Growing Salad Endive

Salad Endive

Salad Endive

Salad Endive is part of the lettuce family and grows best in cool dry weather. Endive is a non heading type and produces curly light to dark green leaves which can be harvested as cut and come again. It is well known for its slightly bitter taste and adds a bite to salads.

Sow Seeds:

  • Spring Sowing: February to April,
  • Late Summer Sowing: July to September

Harvest:

  • Spring Sowing: March to June,
  • Late Summer Sowing: September to November

No of Days To Harvest: 80 days (2.5 months) after sowing.

Where do I Sow?

  • Spring Sowings: In pots in mini greenhouse in March. Plant out in raised beds or larger pots in April. Cover with cloches.
  • Late Summer Sowings: Direct into Raised Beds or Pots. Cover with cloche or fleece in October.

Varieties to Choose from:

iGrowVeg has grown the following varieties, click on the links for more information:-

Other Suggested Varieties:

Endive Seeds

Endive Seeds

How To Sow Salad Endive Seeds direct into a Raised Bed or Pot

You will need:

  • A Raised Bed or Pot/Container,
  • Salad Endive Seeds,
  • A Trowel or garden cane,
  • Multi-purpose or potting compost,
  • Watering can,
  • Plant Labels.

Instructions:

  1. Refer to your own seed packet or take these instructions as a guide only.
  2. Fill up the pot/container with multi-purpose compost. Add some multi-purpose compost to your raised bed and rake level.
  3. Use a trowel or garden cane to mark a straight line (a row or trench) into the soil approx 1 inch deep.
  4. Water the row lightly.
  5. Open the seed packet and sow the seeds thinly if possible (but you can thin later) in the bottom of the 1 inch deep trench.
  6. Cover the seed with a sprinkling of compost.
  7. Water the compost well.
  8. Label the row at both ends.
  9. The seeds should not need watering again until they appear above the soil as seedlings. If sowing in pots, check the soil regularly as pots dry out quicker than raised beds.

How long will it take for seedlings to appear?

2 to 3 weeks depending on weather conditions.

Growing Tips

  • Water at the base of the plant not from above as water droplets will remain in the leaves and cause them to rot.
  • Do not plant seedlings out in hot temperatures as they are prone to bolting, endive is a cool weather crop.
  • If growing bitter varieties of Endive, they may need blanching 2 – 3 weeks before harvesting to prevent them from becoming too bitter to eat. Blanch by covering the plants with a bucket or pot or cover plant with straw. Beware of slugs and snails as these are ideal conditions for these pests to attack your plants.
  • Harvest either by cutting the leaves as required or after 2 – 3 months cut the whole plant from the root at soil level.

Pests and Diseases of Salad Endive

Click on the links below for more details on symptoms, prevention and treatments.

  1. Aphids,
  2. Slugs and Snails,
  3. Caterpillars,

Recommended Winter Vegetables to grow with Salad Endive are:-

Other Links you may also find useful:

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