Wanted Tree Collard cutting Australia

Gerry C

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Been trying to get these for ages. I know there were some in QLD and also Daley's nursery list them but they've been out of stock for years.

Does any Aussie member grow them?

I'd really be interested to know and think of me if you have cuttings :)

Cheers
 

ClissAT

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Hi Gerry, welcome.

Try these people for seeds.
https://www.succeedheirlooms.com.au...m-leaf-vegetable-seeds/collards-champion.html

Also try Green Harvest at Maleny.

I make my own tree collards from heritage broccoli.
I cut the first head while still young before anything gets a chance to eat it which causes the plant to begin branching profusely.
Every branch produces a small head of broccolini plus a heap of yummy tender leaves that can be eaten raw in salads or lightly stir-fry or steamed.
The more I harvest the leaves and heads the more I get.
The bush will get to well over a metre tall by 700wide. I let some heads go to seed for the flowers both for my salads and the bees then to get seeds.
I continue to harvest for about a year.
Due to the white butterfly issues I wait until almost winter to plant about 4-6 plants. If the butterflies are bad I have to net the broccoli with blueberry nets.
 
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Gerry C

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Thanks for the reply, but seeds aren't true to type usually.
I tried before and usually get something like walking stick kale.
Your broccolini experiment sounds great though, can you grow the same one for multiple years?
I get 2 years out of dinosaur kale plants often.
 

ClissAT

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Gerry I used both heritage broccoli and hybrid seedlings from Bunnings to grow into long life broccolini and green leaves.
I always save seed from the heritage broccoli to plant next year.
I buy new seed about every 5th year and throw all my saved seed into a bed to grow into horse feed.

But I don't save seed from the bought hybrid seedlings from Bunnings but it does often have better disease resistance. It depends on what the season has in store as to what I use. Often I plant both then protect only the ones doing the best and give the rest to the horses.

But both types will produce a head of broccoli first which I cut then after they branch I start getting the broccolini and leaves within 2-3wks. And they go all year from there. I had one heritage go for two years.

The dark green leaves are full of potassium which I need a lot of now due to particular illness.
 

Gerry C

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Gerry I used both heritage broccoli and hybrid seedlings from Bunnings to grow into long life broccolini and green leaves.
I always save seed from the heritage broccoli to plant next year.
I buy new seed about every 5th year and throw all my saved seed into a bed to grow into horse feed.

But I don't save seed from the bought hybrid seedlings from Bunnings but it does often have better disease resistance. It depends on what the season has in store as to what I use. Often I plant both then protect only the ones doing the best and give the rest to the horses.

But both types will produce a head of broccoli first which I cut then after they branch I start getting the broccolini and leaves within 2-3wks. And they go all year from there. I had one heritage go for two years.

The dark green leaves are full of potassium which I need a lot of now due to particular illness.

I grow De Ciccio that way too but always chop it off after letting a little bit flower and seed for next year.
I am chasing tree collards as I really like growing perennial veggies.
Plenty of brassicas growing at my place plus chard, warragul greens, malabar spinach, A****aba etc.
so we are never short of greens :)

Good luck with the health issues
 

ClissAT

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Here's a photo of one of my broccoli bushes providing leaves and broccolini for me and dark green leaves for my chooks.
You can see they help themselves to the darker leaves around the bottom of the plant while I get the fresh broccolini and young leaves from the tops of each branch.
That year I had two plants, one heritage & one commercial for comparison but I didn't notice much difference either in yield or pest and disease tolerance.
You will notice the black hen has her beady eye on what I have in my hand! :D

brassica leaves n broccolini for me and leaves for chooks.jpg
 
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