Chicory, Belgian Endive, French Endive, or Radicchio
Cichorium intybus and C. intybus ‘Witloof’. ASTERACEAE.
Planting, Growing, and Harvesting
Chicory and Its Relatives
You’ll find everything you need to know to plant and grow chicory and its relatives in the accompanying table’s tabs:
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- How many plants of chicory and its relatives to plant
- Growing conditions for chicory
- When to plant chicory
- How to plant chicory
- Watering, fertilizing, and pruning chicory
- Companion plantings for chicory
- How to harvest, store, and use chicory
Growing Chicory and Its Close Relatives
Cool-season perennials. Small-rooted cultivars bear greens prized for salads, while fleshy-rooted cultivars produce roots that can be dried and ground as a coffee substitute or flavoring. Radicchio is a broad-leaved cultivar of chicory with red foliage and a biting, tangy flavor. Belgian or French endive bears dense, white leaves with a crisp texture and mildly bitter taste.
Chicory Plant and Care Guide
How Much to Plant
Chicory: Allow 2–4 chicory plants per household member. Belgian Endive and Radicchio: Allow 8–10 plants per household member.
How to Plant
Seed germinates in 7-14 days.
Average Climates: Sow seed in spring and early summer when soil warms to 50–85°F (10–29°C).
Mild-Winter Climates: Sow seed in autumn and winter.
Autumn–Winter Gardens: Sow seed in mid-June to mid-July or transplants in mid-July to mid-August for harvest in Autumn–Winter.
Sow seed 1/4-in. (- mm) deep, 1–2 in. (25–50 mm) apart, thinning to 6–12 in. (15–30 cm) apart, in rows 2–3 ft. (60–90 cm) apart.
Best Conditions for Growth
Growing temperature: 45–75°F (7–24°C). Zones 3–11. Bolts in temperatures over 80°F (27°C) and when daylight hours lengthen in summer. Cool weather or mild frost causes radicchio to develop distinctive purplish red foliage and become milder in taste.
Soil Type and Fertility
Moist, well-drained, sandy soil. Fertility: Rich. 5.0–6.8 pH. Prepare soil at least 1 ft. (30 cm) deep.
Proper Care
Moderate. Keep evenly moist. Apply ample water during the head-development stage. Fertilize monthly with 10–10–10 formula supplemented with garden sulfur. Radicchio: Mulch heavily with straw around radicchio to force head formation. Cultivate. Belgian Endive: Use Belgian endive ‘Witloof’ leaves raw in salads for first year. When frosts begin, trim remaining leaves to 1 in. (25 mm) from central growth bud, dig carefully, and transplant angled into damp sand at 45°, barely covering the tip. Place in a cool, dark location and water regularly; buds will form the distinctive tight, pale-green heads of Belgian endive.
Autumn–Winter Gardens: Protect from frost and freezes beginning in October.
Pairing Recommendations
Beets, carrots, lettuce, radishes, and spinach.
Maturity, Picking and Gathering
85–100 days. Chicory: When 5–6 in. (13–15 cm) in height, cut 1 in. (25 mm) above the growth bud to allow plant to resprout. Radicchio: When heads are red, tightly formed, and 3–5 in. (75–125 mm) wide, cut at the base of the leaves. Belgian Endive: When blanched heads are tightly formed and 3–5 in. (75–125 mm) wide, cut above the growth bud to allow plant to resprout. [See: Lodging and Blanching]
How to Store and Preserve
Fresh greens in vegetable keeper of refrigerator for 1 week; fresh roots, 4–5 months.