Lettuce (Common chicory)

Plant family

Daisy family (Asteraceae)

Season Overview

Details

Light requirement

Sunny

Water requirement

Moist

Soil

Light (sandy)

Nutrient requirement

Low

Plant distance

10 cm

Row spacing

30 cm

Seeding depth

2 cm

Instructions

Description

Chicory is a typical winter vegetable (consumed from December to March), has evolved from the wild chicory (Cichorium intybus) and belongs to the Compositae family. Botanically, chicory is the shoot of the chicory root and it is classified among the chicory salads. The leaves are whitish with yellow tips and are closely superimposed in the shape of a bulb, with a hard stalk in the middle. Since chicory was discovered in Belgium, it is also called Brussels lettuce. Chicory is a 2 year old plant, which in the first year above ground form only a bitter rosette of leaves (dandelion-like), from the roots of which in the 2nd year in the dark sprout the edible tender slightly bitter cones. Root harvesting takes place September-November, so that the field then becomes free. Harvesting of chicory shoots from the cellar/dark is possible from late November to part of March. Chicory coffee can be made from the roots of chicory.

Growing tips

First, the chicory seeds are sown. These are then used to produce the turnips that will eventually be used for forcing. The soil should not be too cold when sowing, otherwise they may start to bolt. Marker sowing can be helpful. After 3-4 weeks, the plants can be singled out to approx. 10 cm. Water (and rake) regularly. Chicory is a rather undemanding, weak to medium-grower and requires a sunny location with a deep, not too heavy soil. If possible, the soil should be low in nitrogen. When the leaves of the chicory turn yellow in October/November, dig up the roots (approx. 3-6 cm in diameter), carefully remove the leaves and leave the heart. Place in damp sand in a cool place at around 0-3°C for at least a week (dormant phase). Then place in a dark (important, otherwise the plants will develop bitter substances) and cool place to sprout, at around 10°C to max. 18°C. It is important to place the roots upright in the sand and to water regularly, but not wet. After 4-6 weeks, the cones (approx. 15cm) can be harvested. The roots will sprout again so that they can be harvested over the winter. (Note: there are also varieties that require other cultivation methods, e.g. where the turnips are covered with 10 cm of sand/soil into which the shoots grow). If the shoots are planted in the light again (2nd year in March), they also produce the bee-friendly blue flowers for seed (2nd year in fall) (caution: cross-pollination).