How to Grow Endives UK

By the SoilCommander Editorial Team, under the guidance of Nitin Sharma, Co-Founder · · How we check our facts

On this page
  1. Endive (Cichorium endivia)
  2. When to Plant Endives in the UK
  3. Quick Facts
  4. At a Glance
  5. Soil & Growing Conditions
  6. Growth Stages
  7. Harvest & Storage
  8. Diseases
  9. Pests
  10. Endive, a Rosette Salad Leaf from Frisee to Escarole
  11. Plan your Endives planting
  12. Growing Endive in another region
  13. References
  14. Frequently Asked Questions

In the UK, endive goes in the ground early March to mid August, and is ready to harvest 70–100 days after planting.

Timing is the decision that matters most in the UK: sowing early March, and that same window applies across all 4 regions covered here.

The short answer

Plant
Early March to mid August
Ready in
70–100 days
Site
6+ hours of sun, soil pH 6.5–7.8
Biggest risk
Endive downy mildew

Core growing advice on this page is checked against named horticultural sources — see References.

Endive (Cichorium endivia)

A young endive rosette plant — “20210620 Hortus botanicus Leiden - Cichorium endivia” by Rudolphous is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

5 sources cited · Verified

When to Plant Endives in the UK

When to plant endives in the UK: in Southern England, sow early March to mid August. Find your area in the table below.

Rows of curly endive growing in a garden bed
Rows of curly endive growing in a garden bed. Photo by Kritzolina, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Region Sow
Southern England early March to mid August
Midlands early March to mid August
Northern England early March to mid August
Scotland early March to mid August
Southern England - detail & sources

NC State Extension: sow in early spring for harvest into early summer, and again in mid-to-late summer for an autumn/winter crop; a single window is applied uniformly across all four sub-regions since the source gives no UK-region-specific gradient.

Midlands - detail & sources

NC State Extension: sow in early spring for harvest into early summer, and again in mid-to-late summer for an autumn/winter crop; a single window is applied uniformly across all four sub-regions since the source gives no UK-region-specific gradient.

Northern England - detail & sources

NC State Extension: sow in early spring for harvest into early summer, and again in mid-to-late summer for an autumn/winter crop; a single window is applied uniformly across all four sub-regions since the source gives no UK-region-specific gradient.

Scotland - detail & sources

NC State Extension: sow in early spring for harvest into early summer, and again in mid-to-late summer for an autumn/winter crop; a single window is applied uniformly across all four sub-regions since the source gives no UK-region-specific gradient.

A page from the UK Vegetable Garden Planner PDF: the crop rotation planner, with a planning grid and four-bed rotation tips

Plan your endive — and the rest of the plot

This page covers endive. For every crop's sowing months on one chart, use the free UK vegetable planting calendar, and browse the UK vegetable growing guides for what else to grow alongside it. When you want the whole season on paper, the UK Vegetable Garden Planner is a printable PDF:

  • Twelve month-by-month sowing and harvest spreads
  • Raised bed, allotment and container layout pages for your own plot
  • A four-year crop rotation planner
  • Seed inventory, sowing log and harvest tracker
See inside the UK Vegetable Garden Planner →

Instant PDF download · reprint every season

Quick Facts

A young endive rosette plant
A young endive rosette plant. Photo by Rudolphous, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Factor Value
Soil pH 6.5 - 7.8
Sunlight 6-6 hours direct sun
Germination temp 15°C
Optimal growing temp 15-23°C
Minimum survivable temp -5°C
Time to harvest 70-100 days
Drainage Moist but well-drained
Lifecycle biennial
Edible parts leaves

At a Glance

Rows of curly endive growing in a garden bed
Rows of curly endive growing in a garden bed. Photo by Kritzolina, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Cichorium endivia Endive Endive downy mildew Aphids Slugs Snails DISEASES PESTS

Soil & Growing Conditions

Rows of curly endive growing in a garden bed
Rows of curly endive growing in a garden bed. Photo by Kritzolina, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Soil pH range

6.5 7.8

Span reflects genuine variation between the cited authorities, not a single agreed figure.

