Talkback: Growing radicchio - Talkback

06/08/2010 at 15:13

hi everyone, im anxious to grow some winter vegetables in the small patch i have in my garden, i have great onions, lettuce and potatoes, but i"d like to have some fresh veg over the winter,,any ideas what i can sow, when i can sow them etc,,,be very grateful for any replies,,thanks

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12/08/2010 at 11:31

Andy, your potato has grown potato seed - you can hybridise new potato varieties from seed (should you wish to). Don't worry, that's normal. I grew radiccio last year and one thing that makes it very valuable is that it goes into the ground after the cabbage white caterpillars have done their worst, along with its bitter flavour, this seems to preserve it from predation. It can be a bit of an acquired taste though!

Gardeners' World Web User

12/08/2010 at 11:59

Andy Smith, they look like tomatoes beceause they are both in the same deadly nightshade family. Which means they are deadly toxic. If you have any kids or pets that might eat them get rid!!! Never had any on mine (usually cut off flowers after a bit to send energy to tubers) and though i can see the fun in breeding your own variety you have no idea what it bread with (may not have been an edibal eg solanum)and the potato industry has billions invested in it so you are unlikely to find the magic super spud before them. As they are also tender and will take a lot of care to get to cropping stage i would save breedig for something less tricky toxic and with stronger genetic material (ie closer to species var.)

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14/08/2010 at 09:50

my demon chillies are turning black instead of red can you advise please

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16/08/2010 at 08:31

I had great difficulty reading these interesting blogs because of the unpleasent and intrusive advert form AXA.

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16/08/2010 at 15:08

my neiebour as but some dark like wood chippings round her lawn for a border now i have found lots of ants nr my front door coming from these wood chippings i told her i am putting some ant powder down on them were i have seen the ants seems the ants like to nest in the wood chippings

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31/05/2011 at 15:35

you have just solved my problem I think. I planted Radicchio seeds in my kitchen garden and have been having this protracted discussion with Unwins as the resultant leaves are nothing like the picture on the packet. The picture shows Radicchio Pallo Rossa and calls it that, but the leaves that have grown look exactly like the Radicchio di Treviso and are horribly bitter. I have sent Unwins the links showing the 2 pictures from this site, so hopefully now they will believe me!

Gardeners' World Web User

12/06/2011 at 08:44

I've just got a piece of land to start an allotment on. It's so exciting. It has been pasture land for thirty years. What should I do first to prepare the soil. Is it a case of just digging in some manure and maybe lime later on down the line?

Gardeners' World Web User

28/11/2011 at 18:41

hello all i am a bit bamboozeld as i have a potato plant growing in my flowerbed in my back garden but this morning when i looked at it, it had like tomatoes growing from it can somebody pls tell me if i,,m seeing things or does this normally happen

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