Takes a light frost. Start indoors 6 to 12 weeks before your last frost; plant out 2 to 4 weeks before your last frost; sow outdoors 2 to 4 weeks before your last frost; sow in fall 12 to 14 weeks before your first fall frost. First harvest 85 to 98 days from sowing.
Photo: “Cichorium endivia J1” by Jamain, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons (cropped). The cropped version is shared under the same licence.
Full sun6–8 hours or more
8–12 in apartRows 18–24 in
85–98 daysFrom sowing
pH 5.5–7.0Soil pH
1 in a weekEven watering
Half-hardyTakes a light frost
Your dates
Put in your ZIP code to see when to start, plant and harvest endive where you live, from your own frost dates.
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From seed to harvest
SowSeed goes inWeek 0
SproutFirst shoots showWeek 1–2
True leavesFirst real leavesWeek 2–4
Thin or plant outGive each plant roomWeek 4–8
Leaf growthLeaves fill outWeek 6–10
HarvestReady to pickWeek 12–14
How to plant and grow
Grow it cool
Endive and escarole turn bitter in heat. Grow them as an early spring crop or, better, a fall crop that matures in cool weather.
Start or sow early
Start seed indoors 6 to 12 weeks before your last frost, or sow 1/4 inch deep outdoors 2 to 4 weeks before it.
Space the plants
Set out transplants 2 to 4 weeks before the last frost. Thin or space plants 8 to 12 inches apart in rows 18 to 24 inches apart.
Water evenly
Give about 1 inch of water a week, more in hot spells. Steady moisture keeps leaves tender.
Blanch the hearts
Once leaves are large, tie the outer leaves over the center for 2 to 3 weeks. Tie only when plants are dry, or the hearts can rot.
Sow for fall
Sow again about 3 months before your first fall frost. Plants take frost and can be cut into early winter.
Common problems
Photo: “Deroceras reticulatum” by Bruce Marlin, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons (cropped). The cropped version is shared under the same licence.
SlugsPest
What you'll see: Ragged holes in leaves and fruit, and shiny slime trails, mostly after damp nights.
Prevent
Clear mulch and leaf litter close to plants so the ground can dry.
Start early; do not wait for a heavy infestation.
Organic options
Sink shallow containers of beer to the rim; empty and refill them often.
Iron phosphate bait scattered on the soil around plants. Look for OMRI Listed products.
Conventional options
Same as organic: iron phosphate bait is the pick for food gardens, being far less harmful to pets and wildlife.
What you'll see: New leaves yellow and twist, and plants stay stunted with a tuft of thin shoots. Carrot roots turn small, hairy and bitter.
Prevent
Pull weeds such as wild carrot, chicory and dandelion that carry the disease.
Cover young plants with row cover to keep the leafhoppers that spread it off them.
Grow varieties sold as resistant or tolerant, where offered.
Organic options
Remove and destroy infected plants as soon as you see them.
Conventional options
None. No spray cures an infected plant.
Read and follow the product label: it is the law. It sets the rate, the crops it is for, and the days between spraying and picking. Products registered vary by state; for organic growing, look for products allowed under the USDA National Organic Program (OMRI Listed). We name active ingredients, not brands or rates.
The link opens this growing guide, so anyone can read it and look up their own planting dates.
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Sow
Sprout
True leaves
Thin or plant out
Leaf growth
Harvest
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