chicory escarole lettuce is in reality a type of annual chicory known for its unique leaf shape and bitter smack . Commonly recover in pre - box salad intermixture at the grocery store , it add up grain and zest to a bowl of greens . Endive is a great compliment to any vegetable garden and can be rise alongside loot with standardized tutelage .
Planting
Like shekels , endive is a cool - time of year green that grows good during the inadequate days of outpouring and fall . Many gardener only grow it in the downslope because of its disposition to bolt out in the hot summer . If growing endive in the spring , start it betimes for the good results . Sow semen in a nursery about a calendar month before your last hard frost .
When transplanted outside , the territory should be well run out but only need to be jolly fertile . Occasional applications of compost are enough to feed endive plants . Adding a source of calcium such as gypsum can help foreclose tip tan .
It ’s possible to direct seed endive , particularly in cool climate . Sow seminal fluid after peril of halt in the springtime , and one calendar month before first expected hoarfrost in the drop . A act of frost on fall crops enhances the flavor of endive . pop varieties include :
Care
Whether transplanting or cutting , give new starts a 6 - in spacing . Like bread , endive may decamp if the weather reaches above 75 ° ( 24 ° vitamin C ) . Providing it with a part shaded spot will help it defy warm temperature .
Keep the filth evenly moist at all times . If the works dry out out it will slow up growth , causetoughnessin the leaves , and may leave in bolt . Excellent companion plants admit radish , white turnip , and parsnip .
Harvest
Endive and its cousin escarole are both typically blench in the field prior to harvest home . This process bump off some of the bitter chlorophyll and gives the fleeceable a milder flavor . Blanch heads 2 - 3 weeks before harvest time .
Gather up the whole capitulum of greenness in one hired hand leaving the tooth root in the ground . Slip a rubber ring or other fastening around them to hold them upright . The idea is to deprive the privileged farewell of sun , which will retard chlorophyl yield and acerbity .
Another way is to address the entire works with a light depriving wad . This method form better in wet climates , as banding the leave-taking together can promote rot .
After blanch , cut off the headat the dirt level . Greens can be stored in a plastic bag in the fridge with a wry newspaper towel to souse up excess wet . Eat endive raw as a salad green , or cook it like a collard . They will keep for up to 2 weeks .
