Growing Belgian Endive (Witloof): A Complete Profile
By Growing Home Greens Team · August 10, 2026
Belgian endive, also called witloof, is a two-stage crop. It’s grown in the garden through the regular season for its root, like a chicory-family parsnip, then dug and forced indoors in total darkness to produce the pale, tightly furled chicons sold in stores as Belgian endive.
Growing the root
Direct-seed, sowing three-quarters to 1 inch apart, a quarter to a half inch deep, in rows 16 to 24 inches apart, thinning to 2 to 3 inches apart a few weeks after emergence. Unlike carrots and parsnips, Belgian endive seed is vigorous and germinates quickly, one less thing to worry about compared to those other long-season root crops.
Digging and cold storage
Dig roots in mid- to late fall, or after a few light frosts, and store them like carrots at 32°F.
The forcing step
This is what makes Belgian endive different from every other root vegetable in this dataset. After 6 to 10 weeks in cold storage, move the roots to a cool, 55-70°F room kept in complete darkness. Harvest the chicons once they become dense, in roughly 21 to 29 days. Skipping the darkness produces bitter, green, loose-leaved chicory instead of the pale, tightly wrapped chicon the crop is grown for.
Belgian endive has no recorded companions or antagonists in our data. See the full companion guide for belgian endive for how it’s tracked. At 4 plants per square foot, plan for both a garden row in the Garden Designer and a dark indoor space for forcing once the roots come in.
Source: Chicory: Belgian Endive (Witloof): Key Growing Information, Johnny’s Selected Seeds.
Companion planting guide for Belgian Endive (Witloof) · Find your planting dates
Typically viable in USDA zones 3-9. Not sure your zone? Look it up by ZIP code.
Method: Direct sow: Direct-sow outside. Belgian Endive (Witloof) doesn't transplant well, or doesn't need the extra time indoors.
See exact start-indoors, direct-sow, and harvest dates for your zone →
How many Belgian Endive (Witloof) plants fit per square foot?
Spacing: 4 per square foot (square-foot-gardening spacing). Mature height: 0.5-1 ft.
Varieties worth considering
- 'Bingo' Belgian endive (best for: early, adaptable forcing): Johnny's Selected Seeds lists this as an early, adaptable witloof variety, their standard offering for growing and forcing Belgian endive. (source)
Cited from the source shown next to each variety. We haven't grown these ourselves yet, so treat this as a research-backed starting point, not a personal endorsement.
Where to buy belgian endive seeds
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. Some links on this page also go to other retailers we may earn a commission from as an affiliate, at no extra cost to you. We only recommend products with a genuine consensus of positive, independent reviews. See the sources cited on each item.
See it growing
Search YouTube for "growing belgian endive (witloof)" videos → (a live search, not a hand-picked video; results vary and aren't vetted by us)
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Growing Belgian Endive (Witloof): A two-stage crop: grown in the garden through the season for its root, then dug and forced indoors in total darkness to produce the pale chicons sold as Belgian endive.
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