What Are Endive?

Endive is a robust and hardy grower. It is a warm plant and it needs to be sow in mid spring through summer and it is harvest in mid summer through fall. It is prone to fewer pests and diseases than other salad crops. It makes an attractive addition to any vegetable garden plot. It has a slightly bitter taste to it that many people will blanch it to moderated the bitterness down.

There are two main types of endive ' curly' or 'frisee' and " Batauian" or "escarole". Curly endive has narrow leaves and a flat appearance, while Batavian is hardier, broad-leaf, and the plants tend to grow more upright. Both types of endives likes rich, well- drained soil in a sunny or a partly- shaded location.

I will talk about four different types of endive.

'Kentucky'- their leaves are finely cut and they are good for blanching. It is a reliable curly- leaf variety.

' Natacha'- this one is a Batavian type of endive and it has good resistance to bolting.

' Glory'- this one produce  deeply cut, curly leaves that are tender when they are young.

' Frenzy' - this one is a compact, self-blanching type with very fine, curly leaves that borne on dense heads.

Seed can be sown in modules or seed trays under cover in the spring. The tray needs to be fill with seed compost, from the seed compost gently, water thoroughly , and stand it somewhere to drain. The seeds need to be made in the center of every cell using a dubber or pencil, and then drop one seed into each one.  Firm over  with a little compost, and water very lightly. Seedlings will start coming up in about one week. Continue to grow them under cover until the strong roots of the plants have developed.

Endive can be sown directly into the ground, in growing bags, or in a large container, that has multi-purpose compost in it. The soil needs to be turn over to get all of the weeds out of it and then apply a general-purpose fertilizer to light soils. Make drills 1/2 inch deep, then water well, and then row your seeds thinly along it. Cover over the seeds very gently and water it lightly.
The area needs to be well -watered for the first few weeks after transplanting or sowing to encourage the root system to develop a strong one. After the endive is established, it is quite drought - tolerant, but it will need to be watered during very dry conditions.

The plants need to be weeded regularly until they become large enough to another out any competing growth. Weeding between the plants needs to be done by hand, and weeding between the rows by using a hoe. Cover the plants with fabric if the weather turns cold to keep them from bolting.

Endive has a bitter flavor that can be lessened by blanching. Some of the varieties are described as ' self-blanching' but others need help. The best method is to place a plate over the center of the plant to block out the light, and it needs to have the foliage is dry. Blanching takes about two to three weeks. The leaves can be cut when the plants are a suitable size, and leave the stump in the ground to re sprout for a later crop.