag of one variety.
Look elsewhere if: You need a dedicated high-volume collard crop for freezing or frequent leaf-by-leaf harvesting — this is a sampler, not a production packet.
2. Collard Green Seeds for Planting – Georgia Southern Variety (5 Packs)
Classic Georgia Southern genetics that hit 36 inches and push tender leaves even after a light frost.
This is the dependable Southern heirloom that has been grown in home gardens for generations — large, tender leaves packed with vitamins, bred for both fall and spring planting. Each of the 5 packets delivers open-pollinated, non-GMO seeds from Survival Garden Seeds, a family-owned USA small business that tests for germination before packaging. The expected plant height of 36 inches means you are getting a full-size collard that produces heavy, repeated harvests when you pick the outer leaves.
The reaction from owners is fast and enthusiastic. Owners mention being “shocked when I saw little seedlings come out of the dirt only two days after planting these” — energetic growth that matches the “vigorous” and “fast germination” claims on the packet. Amazon’s reading of all reviews notes that seed quality is praised, but germination results are mixed across the full buyer pool, with some poor results. The 5-pack format makes it easy to stagger plantings or share with a neighbor, and the disease resistance and drought tolerance listed on the packet take some pressure off a new grower. Still, given the mixed germination feedback, it pays to sow a few extras per cell.
Garden-ready genetics
- Classic Georgia Southern — large, tender leaves ideal for Southern fall gardens.
- Low-maintenance label: disease resistant, drought tolerant, pest resistant.
- 5 separate packets for staggering or sharing.
Germination varies by batch
- Mixed germination feedback — some owners saw zero sprout while others had two-day seedlings.
- At 36 inches, these need generous row spacing or a raised bed.
Southern standard: Reach for this if you want the traditional Georgia Southern variety in a multi-packet format for a dedicated collard row.
Consider instead: If consistent germination is your top priority, the Morris Heading option from Everwilde Farms has a cleaner germination track record in owner reports.
3. Morris Heading Collard Seeds – Blue Green Cabbage Like Delicious Leaves
A cabbage-like collard that stays low at 1 foot, ideal for tight garden beds and cooler weather.
Morris Heading is a different shape than Georgia Southern — instead of wide spreading leaves, it forms a dense blue-green head that looks almost like a loose cabbage. For a gardener with limited space, the 1-foot expected plant height means you can tuck these into a 4×4 bed without them towering over everything else. The 1000-seed packet from Marde Ross & Company is generously stocked for the price, and the heirloom, loam-soil-loving seeds are designed for full sun and cool temperatures.
Owners call it “seeds and easy to plant” and note “fast shipping” with “item as described” — not a dramatic testimonial, but consistently positive across the handful of reviews. There is no mention of germination failures, which is a strong sign for a small sample. The “Attracts Pollinators” feature is a nice bonus: your collard flowers (if the plant bolts) will bring in bees, though the goal is to keep it vegetative and leafy through repeated harvests. The one caution is that 1000 seeds is a lot for a casual gardener — you will want to share or store extras.
No-drama performer: A compact, reliable Morris Heading packet perfect for small-space growers who want cabbage-like heads rather than fan leaves. The seed count is generous, and the reviews show no germination complaints.
Bed-saver: Best if you are growing in a raised bed or small plot and want a short, head-forming collard that doesn’t need staking.
Not the choice if: You want tall, spreading Georgia Southern leaves for repeated leaf-picking — this one is denser and lower.
4. Georgia Southern Collard Seeds – Dark Blue-Green Cabbage-Like Delicious Leaves – Large Package
Eight thousand seeds for about the price of a dinner out — a massive bag for a massive fall patch.
This is the volume play: 8000 seeds of Champion Collards (a Georgia Southern type) in a single large package, with a mature height of 14 inches — noticeably shorter than the classic 36-inch Georgia Southern, making it more manageable for harvesting. The dark blue-green leaves are described as cabbage-like and delicious, and the heirloom, non-GMO genetics from Marde Ross & Company carry the same full-sun, cool-weather planting instructions as the Morris Heading line. At 14 inches, these plants are compact enough to fit a dense row, and the moderate-watering needs make them low-fuss for a dedicated patch.
The real-world feedback is a mixed bag — and worth paying attention to. One owner reported “the largest collard’s I ever grown” and another said seeds “came up very well and grew very well until cows got into the garden” (a compliment, in its way). But one review was blunt: “not one seed produced.” The small sample of 28 ratings suggests batch variation is real, so buying from a fresh lot matters. That said, 8000 seeds at this price point is an incredible value for a gardener who can afford a 50-foot row and wants to share or save for next season. The bag is simple — no fancy mylar, just seeds — so treat it as a raw supply, not a storage vault.
