Everything You Need To Know About Merritt Tree Collards

In this video, you will learn everything you need to know about Merritt Tree Collards. @Project Tree Collard obtained a cutting of this wild tree collard in 2015 from Merritt College in Oakland, CA. This video will help you understand whether a Merritt Tree Collard is a good plant for your garden, how much space it needs, how to plant it, and where to plant it. You will get to see what it looks like planted in the garden and to hear about its growth habit and what you can expect.
Merritt Tree Collards are a green perennial brassica plant hardy to 20°, possibly lower. We propagated it from a tree collard at Merritt College in Oakland. The original plant probably self seeded in the garden from the numerous brassica species nearby that all bloom at the same time.
Merritt Tree Collard plants get 4-10 feet high with a strong, central, woody trunk and are more compact and dense than Purple Tree Collards. They can be propagated by cuttings once you get your first plant established and forming multiple trunks. If your plant does not naturally form multiple trunks, then you may cut off the top of the plant in mild weather and your plant will develop side branching. They should be planted 3-4 feet apart and may or may not require staking, depending on strength of the trunk and weather conditions.
Merritt Tree Collards will likely bloom in their second or third year. Let them flower and set some seeds before removing the flower stalks. After flowering and setting seed in the spring, they return to vigorous vegetative growth. You can still harvest Merritt leaves while it is blooming or seeding.
The leaves on our plants can measure over 2 ft long and weigh up to 1/2 a pound. The greens are delicious and are perhaps more mild in flavor than Purple Tree Collards. Like other collard greens, Merritt Tree Collards are very nutritious. They are high in Vitamins B1, B2, B9, C, and beta-Carotene and are also a great source of fiber.
Tree collards (Brassica oleracea var. acephala) are members of the brassica family. They are also known as Tree Kale or Tree Cabbage. Their relatives include traditional collards, kale, broccoli, cabbage, brussels sprouts, kohlrabi, and cauliflower. However, unlike most of its relatives, tree collards are perennial. This means that, like a fruit tree or rose bush, they will continue to grow and produce year after year and without the need for planting new seeds or seedlings every year like traditional collards and kale. Tree collards are hardy to about 20° F (-7° c) and in mild climates have been known to live for up to twenty years! They are closely related to other perennial collard varieties grown in Mediterranean, Africa, the Americas, and other countries.
You can find Project Tree Collard at: www.projecttreecollard.org
Instagram at: / projecttree. .
Facebook at: / projecttreec. .

[@lynoliver1128]

I ordered my cuttings 2 years ago. They did well in Las Vegas but kind of slow to grow. I moved to north Georgia, had it in a 5 gallon bucket in a uhaul all the way cross country! It went in the ground last fall and is now doing great! It's approximately 3 ft tall :)

[@projecttreecollard]

I love this story!

[@cassandraheath5368]

I use to live in LV and moved here to central ga. I hope I get some and they do well.

[@projecttreecollard]

@@cassandraheath5368 from what I hear they do really well in central GA

[@lynoliver1128]

They will do great for you. Mine has taken off here and I just started my 1st cuttings off my plant!

[@projecttreecollard]

@@lynoliver1128 great to hear:)

[@diego_villena]

You packed a few free sample Merritt seeds in my order! I’m excited to see what comes of them 😊

[@projecttreecollard]

yes I did:)

[@lilomarley2]

they do great in Hawaii to answer your question :)

[@projecttreecollard]

Thanks!!! super helpful

[@rockybeachy]

Did you say that you named the Merritt tree collard? Because Dan from Plant Abundance has been growing and sharing Merritt seeds thru his KZbin channel for 7+ years. If you search for Merritt collards several videos on his channel come up, along with your channel. He has an amazing garden in the Bay Area.

[@projecttreecollard]

Hi. I got the piece of a Green Tall Tree Collard from Merritt Hort Dept in around 2015. And I named in Merritt because it didn't have a name that I was aware of. (And it came from Merritt College where I went to school) Dan also got one named Merritt and I don't know if he named it or if someone else did, and unfortunately I don't know if his cutting came from the same plant or not. At any rate, we both have been sharing our plants with the public for about 7 + years and from what I can tell they are pretty gosh darn similar. We also live in very different climates and I find that soil and sun exposure can really change the characteristics of a plant.

[@HealthyLivingWithWendy]

Thanks for sharing 👍🏾

[@projecttreecollard]

thx!

