Green Curled Ruffec Endive Seeds - Cichorium Endivia, 50 seeds

Quantity: 50 Seeds / pack

Green Curled Ruffec endive (Cichorium endivia), also known as frisee, is a cool-season leafy vegetable grown for its finely cut, frilly green leaves with pale, tender hearts. Its crisp leaves have a pleasant, mild bitterness and are a classic salad green, also good wilted or in sautes.

Seed Information

• Type: Vegetable Seeds
• Common Name: Green Curled Ruffec Endive (Frisee)
• Botanical Name: Cichorium endivia
• Life Cycle: Annual
• Sunlight: Full sun to partial shade
• Watering: Moderate; keep soil evenly moist
• Growth Habit: Rosette, about 10 inches tall and 12 inches wide
• Soil Type: Loamy, well-draining soil
• Soil pH: 6.0-6.5
• Planting Time: Spring, or late summer for a fall crop
• Days to Maturity: 65-87 days for full heads

Growing Instructions

• When to Plant: Direct sow outdoors about 4 weeks before the last frost, or sow again in late summer for a fall harvest. Succession sow for a steady supply.
• Soil: Loamy, well-draining soil with a pH near 6.0-6.5.
• Sunlight: Full sun to partial shade; in warm climates, afternoon shade helps.
• Watering: Water regularly to keep soil evenly moist - dry soil can cause bolting and bitter leaves.
• Spacing: Thin or transplant to 8-12 inches apart in rows 12-18 inches apart.
• Germination: Sow 1/4 inch deep. Germination takes 4-15 days at 45-68°F (7-20°C).
• Harvest: Cut baby leaves 30-40 days after sowing, or harvest whole heads at 80-90 days. For milder, pale hearts, blanch heads by covering them or tying leaves together about 2 weeks before harvest.
• Tips: Mulch around plants to retain moisture. Endive tolerates light frost, so the fall crop is often the sweetest.