Endive

1. 1

   Pick curly or escarole

   Curly endive (frisée): deeply cut feathery leaves, paler interior, classic French bistro salad — Tres Fine Maraichere or Frenzy. Escarole / Batavian endive: broader smoother spoon-shaped leaves, easier to clean, milder bitterness — Pancalieri, Bubikopf, Cornet de Bordeaux (hardy enough for overwintering). Both grow under identical conditions; escarole is the more forgiving for UK first-timers.

2. 2

   Sow direct, May to August

   Cool-season preference. Earlier than May: plants bolt in summer heat. Later than August: don't size up before winter. Direct-sow in shallow drills 1 cm deep, 30 cm between rows. Germination in 7–14 days at 15°C. For autumn cropping: sow late July to mid-August. For winter under cover: sow late August to early September.

3. 3

   Thin to 25–30 cm apart

   Once seedlings have 4–5 leaves, thin to one plant every 25–30 cm. Don't crowd — overcrowded endive forms smaller, looser, more bitter heads. Eat the thinnings in salads (small mild-bitter young leaves).

4. 4

   Water consistently

   Endive bolts to flower in drought and becomes much more bitter under stress. Weekly deep watering in dry spells. Mulch with garden compost to conserve moisture. Consistent moisture from sowing through to harvest is the key to milder-flavoured endive.

5. 5

   Blanch the heart two weeks before harvest

   The classic technique that transforms endive. Two weeks before you want to harvest, gather the outer leaves together over the heart and tie loosely with twine, OR cover the centre with an upturned dinner plate / black flowerpot. The inner leaves blanch pale yellow and lose much of their bitterness — the classic creamy heart of a French bistro salad. Blanching takes 7–14 days; check progress by peeking under the cover.

6. 6

   Harvest whole heads in autumn

   From mid-September onwards, cut whole heads at ground level when they're properly sized (30 cm diameter for escarole, smaller for frisée). The blanched heart is the prize — pale, creamy, mild. The unblanched outer leaves are still edible but more bitter — use sparingly or cook them.

7. 7

   Overwinter for spring cropping

   Cornet de Bordeaux and other hardy escarole varieties survive UK winters in mild gardens (southern England, sheltered Midlands) without protection, cropping in February–March before bolting in late spring. In colder areas: a cloche or low polytunnel extends the cropping window. Light frost actually improves flavour by reducing bitterness.

8. 8

   Protect from slugs throughout

   Slugs love endive at every stage. Apply wool pellets along sowing rows; nematodes (Phasmarhabditis hermaphrodita) watered into the soil for ongoing control. Hand-pick slugs in the evening after rain. The blanched heart inside its cover is particularly vulnerable — slugs hide inside, undetected, and eat the prize while it forms. Lift the cover briefly every 2–3 days to check for and remove slugs.

Aphids and slugs can be problematic; generally fairly robust.