Growth Stages

A pale blue endive flower
A pale blue endive flower. Photo by Krzysztof Ziarnek, Kenraiz, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Stage BBCH Notes
Sowing and germination 0 Sow after frost risk has passed, in early spring for a summer crop or mid/late summer for an autumn-winter crop in cooler climates (NC State Extension).
Rosette leaf growth 1 Rapid rosette growth in full sun to partial shade, moisture-retentive well-drained soil; optimal growth at 60-65°F, more heat-tolerant than lettuce but prone to bolting in short days or cool weather (NC State Extension).
Blanching (optional) 4 Hearts are often covered to exclude light for the last week or two before harvest, softening bitterness and paling the leaf colour.
Harvest 8 Harvest the loose rosette head about 70-100 days from sowing, before the plant bolts and runs to its pale blue summer flowers (NC State Extension).

Harvest & Storage

A young endive rosette plant
A young endive rosette plant. Photo by Rudolphous, CC BY-SA 4.0.

When to pick: RHS: whole heads ready "about three months after sowing" (approx. 90 days); cut-and-come-again baby leaves ready "a month or so after sowing." NC State: overall growth period about 70-100 days. Harvest by cutting the stem and removing tough outer leaves; heads may be blanched by covering for 10-14 days to reduce bitterness before cutting.

Storage

Best used fresh; blanching improves flavour/texture before harvest

Diseases

Endive leaves showing grey mould (Botrytis) damage
Endive leaves showing grey mould (Botrytis) damage. Photo by Schlaghecken Josef, CC BY 4.0.
Endive downy mildew

The most important oomycete disease of endive/escarole (Bremia lactucae): yellow-to-brown sunken angular leaf spots restricted by leaf veins, fuzzy white growth on the leaf underside, older outer leaves most affected,…

Pests

A slug on an endive leaf showing feeding damage
A slug on an endive leaf showing feeding damage. Photo by Schlaghecken Josef, CC BY 4.0.

Aphididae (various spp.)

Slugs

Gastropoda (slugs, various spp.)

Snails

Gastropoda (snails, various spp.)

Plan your Endives planting

When to sow and plant Endives depends on your own frost dates. Check the UK vegetable planting calendar. To work out where it fits in your beds, sketch your plot in the free Garden Layout Planner.

Growing Endive in another region

Sowing dates, frost timing and local advice differ by country. Use the guide for where you garden.

Frequently Asked Questions

When should I sow endive in the UK?

In Southern England, from early March. In Scotland, wait until early March. Treat these as a guide rather than a fixed date — the governing rule is to sow only once frost risk has passed and temperatures are reliably warm enough.

When do I sow endive?

Sow early March to mid August, at around 15°C for germination.

How long does endive take to grow?

Typically 70–100 days, depending on cultivar and growing conditions.

What soil pH does endive need?

A pH of about 6.5–7.8. That span reflects genuine variation between the authorities we cite rather than a single agreed figure — the References section lists each source's exact range.

What problems affect endive?

Our data links 1 disease and 3 pests to this crop. See the sections above for each one and how to manage it.

Plan next season before the problems start

Most of the advice on this page comes down to timing and spacing — sowing at the right moment, rotating beds, and giving plants enough airflow. The UK Garden Planner lays your plot out month by month so those decisions are already made before the season starts.

Get the UK Garden Planner →

Instant PDF download · Written for UK growing conditions

SoilCommander Editorial Team — under the guidance of Nitin Sharma, Co-Founder

Every growing guide is checked against RHS, USDA Cooperative Extension, and other named horticultural authorities before publishing. How we check our facts.

How this guide is put together

The growing data on this page — sowing windows, pests, diseases, soil and site requirements — comes from named horticultural sources, listed in References below, checked against RHS and Met Office guidance. An automated pipeline assembles that verified data into the page you're reading: it selects which facts to lead with and builds the surrounding prose and layout. It does not invent a date, a source or a number — where a verified value for a field isn't available, the page leaves it out rather than guessing. A person reviews and publishes each page; nothing goes live unverified.

Vegetable Growing Guides UK

Crops With the Same Problems

Related Problem Guides

Last verified 2026-08-30

Plan Endives by month

The months this guide gives for sowing or planting, each with the full list of jobs for that month in the UK:

More from the same group (leaves & salads):

Relevant next steps

Where To Go From Here

Take this crop from reading into a written plan for your own beds.

UK garden plannerTurn this crop guide into sowing dates, bed layouts and a harvest record. All growing guidesBrowse every crop we cover for your region, A to Z. Planting CalendarSee how this crop fits alongside everything else you are growing.

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