How to Grow Endives USA

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. At a Glance
  3. Quick Facts
  4. Soil & Growing Conditions
  5. Growth Stages
  6. Harvest & Storage
  7. Diseases
  8. Pests
  9. Plan your Endives planting
  10. Growing Endive in another region
  11. Sources
  12. Frequently Asked Questions

In the US, endive is ready to harvest 70–100 days after planting.

The short answer

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

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

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 59°F (15°C)
Optimal growing temp 59-73°F (15-23°C)
Minimum survivable temp 23°F (-5°C)
Time to harvest 70-100 days
Drainage Moist but well-drained
Lifecycle biennial
Edible parts leaves

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 USA vegetable planting calendar, or the month-by-month guides that cover Endives: October. 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.

Sources

These source is specific to this region. The full list of 5 sources behind this guide (FAO EcoCrop, GBIF, NC State Extension and others) is in the references of our UK guide to endive; they describe the plant itself, which is the same wherever it grows.

Frequently Asked Questions

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

Almost everything on this page resolves to your own frost dates rather than the calendar — the last spring frost moves by roughly two months between zone 3 and zone 10. The USA Garden Planner works from your zone so the timing is already decided before the season starts.

Get the USA Garden Planner →

Instant PDF download · Written for US 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 USDA hardiness-zone and frost-date data, with Cooperative Extension sources cited directly where one exists for a crop. 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 USA

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Last verified 2026-08-30

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Relevant next steps

Where To Go From Here

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

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