Endive, also known as curly chicory, is a vegetable widely used in salads because it contains many nutrients that are very beneficial to us, such as cobalt, iron, magnesium and zinc. They also have many properties such as appetizing, stimulating the appetite, purifying, diuretic, laxative, refreshing and tonic. In addition to multivitamins such as vitamins A, B1, B2, C and K. These are the reasons why many people wonder how escarole plant.
For this reason, we are going to dedicate this article to telling you when and how to plant escarole and what aspects you should take into account.
Contents
Requirements for planting escarole
Temperature
Like cabbage, escarole tolerates low temperatures better than high temperatures. The temperature range will be between a maximum of 30 ºC and a minimum of 6 ºC, although escarole can withstand temperatures down to -6 ºC. In culture, during the growth phase, 14-18°C are needed during the day and 5-8°C at night.
- At the heart of the endive, it takes 10-12°C during the day and 3-5°C at night.
- The soil temperature should not fall below 6-8°C.
- The temperature required for germination is at 22-24ºC for 2-3 days.
Humidity
As the root system of the endive is very small compared to the aerial parts, it is very sensitive to lack of humidity and does not tolerate periods of drought, even brief ones, because they cause “tip burn” and favor the “bloom”.
Thus, in the first 30 cm of soil, soil moisture should always remain close to 60% of its field capacity. An excess of ambient humidity promotes the appearance of diseases.
Usually I
The best soil for this crop is one with a clay texture. It tolerates acidity better than alkalinity. The optimum pH is between 6 and 7. Prefers acidity to alkalinity. The soil for the entire crop should be kept moist, although the top layer should be visibly dry to prevent crown rot.
Steps for planting escarole
The endive cultivation cycle is a little longer and less defined, since the cut can be more or less elongated, depending on the desired weight, market demands and even the organization of agricultural work.
The ground will first be leveled, especially in the case of waterlogged soils. Thereafter furrowing will continue and finally the ridger will mark the location of the plants, except to make small furrows to accommodate the dripper if localized irrigation is used.
Planting in the nursery is done automatically using granulated seeds. Seedlings will remain in the nursery for 30 to 35 days. Polystyrene trays of 260 units will be used They will be placed in a chamber with a temperature range of 20-25ºC.
Subsequently, the trays were transferred to a greenhouse with an anti-thrips net to prevent transmission of the virus. Trays will be treated to control pests and diseases.
Transplantation is usually done manually, although the use of transplanters has started recently. escarole it can be placed in single or double rows with a space of 30-40 cm between plants. Planting densities generally vary between 45,000 and 55,000 plants/ha.
Irrigation and fertilizer
During the first week after transplanting, it is recommended to use a mobile system for sprinkler irrigation. During the first vegetative stage of a plant, soil moisture must be maintained to promote rooting and root development.
The frequency of irrigation depends on the type of soil, the salinity of the water and the climatic conditions. In general, water every 1-2 days, except in sandy soils where you need to water more than once a day.
The watering schedule will be in the early morning or late afternoon. If it is watered in hot weather, a lag may occur, causing yellowing of the leaves and paralysis of the vegetation.
In the case of greenhouse cultivation, fertilization will depend on the cultivation before and after the lettuce. 3 kg/m2 of well-decomposed fertilizer can be added when the following crops require it, not necessary if the crop preceding the endive has been fertilized.
A common basic fertilizer consists of 50 g/m2 of 8-15-15 compound fertilizer, although this is usually not necessary in greenhouses as endive is often a secondary filler crop.
It is a crop with high potassium requirements. In gravity irrigation, the application rate of mulch fertilizer is about 3 g/m2 of nitrogen per irrigation, and in no case exceeds 10 g/m2. If irrigation is not required, foliar fertilizers can be applied when plants need a nitrogen supply.
Blanching when planting escarole
Weeding should be done in an integrated way to minimize the environmental impact of weeding operations. In endive cultivation to control annual weeds, Propyzamide 40% is recommended in a concentrated suspension at a dose of 1.75-3.75 l/ha.
In escarole, the goal is to whiten the leaves and reduce their bitterness. Blanching it can be done in several ways, depending on the type of lettuce:
- In the case of large-diameter curled chicory, This is done by tying the outer sheets with raffia, esparto or any other material.
- From small-caliber curly chicory, it is made using an inverted bell.
- For single leaf endive, blanch by folding each leaf inward to form a “head type”, which are pressed together to form a center of white leaves. If higher quality parts are needed for this type, They can also be fixed to the ground using an inverted white polyethylene cover with metal rods.
- You can also cover or shade the plants with more or less wide plastic sheets.
As you can see, planting escarole requires soil, irrigation and maintenance requirements that must be met if we want to have a good harvest. I hope that with this information you can learn more about how to plant escarole, its characteristics and when to plant it.