[@bill.Latham]

Hello I really respect your knowledge on growing collar greens. My question is I planted some collars from stems and two of the plants are producing but the tips of the leaves are crispy and brown looking any suggestion of what the problem may be. I respect your opinion. The plants are still in the one gallon container. Thank You

[@projecttreecollard]

i'm really not sure why that is happening, sorry

[@MasterCoachUniversity]

we got the seeds and they were absolutely HUGE - about 2x thicker stalk as a collard and 50%-100% larger leaves. That said, they had trouble in the wettest part of the summer here in NE Florida. Lost a few then, but they PRODUCE right up until the end.

[@projecttreecollard]

awesome to hear of your success in NE Florida! thank you

[@anthonyhull3539]

Will they grow well in Tennessee? Where could I get them.

[@cleonawallace376]

I'm so excited to plant mine in the ground this year. I bought seeds from you last year of merrit, purple, big green collards and the seedlings survived in pots outside all winter (we're in Italy so it doesn't get super cold, but we do get some frosts). I'll keep you posted when they have a chance to grow in the ground how they all do in our climate. I can't wait to give friends cuttings! Tree collards seems like such a great perennial crop.

[@projecttreecollard]

wonderful! do keep me posted!

[@cleonawallace376]

I will! Sadly I have lost a few recently as the heat here has gone crazy hot practically overnight...daytime temperature is now at least 36/37 (I think it's around 100 F). Overnight a few just shrivelled up, but some are going strong. We are trying to get our land ready to plant in the ground (lots of wild boar who destroyed everything last year). But once we have the electric fence in I will plant, and hopefully they'll do better. I think the shrivelled ones are mostly the purples, but I'll have to check whether those that are thriving are of a particular type, as I also have big blue, merrit and green ones.

[@maraschaeffer3010]

You mentioned that the Merritt tree collard was a little more challenging to root than other varieties and you were going to try using agricultural sand as a rooting medium. How did that work out? I’ve ordered two cuttings and want to be successful.

[@projecttreecollard]

it really depends on your climate. In moderate temperatures it is much easier. I think they are more fussy about moisture and it is easy to under or overwater. Better to underwater in my experience

[@user-si9vr5ml5m]

Hello Sequoia How are you? Can you clarify if I should cut all of the Merritt collard In half all the way down so there are no more leaves? Or should I just cut 1/3 of the top off to get more branches

[@projecttreecollard]

either one...its less scary to do the latter

[@Grandma.Lilly.]

I love my Merritt tree collard, I originally got three cuttings, this one was the one that took root and survived Tucson summer twice. I would love to send you a picture of it. Mine grows in a 25 gallon grow bag west of my house, a side yard. It gets shade from the neighbor’s house, and southern light in the middle of the day. I think it’s the best location for my climate.

[@projecttreecollard]

awesome:) i'd love you to email photos thru the website. Also would love to know your USDA zone

[@casschadwick5819]

I live in Tucson as well! I’m hoping my cuttings will take root and sprout soon ( nervously waiting!)

[@WynterDragon]

My Merritt seeds I got from you have had 100% germination so far! They are quite viable.

[@projecttreecollard]

thanks so much for the feedback! It's always good to hear about 100% germination!!!!

[@HarshHazeStudios]

Just ordered Cuttings from all the varieties you had available: Jolly Green, Merritt, Purple, and Big Blue Tree Collard Cuttings. bummed you were out of Daubenton, Michigan, and Dinosaur. You will have to let me know when back in stock! I plan on getting them started this year in cloth pots here in S.TX, and then moving them up to my Ozarks [S. MO] property in the fall. Maybe grow them in my heated tunnels through the winter ..... Can't wait to get the cuttings!

[@projecttreecollard]

Hi! yes, I rarely have them all in stock at the same time. If you get on the notification lists, you will get an email when they are back in stock. But things do keep selling out quickly.

[@HarshHazeStudios]

@@projecttreecollard Very Good - Signing up for notifications now [I really want some Michigan Cuttings] - in the interim, I just went back and doubled down on a few you did have in stock in a second order.... Can't wait to get them going!

[@projecttreecollard]

@@HarshHazeStudios It will be awhile before I can offer Michigan cuttings. They will be blooming for the next few months.

[@HarshHazeStudios]

@@projecttreecollard I had some additional questions - I dropped a message through your website! Thank you again! - AWESOME CUTTINGS!!

