Escarole Natacha
Plant Size Guide

Escarole Natacha
Cichorium Endivia
days to maturity: 50 days
plant spacing: 4 plants per square foot
sunlight requirements: 6-14 hours
look out for: about a week before harvest, the outer leaves of heading varieties should be tied up around the head to blanch the plant to prevent it developing a bitter flavor. the plants can also be blanches by covering the entire plant with a pot or box to exclude light.
harvest notes: clip individual leaves or harvest whole head by cutting with a knife just above the root attachment. cool quickly by dunking in cold water, drain, and refrigerate.
annual
Frisee and Escarole are in the endive and chicory family. Traditional Italian endive hearts that you can buy at the store don’t grow well here because of the heat, but luckily for us this escarole variety does! This variety is mild, with a slightly bitter flavor. At the farm we grow escarole spaced closely together so that when they mature they will “self blanch” by pushing each other s outer leaves together (this protects the tender core and blanches it without effort). If you’re growing a single head of Escarole in your home garden simply rubber band the head 10 days before harvest and that will blanch the heart. Another option is to put a pot on top of the plant to keep the sun out during blanching. Escarole is fun and easy to grow; if you don’t like bitter salad greens it can be lightly sautéed or wilted, which will make the flavor more mild.
Delivery Details
Delivery Details
When you place your order we head into our greenhouse to select the very best plants we have in stock for your garden. We label them with handwritten compostable wooden labels and pack them in recyclable boxes to keep them safe on their journey. Our delivery partners, Roadie, take it from there and head to the Redlands to pick up your order. Communication and tracking take place via Roadie and your driver will leave your plants in a safe and covered area.
Plant Care
Plant Care
When your plant delivery arrives, make sure you water your new plants thoroughly with a light spray of water (none of this thumb over the hose stuff). We recommend planting them within 10 days of receiving them. If you do intent to wait to plant them, we recommend placing them in a shallow reservoir (like a baking pan) and filling it with half an inch of water so they can drink the water from below while you are at work and place them in an area with plenty of sun. When planting in your garden always add a dash of Organic granular fertilizer, and give them extra water during their first week in their new home, while they adjust. We recommend disturbing the root ball as little as possible during planting.
About Our Plants
About Our Plants
All of our plants are grown in OMRI certified Organic materials (potting mix, fertilizer, seeds, etc.) and include Organic granular fertilizer, living locally-made compost, and have been cared for with healthy microorganisms from compost tea and microbial inoculants. We only use organic pesticides when needed. We only stock varieties that we have experience growing and that are season and climate appropriate for South Florida. Our curated inventory is simple enough for a beginner and interesting enough to keep an advanced gardeners attention, with new and rare varieties being added weekly.
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Now Little River Nursery & Little River Gardens
Two new names, one guiding vision; to empower people through food and ecology. For more information on our garden installation services visit the Little River Gardens website.

