When to sow Endive in the UK
Endive is sown to the calendar rather than to the frost, so the window is much the same wherever you garden in the UK.
Sowing and harvest dates by region
Endive is grown to the calendar rather than to the frost, so the same dates apply across the whole UK and every region below reads the same. Where a plant’s timings do follow the frost, Plot shifts them from the Midlands and Lowland Wales baseline using Met Office average frost dates.
| Where you are | Sow indoors | Sow outdoors | Plant out | Harvest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| South West Coast and Cornwall | early February to mid June | late May to late August | mid May to early September | mid June to early February |
| South Coast and Channel | early February to mid June | late May to late August | mid May to early September | mid June to early February |
| Greater London (Urban Heat Island) | early February to mid June | late May to late August | mid May to early September | mid June to early February |
| South East and Home Counties | early February to mid June | late May to late August | mid May to early September | mid June to early February |
| East Anglia | early February to mid June | late May to late August | mid May to early September | mid June to early February |
| Midlands and Lowland Wales | early February to mid June | late May to late August | mid May to early September | mid June to early February |
| Wales and West Coast | early February to mid June | late May to late August | mid May to early September | mid June to early February |
| Northern England | early February to mid June | late May to late August | mid May to early September | mid June to early February |
| Scotland Lowlands and Central Belt | early February to mid June | late May to late August | mid May to early September | mid June to early February |
| Scotland Highlands and Islands | early February to mid June | late May to late August | mid May to early September | mid June to early February |
| Northern Ireland | early February to mid June | late May to late August | mid May to early September | mid June to early February |
| Channel Islands and Isle of Man | early February to mid June | late May to late August | mid May to early September | mid June to early February |
Growing notes
Seed needs soil at 15C or more, so wait until late May outdoors; sow broad-leaved Batavian or escarole types in mid- to late August for winter heads under cloches. Blanching mature heads for a fortnight removes much of the bitterness.
At a glance
- Spacing
- 30 cm between plants
- Row spacing
- 30 cm
- Plants per m²
- 9
- Days to maturity
- 90 days
- Yield per plant
- 0.3 kg
- Sun
- Full
- Frost tender
- No
- Grows in a container
- Yes, 20 litres or more
- Minimum soil depth
- 25 cm
- Balcony rating
- 3 out of 5
Succession sowing
Worth sowing in batches. Sow again every 21 days, up to about 5 sowings in a season, for a longer picking window rather than one glut.
What usually goes wrong
- bolting
- aphids
- slugs
- grey mould
Companion planting
Grows well near
- lettuce
- chicory
Related guides
Timings cross-checked against RHS guidance for endive.