- Botanical name: Cichorium intybus 'Variegato Di Castelfranco'
- Common name: Chicory
- Family: Brassicaceae
- Plant Type: Vegetable
- Key features:
- Prefers rich soil
Chicory is a bitter-tasting vegetable, used as a winter crop and harvested to eat in autumn and early spring salads. The leaves can have a bitter taste, but blanching these before eating can help reduce this bitterness. It thrives in well-drained soil in full sun to partial shade. There are three different types of chicory: ‘forcing’ chicory, red chicory or radicchio and ‘non-forcing’ chicory.
Cichorium intybus ‘Variegato di Castelfranco’ is a glorious ‘non-forcing’ chicory which grows a lot like lettuce. It bears pretty variegated green leaves with maroon spots. Harvest young leaves on a cut-and-come-again basis or allow hearts to develop and use whole in stir-fries.
Sow Cichorium intybus ‘Variegato di Castelfranco’ seeds direct, 1.5cm deep in well-prepared soil, from April to August. Alternatively raise in modules under glass from March. Thin out to 25-30cm apart between plants. Module-grown plants can be transplanted to a cloche in autumn to extend the season.
How to grow Cichorium 'Variegato di Castelfranco'
-
Plant size
30cm height
30cm spread
-
Aspect
South facing, west facing
- Sun exposure: Full sun, dappled shade
- Hardiness: Half hardy
- Soil type: Well drained / light / sandy / clay / heavy / moist / chalky / alkaline
Plant calendar
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sow | ||||||||||||
| Sow |
J
Do not Sow in January |
F
Do not Sow in February |
M
Do Sow in March |
A
Do Sow in April |
M
Do Sow in May |
J
Do Sow in June |
J
Do Sow in July |
A
Do Sow in August |
S
Do not Sow in September |
O
Do not Sow in October |
N
Do not Sow in November |
D
Do not Sow in December |
| Plant | ||||||||||||
| Plant |
J
Do not Plant in January |
F
Do not Plant in February |
M
Do not Plant in March |
A
Do not Plant in April |
M
Do Plant in May |
J
Do Plant in June |
J
Do Plant in July |
A
Do Plant in August |
S
Do Plant in September |
O
Do Plant in October |
N
Do not Plant in November |
D
Do not Plant in December |
| Harvest | ||||||||||||
| Harvest |
J
Do not Harvest in January |
F
Do not Harvest in February |
M
Do not Harvest in March |
A
Do not Harvest in April |
M
Do not Harvest in May |
J
Do not Harvest in June |
J
Do not Harvest in July |
A
Do not Harvest in August |
S
Do Harvest in September |
O
Do Harvest in October |
N
Do Harvest in November |
D
Do not Harvest in December |
Cichorium 'Variegato di Castelfranco' and wildlife
Cichorium 'Variegato Di Castelfranco' has no particular known value to wildlife in the UK.
Is Cichorium 'Variegato di Castelfranco' poisonous?
Cichorium 'Variegato Di Castelfranco' has no toxic effects reported.
No reported toxicity to Birds
No reported toxicity to Cats
No reported toxicity to Dogs
No reported toxicity to Horses
No reported toxicity to Livestock
No reported toxicity to People
