🌱 Sowing & planting
Endive ( Cichorium endivia ) is a leafy vegetable that you can grow in spring, You can grow it in both summer and autumn. You have broad-leaf endive, curly endive and cutting endive, each with its own use in the kitchen.
- Sowing depth: approximately 0.75 cm.
- Sowing distance: sow 2.5–5 cm apart and thin to 15–25 cm. Leave about 45cm between rows.
- Germination temperature: 12–20 °C.
- Germination time: 🕒 7–10 days.
- Planting distance: 35 cm between rows, 30 cm between plants.
- Planting out: endive is preferably sown on site because the plant develops a deep root system. Pricking out is possible, but direct sowing gives often stronger plants.
📅 Growing times throughout the year
- Spring: sow under glass from late February to early March or outside from mid-March to early April; plant out or thin out outside from April until early May; harvest from May to mid-June.
- Summer: sow outdoors from early April to mid-June; harvest from late June to early September.
- Autumn/winter: sow outdoors from late June to August; harvest from August to early December.
Endive is often used as a follow-up crop after early carrots , spinach or peas . Endive is usually a main crop only in spring.
You can bleach endive by placing a flower pot over it or by closing the plants to tie together with a string. For curly endive you can use a flat dish place on top to make the inner leaves more tender and lighter.
Popular endive varieties
Some commonly grown endive varieties are:
- Broad-leaf endive: Volhart Winter, Yellow Volhart (also organic).
- Curly endive: from Meaux, Pancalière (BIO).
- Cut endive: Fine Curl Yellow.
Here in Bloggle you can add a product gallery with endive seeds from your online store.
Basic information about endive ( Cichorium endivia )
- Crop group: leafy vegetables.
- Crop family: Asteraceae family.
- Height: about 15–25 cm.
- Growth cycle: 🕒 about 60–90 days.
- Frost resistance: no – endive can tolerate light cold, but is not really frost hardy.
- Root system: 30–45 cm deep.
- Fertilization: plenty of well-decomposed compost and an airy, well-draining soil.
- Soil: pH between 5.0 and 6.8, preferably humus-rich and well-drained.
Location & water requirements
- Sun: 🌞 lots of sun, although endive can also take a little sun in warm summers appreciate shelter from the midday sun.
- Water requirements: 💧💧 Water regularly; the soil should not be dry completely but not soaking wet.
Companion vegetables
✅ Good neighbors
- Potato
- Strawberry
- Beans
- Pea
- Cucumber
- Cabbage
- Leek
- Radish
- Salad
- Fennel
❌ Bad neighbors
- No known particularly bad neighbours.
Dangers & Concerns
Important points to consider with endive are bolting (especially in heat and dry conditions), fungal infections , snails and aphids . Provide regular watering, an airy soil and sufficient planting distance to to prevent mold. Protect young plants from snails and check regularly on aphids.
🧺 Harvesting & storing
You can harvest endive when the head or leaf cluster is about 12–18 cm high. Cut the leaf just above the root; the plant will often sprout again after that and you can harvest you again.
Endive is best eaten as fresh as possible from the garden. Endive keeps well in the refrigerator. only good for a few days. By spreading your cultivation and regularly using small quantities By sowing, you will have young, fresh endive for longer.
Nutritional value (per 100 g raw endive)
- Energy: 17 kcal
- Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 3 g
- Proteins: 1 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Sugars: 0 g
- Vitamins: A, C, E and K
- Other nutrients: magnesium, phosphorus, thiamine, riboflavin, folic acid, pantothenic acid, calcium, iron, potassium, zinc, copper and manganese.
