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Curly endive illustration
Vegetables · Biennial

Curly endive

Cichorium endivia (Crispum Group)

Finely curled green leaves surround a pale, open heart.

Make it part of your growing collection.

A LITTLE EVERYDAY CARE

Help it thrive.

A few things worth knowing.
01

Avoid cold stress

Delay planting out until conditions are reliably mild.

02

Prevent drying out

Water regularly to reduce premature flowering.

03

Keep weeds down

Remove weeds so they do not compete for moisture.

Care guide · RHSSource checked 20 Sept 2026 · Adapt timing to your climate and variety.
A PLACE TO THRIVE

Growing essentials.

Sunlight
2+ hours of sun (sun or part shade)Source-backed
Moisture
Consistently moistSource interpretation
Soil pH
6.5–7.5Source-backed
Drainage
Moist, well-drainedSource interpretation
Nutrients
Not verifiedExcluded from score
Soil texture
Not verifiedExcluded from score
Plant spacing
≈ 35 cmPlanning estimate
Growing depth
≈ 25 cmPlanning estimate
Typical height
≈ 30 cmPlanning estimate
Growing season
cool-seasonPlanning estimate

Source-backed preferences and planning estimates are labelled separately. Missing values are not treated as a match. Spacing and depth still depend on cultivar and growing method.

Data sources & uncertainty
Sunlight

Sun and partial shade are described; 2+ hours is a broad category, not a yield guarantee.

Source · checked 2026-09-20
Moisture

Qualitative watering guidance is mapped to this interval for active growth; it is not a watering schedule.

Source · checked 2026-09-20
Soil pH

Numeric preferred pH range given in the growing description.

Source · checked 2026-09-27
Drainage

Free drainage or avoiding waterlogging is recommended; the ordinal interval is an interpretation, not a measured drainage rate.

Source · checked 2026-09-20
Nutrients

No comparable numeric nutrient requirement verified; excluded from scoring.

Source · checked 2026-09-20
Soil texture

No specific soil textures verified; excluded from scoring.

Source · checked 2026-09-20
Plant spacing

Simplified square planning allowance; variety, row layout and growing method change the space needed.

Source · checked 2026-09-20
Growing depth

Approximate planning allowance, not a verified root depth; cultivar and growing method change the requirement.

Source · checked 2026-09-20
Typical height

Approximate planning height; cultivar, pruning and growth stage change the result.

Source · checked 2026-09-20
Growing season

Broad growth category, not a local planting calendar; excluded from scoring.

Source · checked 2026-09-20