Vegetable · Asteraceae
When to plant endive
Curly endive and broad-leaved escarole belong to Cichorium endivia. They differ from forced witloof chicory, so decide whether you want an open leafy rosette or another type of chicory crop before buying seed.
Start seed indoors
6 weeks before
Counted from your last spring frost.
Plant out
2 weeks before
Counted from your last spring frost.
Sow direct
2 weeks after
Counted from your last spring frost.
Choose a place for estimated dates and local climate checks.
Timing, in frost-relative terms
These offsets are the starting assumptions used by our calendar for endive. They do not establish suitability in every climate. Your seed packet, cultivar and local growing advice take priority; in frost-free places the calendar uses monthly temperature patterns instead.
- Start seed indoors 6 weeks before the last frost.
- Plant out 2 weeks before the last frost.
- Sow direct 2 weeks after the last frost.
- Expect 80–100 days to maturity, counted from sowing.
- Sow again every 21 days for a continuous supply.
- Can also be sown in late summer for an autumn crop.
Getting the timing right
Use a cool suitable season with moist, drained soil. Keep growth steady and allow room for a rosette rather than crowding plants as if they were a tray of microgreens.
Frost tolerance
Check the named variety and local forecast before exposing young growth. The catalog cold-damage figure is a reference, not a guarantee: plant age, acclimatisation, wind and the duration of a freeze affect damage.
Classified as hardy, with a catalog cold-damage reference of -6°C (21.2°F)21.2°F (-6°C). Exposure duration, growth stage and acclimatisation change cold tolerance.
Before you plant endive
Use the calendar to plan ahead, then check the conditions in your own garden.
- Measure the soil at sowing depth. Aim for at least 7°C (44.6°F); the calendar estimates soil warmth from air temperatures and cannot measure your bed.
- Frost tolerance does not make saturated or frozen soil suitable for planting. Wait until the bed can be worked without smearing or compacting it.
- Harden off plants raised indoors: gradually expose them to outdoor light, wind and temperature before their final move into the bed.
- Use the maturity range on your seed packet when choosing a variety. Cold, short days and transplant stress can make harvest later than the calendar estimate.
Choose curly endive or escarole and manage bitterness
Use a cool suitable season with moist, drained soil. Keep growth steady and allow room for a rosette rather than crowding plants as if they were a tray of microgreens.
If blanching to reduce bitterness, exclude light only as harvest approaches and when leaves are dry enough to avoid trapping rot. Self-blanching varieties offer another option. Inspect the centre regularly and harvest before leaf quality deteriorates.
What to record this season
Did blanching improve flavour without causing decay inside the rosette? Add the cultivar, sowing date and conditions to your growing record so you can compare next season.
Further reading: NC State Extension: Cichorium endivia . General crop guidance; local dates on this site are calculated separately. Source checked 19 September 2026 by Safe to Plant; this is not an expert review.
The reference describes plant identity and cultivation. Its regional calendar months and hardiness observations do not validate the calculated dates for another location.
How the dates are calculated and their limits · Keep a growing record · Report a local discrepancy