Topic: Who grows Witloof chicory? It's amazing!

[artichoke]

I neglected for various reasons the huge roots that grew over the summer - dug them up in Feb (much too late, apparently) and put them naked into 2 buckets in a cold garage - suddenly pulled self together in late March (little growth so far, dark green), encased watered buckets in double black binbags fastened with elastic bands (added a little compost), placed in airing cupboard, and went abroad for 9 days.

Got home last night and they have frothed up into the most wonderful creamy shoots 6 - 10 inches high. Made a chicory and orange salad for two (olive oil and lemon dressing) from one bigger shoot for lunch, and they are sweet and crisp and wonderful. They are not quite the smooth bullet shapes found in supermarkets, but less bitter and much prettier.

This year I shall sow a long row (only about 9 roots last year) and take them a bit more seriously for delicious winter salads. I'll keep buckets of roots in garage, and put them one by one into airing cupboard to shoot up. Nine days is just amazing.

I read that they will shoot again after cutting. Has anyone else here grown them and found this to be true?

[calendula]

I grow as many of the chicories as possible, especially the red and white ones, brilliant winter salads and the forcing ones are also valuable through the winter - they will sprout again after cutting but to a lesser degree so best to force in batches

seeds of italy have a wonderful range

http://www.seedsofitaly.com

[cambourne7]

this is on my list of things to grow today.

What would you 2 say would be your top 10 tips?

[calendula]

first decide which ones you want to grow - either forced or non forced, then pick a colour, then pick a leaf type as some are ball heads, some serrated leaf, some loose leaf but bushy as well, some tall but loose leaf - so many varieties

then decide whether you want to grow them early or late, what you want to do is avoid the heat of the summer as they will bolt and flower (beautiful blue flowers mainly) - witloof you'd normally sow in April and some varieties lend themselves to early planting more

mainly I sow just a few now as I have so many other salads on the go and sow most of the others well into the summer for winter use - the gorgeous colours look great on the plate

I sow in trays as thinly as possible but they don't mind a bit of crowding and I let them grow big enough to plant out

forcing varieties I tend to start cutting in late november and take home and put into a pot, say 4 roots to a 8inch pot (cut off the leaves) and keep in total darkness, the chicons come on very quick then

hope that's useful

[artichoke]

Witloof - I agree about digging up in late Nov, but in fact I neglected them until Feb/March. What I am saying is that they have this latent energy which makes them sprout energetically in April.

I will now look into the varieties and colours that you have named, and take them more seriously.

[saddad]

They are on my hitlist for this year too!
 ;D

[calendula]

Witloof - I agree about digging up in late Nov, but in fact I neglected them until Feb/March. What I am saying is that they have this latent energy which makes them sprout energetically in April.

some are considered almost perennial in this respect - good value :)

[Biscombe]

Inspired! I must have a go!

[artichoke]

Calendula, do you mean I can replant the roots when they are exhausted, let them grow all summer, and use the same ones again next winter?

[calendula]

I don't know about replanting roots that have been dug up, you can but try, but I was meaning more that some of the ones that get left in the ground carry on growing even after leaves have been harvested - I have some that are doing that right now - usually i would have dug them up by now and cleared the bed they are in but hadn't got round to doing it so it looks like I'll be eating them instead  ;D

[cleo]

Welcome to the world of `forcing` ;D

[saddad]

Those ones left will probably bolt... but if you have no other Chicory/endive type plants in the vicinity in flower you should get viable seed. The forced ones are usually too exhausted to do anything other than bolt...
 :-\