South Taranaki Star

How to grow chicory and radicchio

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The common names can be confusing, but actually chicory, Belgian endive, and radicchio are all different names for types of the same plant.

SOW AND GROW

When to sow: February to March in warm areas; September to February in cooler areas.

When to transplant: February to April in warm areas; September to February in cooler areas.

Position: Full sun.

Harvest: 16-20 weeks; good for pots.

GET STARTED

Chicory doesn’t like it too hot, so sow outside in late spring, into those cooler spaces in your garden where it won’t be subject to extreme summer heat. Or start in late summer or early autumn (February or March up north and February down south) to harvest in late autumn or early winter.

STEP-BY-STEP

Sow seed direct in full sun or start in trays. In hot weather, water soil well before sowing, and keep moist but not damp. Germinatio­n takes 10-14 days. Transplant when seedlings are about 5cm high. Thin as the plants grow until plants are about 15cm apart. Use the thinnings as microgreen­s in salads.

GROWING TIPS

Chicories grow happily in a variety of soil types, but an addition of well-rotted manure, compost or sheep pellets is welcome in sandy soil or heavy clay.

In colder regions, cover seedlings with a cloche until they get establishe­d, and while it’s winter hardy, protect from hard frosts (green chicories tend to be less hardy than red varieties).

Harvest heads when they are firm to the touch. Cold weather reduces any bitterness, but that said, do not leave them for too long in the ground because the leaves become more bitter as they age.

GET GROWING

This column is adapted from the weekly e-zine, get growing, from New Zealand Gardener magazine. For gardening advice delivered to your inbox every Friday, sign up for Get Growing at: getgrowing.co.nz

After cutting the main head, many varieties grow a secondary crop of white witloof-type heads if the stump is covered with straw or an inverted flowerpot, with the drainage hole covered.

STANDOUT VARIETIES

Go for the brilliant red ‘‘Palla Rossa’’, a hearting variety originatin­g from near Venice, or ‘‘Red Treviso’’ which has long, cos lettuce-shaped leaves. For a green chicory, try the easy-care ‘‘Sugarloaf’’.

TROUBLESHO­OTING

Protect young seedlings from slugs and snails, and mound up the soil slightly if your vege patch gets boggy in winter. Apart from that, these plants are resistant to disease and need no mollycoddl­ing.

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