Growing chicory in the UK can be a satisfying and practical addition to your plot. This forage herb has a distinct, slightly bitter flavour that works well in salads. Even if you’re not keen on its taste, you can grow chicory as a companion plant. Its strong taproot penetrates deeply, improving soil aeration and drainage, which benefits the root development of neighbouring plants.
Chicory can also be grown as a salad leaf vegetable, with a variety of colours, sizes and shapes to choose from. Some varieties even produce attractive blue flowers, making the plant a decorative addition to your allotment.
If you’re looking for answers to how to grow chicory, when to plant chicory or when to pick chicory, this guide covers everything you need to know.
There are 3 main types of chicory:
Radicchio: These develop tight red heads with white veins, and the flavour is noticeably milder compared to the stronger varieties. Well-known variants include ‘Leonardo’ and ‘Palla Rossa’.
Chicory can be sown indoors in pots or modules earlier, or directly outdoors from May to July.
For a head start indoors, sow in April or May, once the threat of frost has passed. This gives the plants time to become established and more resilient against pests.
Chicory needs a sunny position outdoors. The forcing type chicory should be sown in May or June, and non-forcing types in June or July. If the weather conditions are too cold, the plants may bolt and produce flowers instead of leaves.
For forcing varieties, lift the roots in November. Remove the foliage to about an inch and a half above the root, and trim the roots to roughly 10 inches. Store them in damp sand in a cool place to keep them firm and ready.
When the stored crown is ready to produce new shoots (chicons), pot up around 5 roots in a pot filled with compost, leaving the crowns just visible above the soil.
Forcing chicory varieties need to be blanched to reduce bitterness and keep the leaves tender. Cover the pots to block out light and grow them indoors at a temperature of at least 10-12°C. A chicon should grow from each root within a few weeks, though cooler weather conditions may slow down the growth.
To force chicory outdoors, cover the trimmed roots with 10 inches of soil. Add cloches, straw or a similar covering to exclude light, and the chicons should appear in early spring.
Many growers are left wondering when to pick chicory. The forcing variant is ready for picking 4 weeks after blanching.
Harvesting the leaves from non-forcing varieties is usually possible from November to December. Pick the leaves as needed. Radicchio and other non-forcing types are typically cut-and-come-again, and can be harvested from late summer. The stumps resprout after you pick the leaves.
Baby Chicory leaves can be eaten as salad leaves, while the more mature leaves can be grilled to mellow the intense flavour.
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