You may have found your way here because you ’re not totally certain what the heck curly endive is . You ’re not alone . I first try chicory in a biotic community supported agriculture basket a few years ago . I ’ve been garden for a while , and I ’m a pro shopper of the supermarket ’s veg section , but chicory was something novel for me .
I star at the shekels - looking bunch for a while before scream up my mom to involve her what the heck I was dealing with . My CSA basketful capacity are typically described in French since I live in a primarily French - talk province in Canada , so when I saw ‘ laitue de pain de sucre ’ I was illogical . The direct transformation is something like lucre of cabbage scratch , but I knew that could n’t be correct .
My French - speak female parent had no estimate what form of mysterious new veg I was dealing with . So I went on an internet hunt and discover out what I had in the electric refrigerator was called ‘ sugarloaf chicory . ’ It ’s a variety of chicory that looks a muckle like romaine lettuce , but it grows exceptionally well in cold climate and tastes somewhere between biting and sweet .
I determine to guy the sugarloaf chicory with a bunch of other wintry vegetables for a power pipe bowl . The result ? The caramelized curly endive became pleasurably sweet as it cook in the oven . After that , I was pilfer . The process of growing this plant is exchangeable to lettuce , so if you ’ve grown that , grow chicory should be a cinch !
Below , you ’ll find information about raise chicory , the different varieties , and a few tips for how to rise the fussy case of chicory called witloof ( also known as Belgian endive ) . It ’s a bit tough to raise , but well deserving the exertion !
Chicory Varieties
The most confusing part about growing chicory is distinguishing between the unlike varieties . Chicory is the name of a family of plants that admit endive and radicchio . Here ’s a equipment failure of the different character within this plant phratry :
Here are a few varieties of each type of chicory :
Radicchio
Endive
Belgian Endive (or Witloof)
Escarole
Planting Chicory
Planting radicchio and endive is comparatively straightforward . Both are nerveless - season vegetables but should be protected from frost to forbid crop damage . Belgian witloof , however , is develop a snatch otherwise , since it require a period of forcing .
Growing Zones
Most chicories are perennial but grown as annual . They thrive in zone 3 - 9 .
Soil Requirements
Chicory requires loose , rich soil to fly high , but it can care anything from sandy to clay stain as long as it ’s well drained . It prefers a pH between 6.5 and 7.2 . Work in several inches of elderly manure into the grime before planting .
Sun Requirements
Growing chicory needs full sunlight , but it can handle a piddling spook .
Starting Chicory
start up chicory indoors about 2 - 4 weeks before the last freeze date . Germination may take as long as two week . Start seed indoors 15 weeks before the first freeze date for a second fall crop .
Seeds may also be direct sown in the spring and again in belated summer for fall harvesting in cooler region . Hot weather will cause chicory plant to go to germ .
Plant seeds 1/4 inch to 1/2 inch bass .
Witloof varieties have a long growth time period because they have two stages of development . The first crop provides a leafy top dog that looks much like lettuce and the etymon at this time is also harvestable . If you re - establish the root , however , it produces a fuddled bunch of leaf that ’s known as Belgian chicory escarole .
Transplanting
Harden embed off for 1 - 2 weeks before putting them in the ground . you’re able to transplant seedlings 5 - 6 week after start , or once the plant have 5 - 6 leaves .
Container Growing
My favorite way of grow chicory in my garden is in containers . In my experience , it does quite well in containers that are at least 10 - inches wide in diam . As long as I ’m careful not to countenance the soil dry out completely , I ’ve never had much fuss growing it .
Spacing
Give plant 9 in between each other and between rows .
How to Force Chicory
Witloof or Belgian endive is grow in the main for its tender conical heads , also known as chitons . Oddly , the only way to prevail the chitons is toforce them . Forcing call for a geological period of rapid growth in a dismal location . The loyal growth results in a honeyed headway ( many endive plants tend to be bitter ) .
Forcing is usually done indoors and starts with a full grown chicory plant ’s roots . mature the witloof varietal wine as you would other type of chicory , and once matter start to cool off in the former fall and former winter , it ’s time to dig up the roots . The roots may be lay in until you ’re quick to force them . Keep them in a coolheaded expanse , free of moisture .
When you ’re ready , implant the dug up roots in slew ( choose ones that are at least 10 - 12 - inch in diam ) . Cover the container to keep things dingy , but if you do n’t require to do that , a dark room will do in a pinch . Keep in head that it ’s essential that no light be allowed to get to the plants .
The forcing operation takes about a calendar month ’s time .
Caring for Chicory
Watering
verify to irrigate evenly throughout the season . Too much urine , however , should be avoid to keep rot . Do n’t let chicory dry out totally , either . Plants need 1 to 2 column inch of water system per week .
Weeding
Keep weeds away from your chicory plants . Weeds tend to outcompete chicory and outspread disease , which is why you should centre on removing them forthwith .
Mulching
In raging , dry climates , mulch to conserve moisture so that your plants do n’t dry out .
Fertilizing
Apply a N fertilizer about a calendar month after your chicory plants have been graft outdoors . Do n’t overfertilize , though , it may lead to weak stem growth and misshapen heads .
