Round headed, greenish leaves turning a reddish and white variegated as colder weather beckons and the heart formation becomes more noticeable. Chicory Cicoria variegata de Chioggia has good winter hardiness. Boil leaves to remove bitterness, fresh chicory leaves add zest to a mixed salad.
Sowing Instructions
Sow seeds thinly under protection in February to April for earliest harvest in summer, or May to August outdoors to harvest from October. Sow in rows, 13mm deep, 30cm between rows. First thin the young seedlings to 10cm apart, then later to 25cm apart. Can also be left unthinned for 'salad leaves'.
Can also be sown thickly under glass all year round for 'salad leaves'
.
Growing Instructions
At all times keep weed-free and well watered. Mulching with black polythene or straw between rows conserves moisture and suppresses weeds. In late autumn and winter, when temperatures are low, the outer leaves will close together tightly to form heads and at the same time the red colour will intensify
Crop
June to November.