[@blaqfish]

Should I put the cuttings directly into soil or should it have a day or two in water. Zone 7b Georgia. Also mostly sun or mostly shade. In our summer the heat goes up like Arizona 😊 Thank you

[@projecttreecollard]

since you are ordering them through the mail, good to soak for 6-8 hours....not days... then you can plant in your potting soil. Merritt cuttings need just the right amount of moisture...but not soggy!

[@paige.eats.plants1887]

I just got my cuttings yesterday, and potted them today. I got two Merritt and two purple. I hope they root well and thrive here. I’m in Tacoma, WA 8b. I heard about you from Angel at Parkrose Permaculture.

[@projecttreecollard]

I hope they rock your world:)

[@chadblu2320]

So it seems Merritt will do best in FL also in another video she said planting from seed will acclimate the plants more to their environment

[@projecttreecollard]

yes...I think Merritt Tree Collard Seed will better adapt to FL than the clonal method of propagation. Some seedlings won't adapt but some will really thrive.

[@chadblu2320]

@@projecttreecollard thank you so much I've been binge watching your vids the crop is very sustainable I'm thinkin of all the mouths I could food with this 😄

[@projecttreecollard]

@@chadblu2320 yes...feel free to email me through the website with your tree collard results in FL..especially in the hot months!

[@Paula_T]

Really looking forward to see how these do here in Reno NV (5400') My cuttings are already pushing out leaves inside under lights. Our lows here average 15 degrees but can go as low as 0. Needless to say I will always have backups inside in the winter. Thanks for the really nice cuttings.

[@projecttreecollard]

yes...keep me posted

[@busker153]

Well, on my second planting, I finally got a couple of sprouts of Purple Tree Collard! Now I have Dinosaur, Big Blue, Purple, and Jolly Green seeds sprouted out front. The Big Blue was the first, and is the largest, with like five leaves! Yippie! So, since my son and son-in-law came and removed a shed from my back yard that was sitting on a nicely built wood platform, I decided I had to put some seeds in the ground. I know it was a shed, but, that just constitutes one huge wood chip giving an area perfect "cover." I guess we will see, as I planted one of each from the seeds I had remaining. I put this comment here because, now that I have all four varieties my wife bought for me sprouted, it is time to put in another order, and Merritt Tree Collards is at the top of that list, followed by anything else she wants me to grow! LOL I did not know about the Merritt before we ordered, or it would have been in the first batch for sure, but, hey, all in His timing!

[@smsfmastergardeners]

Have you harvested fruit from your Little Cado avocado tree? Mine is very robust looking, over nine years old, blossoms in the spring, but hasn't set fruit yet.

[@projecttreecollard]

yes. mine is about 4 yrs old (a bit sad looking) and produced about 4 last year

[@smsfmastergardeners]

@@projecttreecollard do you have two avocado trees?

[@projecttreecollard]

@@smsfmastergardeners no. someone 4 doors down has one but it doesn't produce and she doesn't know what it is

[@smsfmastergardeners]

@@projecttreecollard I read that this type of tree is "usually" grafted and produces generously within 3-4 years of planting; mine may be non-grafted (no graft mark) and will produce within 7-10 years if at all. Boo hoo.

[@valencia81750]

Don’t you need an A and a B avocado for it to grow fruit?

[@Nightengale0000]

Mine will grow like crazy in the warm sun's of Jamaica😊

[@projecttreecollard]

yes

[@jessoakley3746]

Do you know the origins of the tree collard?

[@projecttreecollard]

I don't think anyone can say for sure. Many think that they came as seeds to the United States hidden in the braids of enslaved Africans. They are closely related to other perennial collard varieties grown in Mediterranean, Africa, the Americas, and other countries. There is a childrens book about Purple Tree Collards coming out in 2022 and I am hoping to find some more about the origins of them as well.

[@sehunlimitedsonyahoward1165]

I'm going to have to get one of those... How does it taste in comparison to the purple tree collard?

[@projecttreecollard]

Hard to describe but they are a more mild flavor and less nutty than the Purple Tree Collards

[@LWCtabby]

Is there any particular time best to root from a cutting (Merritt and Purple)? I'm in NW Florida and it is now (May 2) in the low 80s (nights 70s)

[@projecttreecollard]

its probably best for you to do it earlier than this....certainly try to avoid the extreme heat/cold. 65-80 is PERFECT, but othertimes will work....just can take longer

[@darlenewashington6019]

Who do we contact for cuttings, which are our preference; or seeds which we can get started?

[@projecttreecollard]

they are available right now at projecttreeollard.org. They sell out quickly!