How to grow chicory : instructions for growing chicory in a pot or in the garden. From sweet cut chicory (the one with tender, broad and sweet leaves), to wild chicory. Without forgetting the legendary Galatina puntarelle!
The root system is not very deep, so chicory is suitable for growing in pots.
Growing chicory is easy, the plant does not need phytosanitary interventions if you are careful not to grow it for more than two years in the same flowerbed and not even after vegetables belonging to the same botanical family such as radicchio, curly endive, escarole, lettuce… Better if it is grown where there were once courgettes and tomatoes.
Cultivation of Catalogna chicory or Galatina puntarelle
Puntarelle require regular irrigation to ensure good production. They can be sown by scattering, but it is better to plant in an orderly fashion: keep a distance of 25 cm between plants and 35 cm between rows.
It can be grown in autumn and, in the south, it can be counted among the vegetables to be grown in the greenhouse in winter . For sowing, temperatures above 5 degrees are required to grow and its optimal temperature is between 15 and 20 degrees.
Where can you find the seeds of puntarelle di galatina or chicory catalogna? You can contact your trusted agricultural consortium or take advantage of online purchasing. Puntarelle seeds are not very easy to find. On Amazon, at “ this page ”, a packet of chicory catalogna or puntarelle seeds is offered at a price of 4.70 euros with shipping costs included in the price. If you have the possibility of buying them at an agricultural consortium, a packet will cost you around 2 – 2.50 euros.
Growing wild chicory
Wild chicory is the ancestral type from which all currently available varieties of cocories have been obtained, cross-breeding after cross-breeding. Wild chicory is popular for its beneficial properties and is not appreciated by everyone because it has a bitter taste. For the cultivation and availability of wild chicory seeds, I refer you to the dedicated page: wild chicory, cultivation and properties .
In the following photo, a broad-leaved cutting chicory is shown , better known as sugary chicory. Unlike wild chicory, the “sugary” cutting chicory has a very sweet flavour and tender leaves.
Sweet chicory from Trieste, cutting chicory
Sugar chicory is among the varieties of cut chicory that offers excellent yields both in the home garden in the open field, and when grown in pots , actually better if in rectangular planters or in boxes.
When to Grow Chicory
The Zuccherina di Trieste chicory can be grown all year round, although sowing in open fields can be done between September and October, it offers longer harvests. The zuccherona di Trieste chicory can be harvested practically all year round, especially if the grower is in southern Italy, thanks to the mild climate of southern Italy, it is possible to sow even in the coldest months of the year, to continue the cultivation it will be necessary to cover the plants with non-woven fabric.
Don’t worry, chicory can also be grown in the North. It can also survive in mountain gardens at high altitudes. The optimal temperature varies from 15 to 20 °C but it can also grow at temperatures of around 8 °C. In the coldest months of the year, those who live in the North will have to grow chicory in a well-insulated greenhouse.
Those who live in the Po Valley, in fact, will do well to protect the cultivation of Zuccherina di Trieste chicory with a tunnel greenhouse. Those who do not have a tunnel can use non-woven fabric by placing the veil on the crop at the end of October.
When to harvest chicory
As mentioned, you can sow all year round, in any case, sowing in September and early October is the most suitable for a small vegetable garden. Those who sow chicory in September will have their first harvests in early autumn. To harvest in different periods of the year, it is advisable to carry out staggered sowings at least 15 days apart.
How to harvest chicory?
Sugar chicory is a cutting chicory and is harvested by cutting it about 2 – 2.5 cm from the ground, in autumn and again between February and March.
When watering chicory , be careful not to wet the leaves. In any case, chicory should only be watered if grown in pots and in the absence of rain.
Chicories should be grown in rows 8-12 cm apart. The leaves of the Zuccherina di Trieste chicory can reach and exceed 20 cm in length.
Where to buy chicory seeds for cutting?
The seeds of the “zuccherina di Trieste” variety are easy to find at any well-stocked agricultural consortium. Those who prefer can take advantage of online buying and selling; on this Amazon page , for example, you can find the classic heat-insulated sachets of high-germination sugary chicory seeds from Trieste.
You may also be interested in reading our article: Chicory : what it is, what it is used for and how to use it in drops as a Bach Flower
Growing chicory in a pot
To grow chicory in a pot, the same rules apply as for growing in the garden, however, late winter/early spring sowing is recommended so that you can harvest in favorable seasons. Zuccherina di Trieste chicory can easily be grown in pots or bags. What you need to grow chicory in a pot :
- Universal soil mixed with 5-10% sand
- Planters/box containers 10-12 cm high
- At the bottom of the containers you will need to place 2 cm of expanded clay
Attention! The Triste sugar chicory should not be confused with the sugar loaf chicory, they are two completely different varieties .
For the seeds and the photo of the “ sugar loaf chicory ” I refer you to “ this Amazon page ”. Sugar loaf chicory is more difficult to find on the market than the classic sugar chicory, however its cultivation is just as easy.
