Escarole

Cichorium endivia (Asteraceae or Compositae family)

Production

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Soil preparation

• Apply compost and other amendments based on the results of a soil test.
• Spread lime as needed to increase both the pH and Ca levels. Dolomite lime will also increase Mg levels. Spread gypsum when calcium levels are low but pH is correct.
• A fertilizer company can add OMRI-listed potassium sulfate to compost if it doesn’t have enough K to meet the crop’s needs. If this isn’t possible, spread the correct amount of fertilizer and incorporate it before planting. 
• Incorporate compost and amendments, and plant escarole in raised beds.
• Direct-seeded escarole requires a fine and firm seedbed. Prepare the land a few weeks in advance to provide the opportunity for some initial weed control via shallow cultivation or flaming.
• Alternatively, place a silage tarp over the prepared and irrigated seedbed 3–5 weeks in advance of the seeding date, depending on the time of year. This will flush many annual weed seeds and reduce weed pressure. Remove the tarp when the weeds have died. 

Common recommended fertilizer rates¹

Nitrogen	Phosphorus	Potassium	pH
100	0-160	0-200	6.2-6.5
1Rates are for New York and are from Cornell University’s Nutrient Guidelines for Commercial Vegetable Production (2019). Check the Cornell website for updated guidelines, or consult with local experts for recommended rates outside New York.

Varieties

• Natasha, Leonida, Benefine

Greenhouse guidelines

• EZ Seeder seeding plate #16

Cell pack tray	Germination temp	Growth temp	Hardening off	Notes
72, 98 or 128	56°-85°	60°–75°	Withhold water	Put plug trays on a wire mesh bench to encourage air pruning. Remove from the greenhouse 5 days before planting.

Transplanting in 5- or 6- foot raised beds

Rows	In-row spacing	Planting depth (inches)	Notes
3	5 inches	Normal, don’t bury the plant.	For full heads, plant at 9 inches.

Direct seeding information

Seeder	Rows	Seeds per foot	Seed plate no.	Depth (inches)	Sprocket setting	Notes
MaterMacc	3	12-15	96 H 0.8	1/4-1/2	22-17
Sutton Jr.	10-20	50	8	1/4-1/2		1 mph
Jang	3	6	XY 12	1/4-1/2	Front 14/rear 10

Number of successions

• Start planting escarole in the greenhouse 4 weeks before you expect to begin transplanting in the field. Follow with a second planting 12 days later. Reduce each following succession by 1 day until plantings are weekly. In other words, the intervals between plantings will be 12-11-10-9-8-7-7-7, etc. This succession rate will reduce the incidence of several plantings coming in at the same time. Of course, the weather plays a large role in this as well.
• Continue planting escarole on a weekly basis until you run out of growing season. In the northern United States, we stop seeding escarole in the greenhouse around the second week in August for the November harvest. Increase the number of plants by the end of July through August if your markets demand a regular supply.

Cultivation procedures

• When direct seeding, create a seedbed 3 weeks before planting and shallowly cultivate after weeds emerge. Cultivate right before planting.
• Use a basket weeder or wheel hoe when weeds are in the white thread stage, without burying the young crop. Weed control is more effective when you eliminate weeds before they emerge.
• Hand weed or hoe between plants.

Deer, disease and insect protection

• To prevent deer damage, build a temporary fence using 4-foot fiberglass posts and attach 1 clearly visible wire like IntelliTape at about knee height. Build a second fence inside the first fence, but attach 2 wires or twine whereby the top line is about 7-feet tall. Deer don’t have very good depth perception and won’t attempt to jump this fence without checking out the first fence, so electrifying the second fence is often not needed. Bait the outside deer fence with peanut butter and electrify it. Make sure you build the fences, bait and electrify on the same day. The surprise effect is what matters most with this particular deer control.
• For leafhoppers and whiteflies, use Beauveria bassiana (as in the product Mycotrol ESO) at nymph stage; repeat for three 5-day applications for best results. You’ll see results after a week of applying. Use it when pest pressure is still low. When pressure is high, use a pyrethrum-based product (as in Pyganic EC 5.0 II). Make sure water is neutral, as either a low or high pH will make Pyganic EC 5.0 II ineffective. Pyrethrum breaks down quickly when exposed to UV light (it has a half-life of 12 hours) and is considered among the shortest-acting insecticides. It’s also toxic to bees and other pollinators. For both reasons, apply a pyrethrum-based product in the evening.
• You can harvest escarole as a salad mix twice if you keep the crop very weed free.

Other cultural practices

• Irrigate frequently for optimum yield and plant health. Frequency depends on soil type, evaporation, precipitation and the particular needs of the crop. 

Double cropping and/or cover cropping

• You can plant a short-season vegetable crop like spinach or arugula after early-planted escarole.
• For later dates, work under any harvest remains to avoid insect or pathogen buildup, and plant a cover crop. In the northern United States and Canada, you can follow summer- and early-fall-harvested escarole with a cover crop of oats and peas in September, or rye and vetch planted at later dates. Adjust accordingly in other regions.

This material is based upon work that is supported by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture through the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and should not be construed to represent any official USDA or U.S. Government determination or policy.