When to Plant Endive in Melbourne, Cool Temperate Guide
Soil temperature is modelled from Open-Meteo forecast (Melbourne), not a live sensor.
What this month normally looks like in Cool Temperate
In October the Cool Temperate zone normally runs 19°C by day and 8°C overnight, with about 67 mm of rain over 9 or 10 wet days. The coldest October night on record across the zone was -3.0°C, so a late frost is not out of the question. Averages 1991 to 2026, 28 postcodes, SILO.
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This Endive guide is written for the Cool Temperate zone, which takes in Melbourne, Hobart and Geelong. Somewhere else? Your postcode picks the right one.
Not your zone? Cairns Brisbane Sydney Canberra 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 Cool Temperate
- Jan S/T/D
- Feb S/T/D
- Mar S/T/D
- Apr T
- May -
- Jun -
- Jul -
- Aug S (likely to bolt)
- 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 Cool Temperate 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.
Cool Temperate Growing Tips for Endive
Recommended Varieties
- Green Curled
- Frisee
- Broad-leaved Batavian
- Cornet de Bordeaux
Key Challenges
- Slugs in Melbourne's wet periods
- May not heart well in short cool days
Pro Tips
- Melbourne climate is ideal for endive
- Spring plantings grow quickly for summer harvest
- Autumn plantings hold well through winter without bolting
Pests and problems for Endive in Cool Temperate
- Aphids Moderate
- Downy Mildew Avoid overhead watering. Space plants for airflow. Water in morning. Watch
- Common Garden Snail Watch
- Slugs Slugs in Melbourne's wet periods 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 Melbourne?
No. In the Cool Temperate 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 August, September, October and November.
When should I plant Endive in Melbourne?
September-April. Long growing season in cool temperate climates. Spring and autumn plantings both work 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 Melbourne?
Recommended varieties for the Cool Temperate zone include: Green Curled, Frisee, Broad-leaved Batavian, Cornet de Bordeaux.
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 Cool Temperate zone, Melbourne is its reference city.