Endive / escarole: Spacing, Yield & Planting Dates
Plant count & yield calculator
Pre-filled for this crop — adjust bed size or pick a different vegetable.
Enter bed size to count plants.
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Show the math & assumptions
Assumptions and formulas will appear here once you calculate.
Seed starting dates
Pre-filled last frost — change the date to rebuild the full crop schedule. For Endive / escarole with this frost date : start indoors ~Mar 25, direct sow ~Mar 18 .
Pick a last frost date for the schedule.
Your result
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Show the math & assumptions
Assumptions and formulas will appear here once you calculate.
About endive / escarole
Endive and escarole provide pleasantly bitter salad greens that add sophistication to fall harvests, thriving in cool weather when lettuce may bolt.
Spacing & yield
Endive / escarole wants 10×12 inches and about 0.75 lb per plant at ~85 days to maturity.
Growing tips
- Blanch heads by tying outer leaves over the center 2 weeks before harvest to reduce bitterness.
- Grow as a fall crop — endive handles frost to about 25 F and sweetens in cold.
- Start indoors 3 weeks before last frost for early spring heads.
- Water at the base to prevent crown rot in the tightly packed heads.
Common mistakes
- Skipping blanching, resulting in leaves too bitter for most palates.
- Growing in summer heat, which intensifies bitterness and causes bolting.
- Watering overhead into dense heads, promoting rot.
Harvest & storage
Cut entire heads at the base once they fill out and inner leaves are blanched, about 85 days from sowing.
Refrigerate whole heads wrapped loosely for up to 2 weeks.
Companion planting
Good neighbors for endive / escarole: radish, carrots, onions, beans. Avoid planting beside: celery.
Planting calendar
Start indoors about 3 weeks before last frost. Direct sow is also an option around 4 weeks before frost. Use the seed-starting calculator above with your real county frost date — the April 15 default is only a worked example (zone 6 style).
Estimates only — consult your local extension office for advice specific to your land and animals.
Frequently asked questions
- How far apart is endive planted?
- Space 10 inches in-row with 12 inches between rows for full head development.
- How much does one endive head weigh?
- A mature head yields about 0.75 lb of usable leaves.
- How long does endive take to grow?
- Allow about 85 days from sowing for full-size heads, plus 2 weeks of blanching time.