When to Plant Endive in Canberra, Cold / Highland Guide
Soil temperature is modelled from Open-Meteo forecast (Canberra), not a live sensor.
What this month normally looks like in Cold / Highland
In October the Cold / Highland zone normally runs 20°C by day and 7°C overnight, with about 58 mm of rain over 7 or 8 wet days. The coldest October night on record across the zone was -6.4°C, so a late frost is not out of the question. Averages 1991 to 2026, 15 postcodes, SILO.
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This Endive guide is written for the Cold / Highland zone, which takes in Canberra, Cooma and Bright. Somewhere else? Your postcode picks the right one.
Not your zone? Cairns Brisbane Sydney Melbourne Alice Springs Perth
Also handy: will it frost this week? and what grows in shade.
- Planting window
- Aug to Apr
- Days to harvest
- 50 days
- Sun
- Full sun to part shade
- Water
- Regular
- Spacing
- 30 cm apart
- Soil pH
- 5.5–7.0
Endive is a cool-season salad green in the chicory family, available as curly-leaf (frisee) and broad-leaf (escarole/Batavian) types.
Published · By GardenBuddy.au
Planting dates, current conditions and prices on this page update daily.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Planting Calendar for Cold / Highland
- Jan S/T/D
- Feb S/T/D
- Mar S/T/D
- Apr T
- May -
- Jun -
- Jul -
- Aug S
- Sep S/T/D (likely to bolt)
- Oct S/T/D (likely to bolt)
- Nov S/T/D (likely to bolt)
- Dec S/T/D
S = Seed Tray T = Transplant D = Direct Sow
Amber = likely to bolt if sown this month, it matures into heat or long days.
Want a nudge when it is sowing time?
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How to Grow Endive in Cold / Highland Australia
- Soil
- Well-drained, fertile soil enriched with compost. Tolerates a range of soils but performs best in loamy, moisture-retentive ground.
- Salt
- Moderately sensitive. Copes with a little salt, but the harvest drops on salty bore water.
- pH Range
- 5.5-7.0
- Sunlight
- Full sun in cool weather. Part shade (afternoon) in warmer zones to reduce bitterness and bolting.
- Spacing
- 30cm apart, 40cm between rows
- Watering
- Consistent moisture essential for tender leaves. Water deeply 2-3 times per week. Avoid wetting foliage to prevent rot during blanching. Drip irrigation ideal.
- Good companions
- Dwarf Beans, Onion, Tomato, Carrot, Radish
- Keep away from
- No major antagonists known
- Grow before it
- Legumes (Beans - Dwarf, Peas, Broad Beans)
- Grow after it
- Fruiting crops (Tomato, Capsicum, Zucchini)
Give the bed 3 turns before leafy greens go back in. Leaf crops want the nitrogen the legumes left behind.
Cold / Highland Growing Tips for Endive
Recommended Varieties
- Green Curled
- Broad-leaved Batavian
Key Challenges
- Hard frosts damage outer leaves
- Short growing season
Pro Tips
- Frost cloth protects plants for extended harvest
- More cold-tolerant than lettuce; a good substitute in late autumn
- Broad-leaf types are hardier than curly types
Pests and problems for Endive in Cold / Highland
- Aphids Moderate
- Downy Mildew Avoid overhead watering. Space plants for airflow. Water in morning. Watch
- Common Garden Snail Watch
- Slugs Watch
- Bottom Rot Mulch to prevent soil splash. Improve drainage. Avoid overcrowding. Water at base, not overhead. Watch
Organic prevention (Aphids): Check hearts before blanching. Remove weeds that harbour aphids. Avoid excess nitrogen.
Harvesting Endive
When ready: Plant is full and dense (30-40cm diameter). Inner leaves should be pale green to yellow-white if blanched. For baby leaf, harvest at 10-15cm.
How to harvest: Cut entire plant at soil level. Or harvest outer leaves progressively for cut-and-come-again. For blanching, tie outer leaves and harvest entire head after 2-3 weeks.
Storing and preserving endive
How to keep it
- Blanching and Freezing. Wash and chop. Blanch 2 minutes. Ice bath. Drain, squeeze, pack into freezer bags. Best used in soups and cooked dishes after freezing. Keeps: 8-10 months.
- Fresh Storage. Wrap unwashed heads in damp paper towel, place in plastic bag in crisper drawer of fridge. Best eaten fresh as texture deteriorates with processing. Keeps: 1-2 weeks refrigerated.
What members get
- Soil and weather from your nearest station
- An email when it's time to sow
- Your own garden plan, including planning from a photo
- Price history and price alerts
- Pest risk alerts for your area
- Full salt and canning detail
Common Questions About Endive
When do you plant endive in Australia?
It depends on your climate zone, not the calendar month alone. Planting months by zone:
- Tropical (Cairns): Mar to Jul Likely to bolt if sown in June and July.
- Subtropical (Brisbane): Feb to Jul Likely to bolt if sown in July.
- Warm Temperate (Sydney): Jan to May, Sep to Dec Likely to bolt if sown in September, October and November.
- Cool Temperate (Melbourne): Jan to Apr, Aug to Dec Likely to bolt if sown in August, September, October and November.
- Cold / Highland (Canberra): Jan to Apr, Aug to Dec Likely to bolt if sown in September, October and November.
- Arid / Semi-Arid (Alice Springs): Feb to Jul Likely to bolt if sown in June and July.
- Mediterranean (Perth): Feb to May, Aug to Sep Likely to bolt if sown in September.
Can you grow endive all year round in Canberra?
No. In the Cold / Highland zone the planting months are Jan to Apr, Aug to Dec. Outside that window it either bolts, sulks or gets cut down by the weather. Likely to bolt if sown in September, October and November.
When should I plant Endive in Canberra?
Sow from September to March, or start in trays from August, and plant out up to April. Endive handles cool conditions well.
What soil temperature do Endive need?
Endive germinate best when soil temperature is between 15°C and 25°C.
How do I know when Endive are ready to harvest?
Plant is full and dense (30-40cm diameter). Inner leaves should be pale green to yellow-white if blanched. For baby leaf, harvest at 10-15cm.
What are the best Endive varieties for Canberra?
Recommended varieties for the Cold / Highland zone include: Green Curled, Broad-leaved Batavian.
What grows well with Endive?
Good companion plants for Endive include: Dwarf Beans, Onion, Tomato, Carrot, Radish.
Are endive salt tolerant?
Only a little. Endive are moderately sensitive to salt, so the harvest drops on salty bore water. Mix salty water with rainwater, and mulch the bed.
Which zone am I in?
Type your postcode into the box near the top of the page and it tells you, and links this crop in your own zone if it differs. Or look it up on the grow zone map. This page is the Cold / Highland zone, Canberra is its reference city.