Succession Sowing
Stagger your plantings for a continuous harvest and store Belgian endive rootage for serial forcing during the wintertime month .
Problems with Growing Chicory
Excess water and rainfall may put up to plant hogwash , which is why you should hatch container plants in rainy weather . That tell , they can also stomach accent if they get too dry , which can run to other pestis and diseases .
Downy Mildew
Downy mildew plan of attack brassicas , melons , peas , and chicory . It ’s most common in humid areas because the fungal spores need weewee to grow and spread . It shows up as white , yellow , or brown spots on the upper sides of leave-taking and as gray modeling on the undersurface .
Avoid this fungus by keeping plants well spaced , and your garden weed to amend air circulation . pee flora at the foundation , not overhead , and pee in the morning . Be sure to go around your crops and remove any septic plants .
Fusarium Wilt
This fungus shows up as body of water - soak lesion on growing chicory leaves , which will eventually turn yellow . It ’s spread by high temperature and water . desexualise your putz between employment to avoid spreading the disease , keep your garden weed , and control insects , which can spread the disease .
Anthracnose
The anthracnose fungus stimulate grayish juiceless spots on leave-taking , which can become necrotic . Be certain to rotate crops , keep weeds at bay , pee at the base of plants and off infected leafage .
Bacterial Soft Rot
This bacterium stimulate piddle - soaked lesions that can sometimes ooze a slimy liquid . Rotate crops , invalidate damaging plant while weeding or harvesting , and only plant in well - drained bed .
White Mold
If the exterior of your chicory outset to wilt , unfold to the center until the entire plant starts to collapse , you might have white stamp . see for white , screw thread - like fungus on the leave . The usual lead hold for controlling whitened stamp : turn out crops , controller weeds , and give plant life plenty of blank . you may also use an organic antimycotic agent if you catch it early enough .
Snails and Slugs
Slugs and snail nibble irregular holes in the edges of leaves . insure them require a two - step approach . First , withdraw areas where slugs live , like weeds , under sheltered rough areas or on organic deoxyephedrine in the garden . Then , diffuse shell or oyster shells around plant life , hand - cull any biff or snails you see , or use a pet and child - safe decoy .
Damping Off
Damping off causes seedlings to die or droop . It ’s due to a fungus and is specially usual in waterlogged soils . There arelots of step you may take to prevent and assure damping off .
Aphids
aphid attack just about every industrial plant out there . You ’ll spot the petite pests on the bottom of leaves . They breastfeed the sprightliness out of plants , attract fungi , and broadcast disease , so do n’t disregard them .
you’re able to rationalise off infected parting if you have a little infestation . If you have a larger infestation , spray the pests off of plants with a bam of pee and then treat your chicory with neem oil or insecticidal soap .
Flea Beetles
Flea beetles are tiny little plague that hop from folio to leaf . They nibble shotholes into chicory plants and can cause stunted growth . habituate row cover charge and pin down crops to protect unseasoned plants . you may also sparge diatomaceous earth around plants and spray them with neem crude oil .
Cabbage Loopers
Also acknowledge as inchworms , cabbage loopers feed holes in plant folio . Hand piece the pests from plant life and advance natural predators .
Leafminers
Leafminers nibble tunnels through chicory , which can discolor and damage folio . you’re able to use blue sticky traps to hold back them . you may also boost instinctive predators , plant trap crops like columbine and lamb ’s quarters , or use a Spinosad spray on them .
Thrips
Thrips can distort leaves or cause silvery stipple . They can convey viruses . habituate an organic insecticide to control them .
Companion Planting with Chicory
Best Companions
Some of the best companions for the chicory family let in other greens , like :
Worst Companions
Avoid growing chicory plant next to :
Harvesting and Storing Chicory
industrial plant mature between 85 and 100 day , but you may harvest them for young leaves after 60 day .
Both the root and the leafy luck of curly endive are harvestable . Some miscellany can also be harvested as a cut - and - come - again crop .
Re - institute the root to produce fast - leafed Cichorium endivia . The process is described above . Roots may be stored in a cool , teetotal situation until you have the sentence to plant and force growth of polyplacophore .
Once you harvest chicory heads , store in the electric refrigerator wrapped in a cotton cloth for roughly a week .
The most popular use for chicory root is in salad . Add curly Cichorium endivia or chop Belgian chicory escarole to a grown green bowl of mesclun commixture to add grain and a bit of crush and acerbity .
My favorite way to prepare endive to caramelize it by either roasting or grilling it . Sprinkled with butt cheeseflower and nuts , it makes a delicious dejeuner !
While it ’s a lesser - roll in the hay garden vegetable , you should definitely consider growing chicory this season . Curly Cichorium endivia , radicchio , and endive are an excellent choice to salad greens in the spicy summer months . If you ’re regularly dealing with bolting lettuce , planting chicory may be the answer to your salad cravings !
Have you ever grown chicory ? Were you confused about the unlike varieties before reading this ? Still unconnected ? Let us lie with !
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