Moxie Gardener

Belgian endive is forced indoors.

Winter is especially hard on gardeners in the far north.  Snow covers the landscape for several months of the year and growing anything outdoors is out of the question.  Belgian endive is meant to be forced in winter.  It’s a double blessing—fresh vegetables and a chance for the gardener in the house to grow something.

Belgian endive is actually a chicory—witloof chicory to be exact.  Its Latin binomial is Cichorium intybus. Belgian endive is thought to have been discovered somewhat by accident at the Belgian Botanical Gardens.  Apparently a professor of gardening planted wild chicory in the basement of the lab and mounded the soil up upon the plants.  The result were the chicons that today we call Belgian endive.

To force-grow Belgian endive in winter you first need to grow witloof chicory during the summer.  Direct sow seeds where they are to grow in early June.  Space seeds three inches apart in rows twelve inches apart.  When seedlings are two to three inches high, thin to six inches apart.

Witloof chicory doesn’t require super rich soil.  Feed sparingly and use a low nitrogen fertilizer or the plants will put all their energy into growing leaves.  Mulch to control weeds and provide an inch of rainfall per week.

The witloof chicory will be ready to harvest 110 to 130 days after direct seeding.  The roots will perform better when forcing indoors if the chicory is left in the ground to weather several light to moderate frosts.  Just make sure to dig the roots before the ground freezes solid.

Take care not to damage the roots of witloof chicory when digging them for storage prior to forcing for Belgian endive.  Keep only roots with a stem at least an inch in diameter.  Cut the leaves off about an inch above the root.  Trim any side roots and trim the main roots so they are about eight to nine inches long.  Set aside any damaged or cut roots to use first.

Store the roots on their sides in damp peat moss in your root cellar at about 35° F.  You can also tightly pack them, root end down, in a 2-gallon pot, filling in around the roots with damp sand.   These already potted up roots are ready to force when you’re ready to force them.

About three weeks before you want to use the Belgian endive, begin the forcing process.  Plant the number of roots you plan to force in a 10-12 inch deep pot using a sterile growing medium.  Water well and cover the pot with a black plastic bag or provide darkness another way.  In any case, darkness, and exposing the roots to warmer temperatures of 50° to 65° F. will cause the roots to grow the chicons, which we call Belgian endive.

After you harvest your Belgian endive, remound the soil on the roots, water, and put back in darkness at the same temperature as above and the roots will produce another crop of chicons for you.