When to plant

• Sow seeds outdoors about 2 weeks before your average last spring frost.
• It can also be grown as a fall crop, timed back from your first fall frost.
• Ready to harvest about 85 days after planting.

Best as a fall crop. Tie up outer leaves for a week to blanch the heart.

Frost dates depend on where you live. Enter your ZIP code to get exact dates.

Dates by zone: 3a 3b 4a 4b 5a 5b 6a 6b 7a 7b 8a 8b 9a 9b 10a 10b

Growing basics

Sun

Part sun (4–6 hours)

Spacing

12 in

Soil temperature

At least 45°F

Time to harvest

About 85 days

Containers

At least 1 gallons

Plant family

Lettuce and daisy family

Harvest per plant

About 0.5 lb

Seeds keep

About 5 years

Companions

Keep apart: Horseradish. Horseradish spreads aggressively. Give it its own spot.

Keep apart: Mint. Mint spreads aggressively into neighbors. Keep it in a pot.

Keep apart: Fennel (bulb). Fennel slows the growth of most garden plants. Grow it on its own.

Keep apart: Sunchoke (Jerusalem artichoke). Sunchokes spread aggressively and shade neighbors.

Grow it well

Affiliate links: we may earn a small commission, at no extra cost to you.