Endive

When to Start

Northern Climates, Spring: Start indoors 8-10 weeks before your last frost date and transplant after hardening off and when the danger of frost has passed.

Northern Climates, Direct sow: 4-6 weeks before your last frost date.

Southern Climates, Fall: Sow indoors for best results in midsummer for a fall harvest. (End of July – Mid-Aug for Jefferson, GA).

Southern Climates, Direct Sow: Late summer (end of July – mid-Aug for Jefferson, GA) with heat protection or when soil temperatures are between 45-75 F. Historically, this is the month of October for Jefferson, GA.

How to Grow

Whether you are direct sowing or transplanting broadleaf or curly endive, be sure to plant at the right time of year for your area. Fluctuations in temperature up or down can cause every type of endive to bolt, making it unpalatable.

Starting Indoors:

Fill seed cells or pots with pre-moistened seed starter mix. Then sow the endive seeds 1/4 inch deep and place them under grow lights. You will want grow lights that don’t put out lots of heat, as the ideal soil temperature for germination is 45-75 F. Pot up as necessary to prevent the plants from becoming rootbound.

For Southern gardeners, starting indoors should give you better germination, as often summer soil temperatures are going to be too warm. Start indoors in mid to late summer. Transplant seedlings after hardening off in early fall for a winter harvest.

Northern gardeners can transplant after hardening off and after the danger of frost has passed in the spring.

Space plants 6-12 inches apart.

Direct Sowing:

Choose a full sun to part sun location that has well-draining soil.

Northern gardeners, sow seeds 1/4 inch deep 4-6 weeks before your last frost date in spring. Provide frost protection should there be a late freeze.

Southern gardeners, be aware that direct sowing can be a bit tricky. It is not recommended to sow in the spring as the temperature swings are too problematic to make growing all varieties of endive a successful endeavor.

Endive doesn’t like the summer heat, and it doesn’t germinate well in soil temperatures above 75 F. This makes direct sowing difficult for Southern gardeners, as the time for direct sowing is mid to late summer. With heat protection, like shade cloths, you might be able to get some to germinate. You could also try growing the curly varieties, as those tolerate heat better than the broadleaf endives. Starting indoors and transplanting when temperatures have cooled down should give Southern gardeners more success.

Southern gardeners could also wait until the soil temperature has cooled to the ideal germination range of 45-75 F. Historically, this is the month of October for Jefferson, GA. To find out soil temperatures for your area, check out this website. However, this will put harvest time around Christmas or into January. Frost protection will be necessary as endive doesn’t like temperatures below the 30s F.

Sow seeds to a depth of 1/4 inch and thin plants 6-12 inches apart.

Care

Both broadleaf endive and curly endive like rich, well-draining soil. Try mixing in well-rotted manure or compost into the bed before sowing to create rich soil. Then side dress with compost or well-rotted manure midway through the season.

It hates wet feet; avoid areas that become waterlogged. While endive prefers full sun, it will tolerate part shade. All kinds of endive are susceptible to leaf spot. Leaf spot is a fungal disease that lives in both soil and water. It causes brown spots on the plant that will eventually yellow and rot. To help keep your endive getting it, bottom water with soaker hoses or drip irrigation. Also avoid watering overhead and disturbing wet soil.

Endive is a bit tempermental. It will bolt at the slightest provocation. Bolting is when the plant starts to flower and go to seed. This process also changes the taste of all types of endive, making it bitter and unpalatable.

One reason it will bolt is temperature. Any kind of fluctuation up or down will stress the plant, causing bolting. Sowing at the right time of year, for your area, will help reduce bolting. A second reason, is soil moisture. Soil that is not consistently moist (but not soggy) will result in endive becoming stressed, which again causes the plant to bolt.

The roots tend to be shallow, so watering more often might be necessary to keep the soil consistently moist. Do a finger test to check for soil moisture. If the soil feels wet, there is no need to water. A good layer of mulch will also help the soil retain moisture to help keep the endive from bolting.

Endive and escarole thrive in cool weather and hate summer heat, which is a third cause for bolting. While it will tolerate heat better than regular lettuce, it grows best at temperatures 60-65 F. If grown when there is still a chance of a freeze, some cold protection will be needed, as endive won’t tolerate temperatures lower than the 30s F. Use mulch or row covers to protect from freezes. Old blankets will also work in a pinch.

Endive does have natural bitterness, but it can be reduced by blanching it before harvest. Blanching prevents the chlorophyll from developing, resulting in less bitterness. To blanch, wait until 3 weeks before the harvest date. Then tie the outer leaves together. Only tie them when the leaves are completely dry to avoid rot. Some varieties of endive are self-blanching.

Harvest

Endive is typically ready for harvest 80-90 days after sowing or when leaves are 5-6 inches long. Harvest before temperatures surpass 85 F.

When leaves are 5-6 inches tall, cut at the base, right above the soil level. When cutting above the growth point, it should resprout for cut and come again. Or pull the whole plant.

Pest Management

Slugs, snails, and aphids can be an issue with endive. Making a solid ring of crushed eggshells around the base of the plant will help control slugs and snails. Their soft bodies will get cut on the shells, causing them to dry out and die.

For aphids, you could try companion planting with plants that attract the predators of aphids. To attract ladybugs that will eat aphids, plant alyssum or chamomile. Some other plants that attract beneficial insects that will help control aphid populations are zinnias, daisies, sunflowers, and marigolds.

Flea beetles can be a problem in some areas. If they are an issue, cover small plants with floating row covers to protect them from damage.

How to use

Endive is very versatile; you can cook, freeze, can, or dry leaves. Store in the refrigerator for around 2 weeks. Use blanched endive more quickly, as it will deteriorate faster.

• Batavian Full Heart Endive: It has a mild flavor and buttery heart. Blanched white hearts have a velvety soft mouthfeel.

Endive is prone to bolting, which makes the plant unpalatable. Sow at the right time of year for your area to reduce the risk of bolting. 

Sources:

Epicgardening.com

Harvesttotable.com