FULL SUN – ENDIVE, FRISEE-Green Curled Ruffec – Chicorium endivia, native to India and perhaps the Eastern Mediterranean, endive has been a food crop for millennia. The broad leaved varieties are known as Escarole. The curly leaved varieties are known as Frisee. Introduced before 1860, Green Curled Ruffec is commonly known as frisee. The large (16-18 in. diameter) plants produce heavily serrated, curly, deep green leaves with broad, white midribs. Plants tolerate cold and wet well. Green Curled Ruffec can be sown in the early spring for a summer crop and in early summer for a fall crop. In the spring, plant as soon as the ground can be worked. Soil should be deeply spaded before planting. Rows should be 24 in. apart. When seedlings are 2 in. high, thin, leaving 12 in. between plants. Adding lime to the soil before planting will sweeten the endive. Type Spacing Planting Depth Days to Germination Maturity Frisee 12 in. 1 in. 14-21 100
