Endive Encornet de Bordeaux Seeds are the fine old French heirloom variety with large broad leaves. Extremely hardy, making it particularly suitable for early spring sowing directly into the ground, and lasting well for picking into autumn and winter.

It's a fantastic addition to any salad and you may find other salad varieties insipid and dull once getting a taste for Endive! Although grown like lettuce, it will withstand without complaint both heat and a few degrees of frost. Best if blanched a few days before harvesting and perfect with a home-made French dressing.

Sow from February to October for 'cut and come again' seedlings, if the soil is warm enough, or under glass, or under glass or fleece sowing every three weeks. Sow 'cut and come again' crops in broad drills or containers.

If you've never grown endives, do give them a trial. There are two types of endive: the upright Batavian or escarole with large broad leaves; and the curly or fringed frisee with a rosette of delicately serrated leaves. Curled varieties are used for summer cropping, broad-leaved types are robust and are useful for winter cropping.

Endive Encornet de Bordeaux Seed Information

Seed Quantity:	Approx 300 seeds per pack.
Site:	Soils should be light, rich and free draining, but any soil can be used as long as it is not waterlogged. Dry soil can cause bolting (running to seed), so keep the soil moist.
When to Sow:	March to September. Underglass from February Sow from February to October for 'cut and come again'
How to Sow:	Best blanched a few days prior to harvest approx. 12 weeks after sowing. Tie leaves together and cover with a plastic pot to exclude light (cover drainage holes in the pot if present). Blanching takes 3 weeks in summer, 5 weeks in winter. Blanch a little at a time to ensure a continuous supply.
Care:	Liquid feed every 2 weeks with a general fertiliser.
Harvest:	Harvest whole heads about three months after sowing, when the leaves are creamy white, cutting the stem with a sharp knife. Pick cut-and-come-again leaves from young plants, about a month or more after sowing. They should provide at least a couple of pickings.

When to Sow Endive Encornet de Bordeaux Seeds

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