Lettuce (Radicchio / Italian chicory)

Plant family

Daisy family (Asteraceae)

Season Overview

Details

Light requirement

Sunny

Water requirement

Moist

Soil

Light (sandy)

Nutrient requirement

Medium

Plant distance

30 cm

Row spacing

30 cm

Seeding depth

1 cm

Instructions

End of March

Propagating

Description

Radicchio (Cichorium intybus var. foliosum) is a cultivated form of the common chicory used as a vegetable or salad. It is hardy and is usually harvested as an autumn salad.

Growing tips

The soil should be well-drained and continuous watering is advantageous. The young plants require temperatures above 16 °C, for early sets up to over 20 °C. Depending on the variety, unwanted inflorescences (shoots) will otherwise form with increasing day length. The cultivation period is 8-11 weeks. The heads weigh approx. 200-250 g in summer and 300-350 g in fall. Radicchio can withstand severe frosts down to -5 °C.