CHICORY TROUBLESHOOTER

Q The outer leaves have blackened – does that mean they’re dead?

A Chicories don’t like wet or freezing weather, but different cultivars will take varying degrees of cold. Sometimes the outer leaves will turn brown or black after heavy rain and form a cloak around the inner heart. Peel them off before they rot and you’ll find the inner leaves are still perfectly edible. Covering plants with cloches in autumn will help; just make sure plants have good ventilation.

Q What’s eating the leaves?

A Slugs and snails seem to be chicory aficionados so use your normal control methods. Raising plants in modules undercover will help, as will keeping the soil clear of rotting vegetation, not watering at dusk and removing potential hiding places.

Q Help, my chicory leaves are incredibly bitter!

A Chicories possess a more pungent and bitter flavour than many of the leafy greens we usually grow. Factors affecting flavour include how they’re grown, whether they’re blanched and when they’re picked – picking later in the season (autumn) generally ensures a more palatable flavour. It’s also worth remembering that many chicories are delicious cooked, rather than eaten raw. You can bake them, roast them, put them on the griddle or barbecue, or try them stir-fried.

Prevent slug damage by watering chicory plants in the morning Protect plants from the elements with plastic bottle cloches The young leaves have a bitter flavour