How to grow escarole
Family Asteraceae. Hardy to USDA hardiness zone 3a+ (U.S. Department of Agriculture). Full sun to part shade. Ready in 60-90 days.
Sun
Full sun to part shade
Spacing
10-12 in
Days to harvest
60-90 days
Hardiness
Zone 3a+
What growers actually recorded
Loading zone 7b results…
When to plant escarole
- Start indoors: ~4 weeks before last frost.
- Transplant out: ~-2 weeks after last frost.
- Direct sow: ~-4 weeks after last frost.
Companion plants for escarole
Plant with: Carrot, Onion, Radish.
Avoid near: Fennel.
Common pests & problems
Slugs, aphid.
Feeding & fertilizer
N-P-K ratio: Balanced 5-5-5 with steady N
Organic options: Compost tea every 2 wks · Fish emulsion between cuttings · Aged manure in bed prep
When to feed: Light and steady. Lettuce wants constant slow N to stay tender and mild.
Watch for: Bitter greens = heat or under-water, not fertilizer.
N = nitrogen (leaves), P = phosphorus (roots and flowers), K = potassium (fruit and disease resistance). How to read a fertilizer label →
Grower's tip
Broader and milder than curly endive; a light frost sweetens the outer leaves before harvest.
When to plant escarole in your zone
Free month-by-month sowing and transplanting lists, built from frost dates for your USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) hardiness zone.
Soil & water for escarole
Soil & pH
6.0-7.0
Rich, moisture-retentive loam. Lettuce fails in dry, hot beds.
Compost + a light dressing of blood meal. Consistent nitrogen = tender, sweet leaves.
Watering
1-1.5 in / week; more in heat
Morning overhead is fine; keep foliage dry by nightfall to prevent bottom rot.
Taste-test a leaf mid-morning. If it's bitter and the weather is hot, harvest before 7 AM and provide shade. If it's bitter and the weather is cool, the soil is too dry or too old for the plant.
Knowing when to harvest
- Broad, slightly wavy leaves form a loose head 8-12 in across; harvest the whole head at the base.
- Blanching reduces bitterness the same way it does for endive: tie outer leaves closed or cover with a pot for 1-2 weeks before harvest.
- Escarole is somewhat more heat-tolerant than curly endive and can be pushed later into warm weather before bolting.
Storing & keeping
Refrigerate unwashed in a perforated bag at 32-40°F for 1-2 weeks. Holds up well cooked into soups (a classic use), which extends its practical use beyond the salad window.
What to expect
Per plant: 0.5-1.5 lb per head
Troubleshooting escarole
Overly bitter leaves
Likely cause: No blanching, or harvested too late after bolting begins
What to do: Blanch 10-14 days before harvest and pick before any flower stalk starts to form.
Slug damage on lower leaves
Likely cause: Slugs sheltering in the dense, ground-level rosette
What to do: Handpick in the evening or use iron phosphate bait around the base.
Varieties worth growing
Batavian Broadleaf
The standard escarole type, broad flat leaves and good blanching response.
Natacha
Compact, uniform head, popular with market growers for reliable blanching.
Growing escarole in containers
10 in deep pot; the broad rosette needs some room but tolerates container culture reasonably well with the blanching step managed by hand.
Nutrition
Vitamin K, folate, lutein. Most calories in the leaves come from water.
Common questions
Do I have to blanch escarole?
It's not strictly required, but unblanched escarole is markedly more bitter; most cooks find the 1-2 week blanching step worthwhile before harvest.
Can escarole go straight into soup without cooking it separately first?
Yes, roughly chopped escarole added directly to a simmering soup, as in Italian wedding soup, softens and mellows in flavor within minutes.
Where these numbers come from
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map (2023 revision). Zone assignment and the 30-year normals behind every cold-hardiness figure.
- NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 Climate Normals. Frost dates, growing-season length, and the probability bands on both.
- Cornell, UMN, and UC Davis Cooperative Extension crop guides. Spacing, days to maturity, soil pH targets, and per-plant yield ranges.
- USDA FSIS / FDA Produce Safety guidance. Wash, cure, and cold-storage handling numbers.
Ranges are regional guidance, not a promise for your yard. Your own logged results always override the published range.