Italian Dandelion Endive

SKU: MS498
Fast growing, upright, dark-green notched leaves stand in thick bunches. Cut the plant at any height and it will re-grow again. Read More

Exposure Full-sun

Matures in 65 days

Season Cool season

Seed type OP ?

Italian Dandelion Endive has a rating of 4.5 stars based on 4 reviews.
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Heirloom
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Italian Dandelion

Product Details

Known in Italy as Catalogna frastagliata, Italian Dandelion Chicory Seeds produce not a dandelion, but a chicory, a kind of endive. Fast growing, upright, dark-green notched leaves stand in thick bunches. Cut the plant at any height and it will re-grow again. Steamed like spinach, they have a pleasant "wild" flavour. Raw, they add bite to salad. May bolt mid-summer from spring planting. Italian dandelion chicory is quite winter-hardy, and suitable for winter gardening. If allowed to bloom, it sends up tall stalks of attractive, edible blue flowers that produce seeds that are easy to harvest and save for next season.

Click here for "true" Common Dandelion seeds.

Matures in 65 days. (Open-pollinated seeds)

Quick Facts:

    • Amazing flavour
    • Fast growing notched leaves
    • Winter-hardy
    • Open pollinated seeds
    • Matures in 65 days

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Italian Dandelion Endive

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All About Italian Dandelion Endive

Latin

Latin
Cichorium endiva (endive) & C. intybus (radicchio)
Family: Asteraceae

Difficulty

Difficulty
Endive is easy.
Radicchio is moderately difficult.
Belgian endive (witloof) is downright challenging โ€“ but worth the effort.

Season & Zone

Season & Zone
Season: Cool season
Exposure: Full-sun

Timing

Timing
Sow after the last frost date and again inย mid-summer to take advantage of the fall growing season. Optimal soil temperature: 10-22ยฐC (50-72ยฐF). Seeds sprout in 2-15 days, depending on conditions. In hot weather plants may go to seed quickly, so have new plantings ready to go.

Starting

Starting
Either direct seed or start indoors and transplant. Sow seeds 5mm (ยผโ€) deep, and thin or transplant to allow 30-45cm (12-18โ€ณ) between plants in rows 30-45cm (12-18โ€ณ) apart.

Days to Maturity

Days to Maturity
From direct sowing.

Growing

Growing
Ideal pH: 6.0-6.5. Enrich soil with compost and add ยผ cupย balanced organic fertilizer into the soil beneath each transplant. Rapid, continuous growth is essential for good yields and high quality. Regular watering is essential. Fall plantings can be protected from rain by putting a cloche over them. Endive heads can be blanched to reduce bitterness by placing a cardboard or plastic disc on top. Radicchio requires a good supply of phosphorus and potassium, but will not head and may bolt if there is too much nitrogen available. Days to maturity shown are from date of direct sowing. If transplanting, subtract 10-15 days.

Harvest

Harvest
Use as a cut and come again crop or let the heads develop and cut at ground level. Many will grow back.

Seed Info

Seed Info
In optimal conditions at least 65% of seeds will germinate. Usual seed life: 3 years. Per 100โ€ฒ row: 140 seeds, per acre: 40.6M seeds.

Diseases & Pests

Diseases & Pests
Aphids โ€“ Water can be used to remove aphids from plants. Wash the plant off with water occasionally as needed early in the day.

Moulds and rot from heavy rains can be prevented by growing under cover. Tip burn is a calcium deficiency within the plant that can be caused by an imbalance with over nutrients. Make sureย to add lime to theย soil, do not over-fertilize, and harvest just before full maturity.

How to Grow Endive

Step 1

Timing

Sow after the last frost date and again inย mid-summer to take advantage of the fall growing season. Optimal soil temperature: 10-22ยฐC (50-72ยฐF). Seeds sprout in 2-15 days, depending on conditions. In hot weather plants may go to seed quickly, so have new plantings ready to go.

Step 2

Starting

Either direct seed or start indoors and transplant. Sow seeds 5mm (ยผโ€) deep, and thin or transplant to allow 30-45cm (12-18โ€ณ) between plants in rows 30-45cm (12-18โ€ณ) apart.

Step 3

Growing

Ideal pH: 6.0-6.5.

Enrich soil with compost and add ยผ cupย balanced organic fertilizer into the soil beneath each transplant. Rapid, continuous growth is essential for good yields and high quality. Regular watering is essential.

Fall plantings can be protected from rain by putting a cloche over them. Endive heads can be blanched to reduce bitterness by placing a cardboard or plastic disc on top. Radicchio requires a good supply of phosphorus and potassium, but will not head and may bolt if there is too much nitrogen available. Days to maturity shown are from date of direct sowing. If transplanting, subtract 10-15 days.

Step 4

Germination

Days to maturity: From direct sowing.

In optimal conditions at least 65% of seeds will germinate. Usual seed life: 3 years. Per 100โ€ฒ row: 140 seeds, per acre: 40.6M seeds.

Step 5

Harvest

Use as a cut and come again crop or let the heads develop and cut at ground level. Many will grow back.

Tips

Disease & Pests

ย Aphids โ€“ Water can be used to remove aphids from plants early in the day.

Moulds and rot from heavy rains can be prevented by growing under cover. Tip burn is a calcium deficiency within the plant that can be caused by an imbalance with over nutrients. Make sureย to add lime to theย soil, do not over-fertilize, and harvest just before full maturity.

Customer Reviews & Questions