High volume, some variance: A tremendous seed count for the cost, with multiple owners praising the size and growth of the collards. The trade-off is batch-to-batch germination inconsistency — a few customers got zero sprouts.
Row-filler: Grab this if you have a large garden plot and want to flood a bed with collards for soup-stock, canning, or microgreens. The seed count per dollar is class-leading.
skip it if: You depend on every seed sprouting for a precise plan — the spotty germination reports make it a gamble for a small, careful garden.
5. 1 Lb Morris Heading Collard Seeds – Gold Vault
Bulk non-GMO Morris Heading with a triple-layer mylar bag that claims longer storage than paper packets.
This is the seed-banker’s choice. Everwilde Farms packs its Morris Heading collards in a resealable Gold Vault bag — triple-layer mylar foil that, according to the brand, stores seeds longer than paper or plastic. The 1-pound bag is a serious quantity for a dedicated grower: enough to plant a multi-row patch, fill emergency seed stores, or share with friends. The seeds carry current lab test data printed on the packet, and the back includes detailed planting instructions plus a QR code for more online info.
The buyer feedback is as close to unanimous as seeds get. One owner described “100% germination in 5 days with heat mat. Hardy, great taste, heavy yields (3 harvests so far).” Another called it “the best collard ever” — tender, delicious, vigorous. The only downsides that surface: the shipping cost felt high to some given the light weight of the bag, and as the plants are “heavy yields,” they attract pests that require all-summer control. For bulk growers, the value in seeds-per-dollar and proven germination is tough to top.
Field-tested reliability
- “100% germination in 5 days” reported by multiple owners with heat mats.
- Triple-layer mylar resealable bag for long-term storage.
- Vigorous growth and heavy, repeated harvests.
The cost of bulk
- Shipping fee on a 1.1-pound item drew complaints from a few buyers.
- Heavy yields attract pests — plan for season-long pest management.
Prepper’s pick: Ideal for anyone building a long-term seed supply or planting a large collard patch with Morris Heading genetics and a near-perfect germination track record.
Not for small gardens: A pound of seeds is massive overkill for a single raised bed — unless you want to share or seed densely for microgreens.
6. Mountain Valley Seed Co Georgia Southern Collards Seed 1 Lb 128,000 Seeds
A full pound of Georgia Southern — roughly 128,000 seeds — bred for both full-size collards and microgreens.
Mountain Valley Seed Company packs this 1-pound bag with non-GMO, heirloom, open-pollinated Georgia Southern seeds, and the stated “high germination rate” makes it a strong candidate for microgreen growers who need dense, uniform sprout coverage. The 70-day days-to-full-maturity window is typical for collards, though if you are harvesting as microgreens you will cut them in 10-14 days. The USDA hardiness note says it is an annual crop not intended to overwinter, so direct sow in spring or late summer for a fall harvest.
The tone from owners is generally positive: “great germination, will buy again” and “awesome germination” — with one sharp exception where a customer wrote “not even one seed grew.” That outlier review alongside the mostly positive feedback suggests the same batch-variation risk that crops up with bulk seed. Still, at a count of roughly 128,000 seeds, you have enough margin to oversow and still get a full bed. The moderate watering needs and full-sun requirement are standard, but the bag itself is a simple foil pack — treat it as a working supply rather than a display item.
Volume leader for microgreens: If you are running trays of collard microgreens, the seed count per dollar here is tough to top. Just plan to sow a little extra to hedge against potential germination gaps in a batch.
Microgreen specialist: Perfect for commercial microgreen growers or gardeners planting a large fall row of Georgia Southern greens — the bulk format is economical.
Not for casual planters: A 1-pound bag of collard seeds is too much for a typical backyard garden. Choose a smaller packet unless you plan to share or sell the extras.
7. Southern Vegetable Seeds Collection for Planting | 15 Heirloom Heat-Loving Varieties
Fifteen heirloom, heat-loving varieties — including Georgia Southern collards — curated for Zones 7–10 summers.
This is not just a collard seed pack — it is a full Southern garden in a box. Alongside Georgia Southern collard greens, you get okra, purple hull peas, Hickory King corn, Armenian cucumber, crimson watermelon, long eggplant, habanero, banana pepper, green and rainbow tomatoes, cocozelle zucchini, crookneck squash, rattlesnake beans, and Jackson Wonder beans. Every variety is open-pollinated and non-GMO from Survival Garden Seeds, and the collection was explicitly selected for hot, humid climates with long growing seasons. The collard plant height reaches 60 inches in this collection — noticeably taller than the standalone Georgia Southern packs — which means plenty of leaf growth.
