Olesh Tres Fine Endive is a frost-tolerant chicory cultivar bred for cool-season harvests, ready in 42 to 70 days from sowing. This Belgian endive variety reaches just 6 inches at maturity and thrives in full sun with compact spacing of 18 inches between plants. Its name hints at its fine, delicate character, a variety worth seeking out for gardeners who appreciate the subtle bitter-sweet character of properly grown endive greens.
Full Sun
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6in H x ?in W
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Moderate
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Olesh Tres Fine germinates reliably in the narrow 60 to 70°F window that many endives prefer, making it predictable to start from seed. The compact 6-inch mature height means it fits neatly into small garden beds or containers, while its frost tolerance extends the harvest window into cooler months when flavor actually improves. Sow in late summer for a fall or early spring harvest, and you'll have tender greens long after warm-season crops have bolted.
Olesh Tres Fine endive is eaten as a salad green, either raw when young and tender or blanched to mellow its natural bitterness. The leaves work well in mixed greens, wilted into warm dishes, or used as a slightly bitter accent to balance richer flavors.
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Start seeds indoors 8 to 10 weeks before your average last frost date. Maintain soil temperature at 60 to 70°F for reliable germination. Transplant seedlings outdoors 4 to 6 weeks after starting them indoors.
Transplant seedlings outside 4 to 6 weeks after starting them indoors, or 4 to 6 weeks before your average last frost date. Space plants 18 inches apart in rows that are also 18 inches apart.
Sow seeds directly outdoors as soon as soil can be worked in spring, or 8 to 10 weeks before your average first frost date for fall harvest. For mild climates, sow in fall and winter for cool-season harvests.
Harvest leaves when the plant is young and tender for the mildest flavor, typically within 42 to 70 days of sowing. For a more mature plant, harvest outer leaves individually as needed, or cut the entire head just above soil level. Frost-tolerant varieties like Olesh Tres Fine can remain in the garden through light frosts and will actually become sweeter as temperatures drop.
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