Topic: Forcing chicory

[sand]

Last year we managed to grow whitloof chicory for forcing indoors through the winter months, it worked fine.  Getting ready to sow again.

Just been skimming gardening books and sites to find that they all say 'do not use forked roots'.  We only had forked roots and they all worked a treat.

Why do they say not to use forked roots, what's the reason?  Does anyone know?

Sand ???

[saddad]

Nope but I only grow Sugar Loaf and Radiccio... for leaf from the plot, all that forcing too much like hard work for me...
 ;D

[sand]

I thought it all seemed like a lot of fuss when I first read about it but it's not at all.  And it's great to do a bit of 'gardening' in the winter months.

Sand

[saddad]

I was pulling carrots and swede until march.. and the endive and chicory were great!
 ;D

[sand]

Our raddicio went very soggy and brown as winter approached.  I think it was the wet.  This year we plan to cover with cloches to try to keep them dry. 

We had one endive that survived the winter!

We made the mistake of forcing all the chicory at the same time, this year we will try to stagger it by storing it and forcing a few at a time.  Yum, yum, chicory salad or better still braised chicory with garlic in loads of butter with crusty bread.

Sand

[saddad]

Sounds good to me...
our chicory was in free draining soil... next to the carrots after the first earlies!
 ;D