When to Plant Endive in Sydney, Warm Temperate Guide

Sow September to May. Right now in October you can sow.

Planting window
Sow from September to April, skipping winter. Endive sown into midsummer heat can turn bitter and bolt, so give summer sowings some shade.
Days to harvest
50 days
Sunlight
Full sun in cool weather. Part shade (afternoon) in warmer zones to reduce bitterness and bolting.
Water needs
Consistent moisture essential for tender leaves. Water deeply 2-3 times per week. Avoid...
Spacing
30cm apart, 40cm between rows
Soil pH
5.5-7.0

Published · Last reviewed · By GardenBuddy.au
Growing advice is reviewed by hand. Planting dates, current conditions and prices on this page update daily.

This Endive guide is written for the Warm Temperate zone, which takes in Sydney, Newcastle and Wollongong. Somewhere else? Your postcode picks the right one.

Not your zone? Cairns Brisbane Melbourne Canberra Alice Springs Perth

Also handy: will it frost this week? and what grows in shade.

Endive

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

Endive is a cool-season salad green in the chicory family, available as curly-leaf (frisee) and broad-leaf (escarole/Batavian) types. It adds a distinctive, slightly bitter flavour to salads and is more heat-tolerant than lettuce. Blanching the inner leaves by tying or covering reduces bitterness. Well-suited to Australian autumn and winter gardens.

See what grows now in your own postcode

Planting Calendar for Warm Temperate

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
S/T/D S/T/D S/T/D S/T/D T - - - S/T/D S/T/D S/T/D S/T/D

S = Seed Tray   T = Transplant   D = Direct Sow

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Current Growing Conditions

Soil temperature: 18.5°C (optimal range: 15–25°C) ✓ Ready to plant

Modelled from Open-Meteo forecast (Sydney), not a live sensor.

What this month normally looks like

In October the Warm Temperate zone normally runs 24°C by day and 13°C overnight, with about 66 mm of rain over 7 or 8 wet days. The coldest October night on record across the zone was -1.5°C, so a late frost is not out of the question. Averages 1991 to 2026, 153 postcodes, SILO.

How to Grow Endive in Warm Temperate Australia

When to Plant

Sow from September to April, skipping winter. Endive sown into midsummer heat can turn bitter and bolt, so give summer sowings some shade.

Soil
Well-drained, fertile soil enriched with compost. Tolerates a range of soils but performs best in loamy, moisture-retentive ground.
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.

Companion plants: Chives, Radish, Carrot, Bean

Avoid planting near: No major antagonists known

Grow before, grow after

Endive belongs with the leafy greens, the leafy greens and brassicas turn of a four turn bed rotation.

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.

Warm Temperate Growing Tips for Endive

Recommended Varieties

  • Green Curled
  • Broad-leaved Batavian
  • Tres Fine Maraichere
  • Frisee

Key Challenges

  • Can bolt in warm autumn spells
  • Aphids in dry weather

Pro Tips

  • Autumn planting most reliable for Sydney
  • An excellent companion to lettuce, extending salad options into cooler months
  • Blanching significantly improves eating quality

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.

Common Endive Pests in Warm Temperate Zones

Aphids, risk: MODERATE (score: 63/100)

Organic prevention (Aphids): Check hearts before blanching. Remove weeds that harbour aphids. Avoid excess nitrogen.

View all pest alerts →

Where to next

Also worth sowing in the warm temperate zone this October: Lemongrass, Beetroot, Chilli Peppers and Cucumber.

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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:

Does endive grow all year round in Sydney?

No. In the Warm Temperate zone the planting months are Jan to May, Sep to Dec. Outside that window it either bolts, sulks or gets cut down by the weather.

Which zone am I in?

Type your postcode into the box under the heading and the page 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 Warm Temperate zone, Sydney is its reference city.