Endive and escaril
General information: plants of the family of astroids, representing one of the varieties of chicory salad. These are very ancient cultures native to India. In Europe, they began to grow since the XVI century. In our country, endive and escarole are little known.
Endive and escarole are biennial plants. The leaves of the rosettes of the endivia are strongly dissected, wavy, narrow, in the escarion - broad, purpose-noskraynie, almost such as a salad. Stalk straight, branched. The flowers of the endivia are small, lilac, the escarion has blue or pink.
Requirements: the plants of chicory salads grow well only on the rich in humus and relatively light soils, the acid soils are not suitable for them. Cultures need constant watering, fertilizing with weak solutions of fertilizers. Frosts carry only the smallest( up to 3 ° C).
Ingredients: rich in vitamin C.
Cultivation: endive and escaril are sown both in the open pound, when the weather is warm enough, either in hotbeds or in greenhouses in March-April in rows or ribbons. The row spacing is 30 cm, the distance between the lines is 20 cm, between the tapes is 0.5 cm. The seeding depth is 0.5-1 cm. After 5-8 days, the shoots are thin, leaving a distance of 23-25 cm between them.
Seedlings are planted on thisthe same depth as it grew in the greenhouse, otherwise good heads are not formed. The area of supply must be at least 25 x 30 cm.
Sorts
From the varieties endivia we have Green kinky and Yellow curly;escaril - Baravia broadleaf and Rosabella.
Care: Liquid weekly top dressing promotes the rapid development of plants and prevents their rifling. The soil during the growing season is constantly moistened and loosened.
Against fungal diseases, dolomite flour helps. Young plants are susceptible to snail attacks, as a result of which their leaves fall off. Therefore, precautionary measures are necessary. A particularly dangerous pest is the root louse, sucking the juices from the roots. As it is more common near poplar trees, you should choose a site remote from these trees for planting.
Harvest: cleaning starts in October.2 weeks before this, the upper part of the outer leaves of plants are tied together for bleaching, which makes them more tender, reduces bitterness. You can also cover plants selected with roots with lightproof materials or burlap. Bleach endive and escaril for 6 to 8 days.
Store the plants in a well-ventilated area, dropping into damp soil or sand at a temperature of 1-2 ° C, where they are simultaneously bleached.
Usage: bleached fresh leaves of endivia and escarole are used to make salads, and green leaves are stewed and served as a side dish for meat and fish dishes.