Endive
Curly Endive, Escarole, Frisee, Belgian Endive, Chicory, Cultivated Endive
Bitter salad green related to chicory. Best grown for fall harvest from late summer transplants — heat causes excessive bitterness. Blanch plants by tying outer leaves over the heart 2–3 weeks before harvest for milder, pale inner leaves. Very cold-tolerant; survives light frosts and improves in flavor. Escarole has broader, less divided leaves and is milder than curly endive.
- Germination
- 5–9 days
- Soil temperature
- 10–24 °C
- Harvest after sowing
- 85–100 days
- Spacing
- 30–40 cm
When to plant endive
Sow outdoors 12–14 weeks before your first autumn frost.
Dashed line: typical first autumn frost in zone 7 (Nov 1). Zone dates are averages; most of the UK is zone 8–9, central Europe 6–7 and the Baltics and Scandinavia 4–6. In the app, Tomatograph uses your garden's own frost dates.
How to grow endive
- 1
Sow in midsummer
Sow 6 mm deep 12–14 weeks before the first autumn frost so heads mature in cool weather. Summer heat makes endive very bitter.
- 2
Thin
Thin to 25–30 cm apart.
- 3
Blanch
Two to three weeks before harvest, tie the outer leaves over the centre, or cover the plant with a plate, for milder, paler leaves.
- 4
Harvest
Cut whole heads 85–100 days after sowing. Endive handles light frosts, which improve its flavour.
Growing conditions
Light
Partial sun
Water
Medium water
Temperature
-2–24 °C
Frost tolerance
Frost-hardy — tolerates frost
Days to maturity
70–95 days
Ideal soil pH
7–7.5
How Tomatograph watches your endive
Tomatograph checks your local forecast every morning and only speaks up when one of these applies to your garden.
- First frost within 14 daysReminder to mulch the roots before winter.
- 3 days at 35 °C or aboveHeat-wave alert while plants are flowering or fruiting: shade and water early.
- Humidity above 80% for 48 hoursCheck for tip burn, which thrives in those conditions.
- Within a week of maturityHarvest-window reminder based on when you planted.
Endive questions
- When should I plant endive?
- Sow outdoors 12–14 weeks before your first autumn frost.
- How long do endive seeds take to germinate?
- Usually 5–9 days at a soil temperature of 10–24 °C.
- How long until I can harvest endive?
- About 85–100 days after sowing, depending on variety and weather.
- How far apart should I plant endive?
- Allow 30–40 cm between plants.
- What grows well with endive?
- Good neighbours include lettuce, carrot, radish.
Growing guide written by Tomatograph. Planting figures from openplantdb (CC0 1.0). Zone frost dates are averages from openplantdb (CC0 1.0).