The reviews are glowing. Buyers call it “a Southern Gardener’s Dream Pack” and note “strong germination rates, quality packaging for longevity.” A few owners encountered a minor substitution — an orange cherry tomato instead of sweet banana pepper — but overall they praise the value and the fact that each packet carries detailed growing instructions. The collection is also designed for seed saving, with instructions on the back of each packet, so you can harvest seeds from your best collard plants and repeat the cycle next year. At 15 varieties for a single purchase, this is an outstanding entry point for a new Southern grower.
Complete Southern start: If you are building a garden that thrives through a Zone 8 or 9 summer, this collection saves you from buying 15 separate packets. The collard seeds are a genuine Georgia Southern heirloom, and the value per variety is excellent.
All-in-one Southern plot: Ideal for a gardener in Zones 7–10 who wants a full vegetable patch — collards, okra, beans, corn — from a single, curated purchase.
Overkill for collard-only growers: If you just want collard greens and nothing else, a dedicated packet or bulk bag gives you more seed for less money.
Understanding the Specs
Georgia Southern vs. Morris Heading
These are the two main collard types you will encounter. Georgia Southern produces large, spreading leaves that are ideal for repeated leaf-by-leaf harvesting through fall. Morris Heading forms a tighter, cabbage-like head of blue-green leaves with a denser texture and shorter plant height. Georgia Southern tends to germinate faster in cool soil; Morris Heading often yields heavier in a single cutting. Choose based on how you harvest — continuous picking (Georgia Southern) or one-and-done heads (Morris Heading).
Seed count and your garden size
Collard seeds are tiny — a single gram holds about 300 seeds. A 5-packet set (roughly 50–100 seeds per packet) is enough for a 10–15 foot row. A 1-pound bag (~128,000 seeds) is for microgreen trays, large market gardens, or multi-year bulk storage. Oversowing is common because germination rates vary, but plan on 2–3 seeds per cell or every 6 inches in the row, then thin to the strongest one.
Germination temperature and heat mats
Collard seeds germinate best when the soil is between 50°F and 85°F. In cool spring soil (45–50°F), germination can take 10–14 days. A heat mat set to 70°F can pull seedlings up in 4–6 days, as multiple buyers reported with the Everwilde Gold Vault seeds. If your soil is too hot (above 85°F), germination stalls — wait for fall temperatures in warm climates.
Heirloom, open-pollinated, and seed saving
Heirloom varieties are open-pollinated, meaning they breed true from saved seed year after year — unlike hybrid seeds that produce unpredictable offspring. If you let a Georgia Southern collard plant bolt (send up a flower stalk) and flower, the seeds you collect will grow into the same variety next spring. Non-GMO guarantees no genetic engineering, but says nothing about breeding method; heirloom is the better term for traditional genetics you can save.
FAQ
When should I plant collard green seeds for the best harvest?
How deep should I plant collard seeds?
How far apart should I space collard plants?
Will collard greens survive winter?
How long do collard seeds stay viable in storage?
What is the difference between Georgia Southern and Morris Heading collards?
Can I grow collard greens in containers or raised beds?
How long does it take collard greens to mature from seed?
Do collard seeds need light to germinate?
Can I direct sow collard seeds or should I start them indoors?
Final Thoughts: The Verdict
For most gardeners, the best path to a successful collard patch starts with the Gardeners Basics 8 Greens Bundle if you want variety, or the Everwilde Farms 1 lb Morris Heading Gold Vault if you need bulk seeds with a near-perfect germination track record. If you are building a deep-South garden from scratch, the Survival Garden Seeds Southern Collection packs 15 heat-loving heirlooms including collards into one buy. And for a dedicated row of Georgia Southern without the bulk pound, the 5-Pack from Survival Garden Seeds gives you classic genetics ready for fall planting. Whichever you choose, collards are among the most forgiving greens a home gardener can grow — just pick the right seeds and let the frost do its work.
How We Picked
We do not accept paid placement. Every pick is matched to a real buyer and a real use-case; we do not hands-on test units.
Sources & Methodology
Specifications: manufacturer listings and product documentation. Review insights: verified customer reviews, as of July 2026. Pricing: not shown on this page (it changes often); check the current price via the retailer link.
As an Amazon Associate, Gardening Beyond earns from qualifying purchases. This does not affect which products we feature.