How to grow Radicchio?
- Latin Family: Asteraceae
- Latin Genus: Cichorium
- Ease of Growing: Moderate
- Growing Type: Annual
Radicchio, like chicory and endive, can be cultivated for three quite different foods: greens, roots (for coffee), and shoots (known as chicons or Belgium Endive). Specific varieties have been bred for each purpose.
Radicchio History
Radicchio was an ancient Italian vegetable. The varieties are named after the provinces in Italy that grow the specific Radicchio. By 1860 in Belgium they used a technique to stop chlorophyll production. They put the plant in water in darken sheds, forcing it to turn from green to red with white veined leaves.
Soil Preference
- PH (min/max): 5.0 - 6.8
- PH Ideal (min/max): 6.0 - 6.3
Radicchio thrives in most soil types, but for easiest harvesting, a loose, rich and fairly moist soil is best, otherwise roots may rot. It can be grown in an acidic soil.
How to care for Radicchio?
Radicchio needs a steady source of water. Drought-stressed plants will become quite bitter. Once the seeds have come up, add a generous layer of mulch around the base of each plant to keep the roots cool and protect the moisture level of the soil. If the plant puts out a flower stalk, cut it off at the ground to encourage the plant to form a new head instead.
Water
Radicchio is like lettuce in that it likes moist cool soil. Hot weather makes its leaves bitter.
Fertilizer
For good growth the plants must have all the nutrients they need.
Seeds
Seed Viability: 4 - 8 Years
Germination Percentage: 70.0
Radicchio sets seed very easily if allowed to. The flowers are pollinated by insects and will cross-pollinate with radicchio, endive or Wild Chicory (which is a common wild flower). To keep a variety pure you must isolate it by a 1/2 mile, or cage it. It is quite hard to separate the individual seeds from the flowers, so they are often stored in the dried flower heads. You have to crush the dry flower heads to release the seeds.
Light
Sun: min. 6 hours daily
Full sun is important when Raddicio is growing in cool weather.
Conditions:Cold, Cool
Season:Short Season, Long Season
Part shade
The plant is similar to Lettuce in many ways, including its tendency to turn bitter or bolt in hot weather. Radicchio will do better in part shade if your climate has warm spells.
Conditions:Cool
Season:Short Season, Long Season
Storage
Store the leafy heads like lettuce, in a plastic bag in the fridge for up to a week.
Storage Req: Refrigerator
Storage Temp: 35-40°F
Storage Length: 1-7 days
Problems
Cutworms when small
Seedlings are often damaged by cutworms.
Radicchio Types
- Non-forcing
- Forcing
Radicchio is a type of chicory. These varieties produce a head even without cold weather. However you might have to stimulate them to head up, by cutting off most of the top growth (leave only 2 feet of leaves). The resulting new growth should then form a head. A significant percentage of the plants in a bed won't produce the desired cabbage-like heads.
Red Verona, Treviso: These varieties need cold weather to stimulate them to produce a compact head. Cold weather may kill the outer leaves, but the colorful head will eventually emerge from underneath them.
Pests
- Wireworm
- Flea Beetle
- Thrips
- Leafhoppers
- Aphids
- Cutworms
- Tarnished Plant Bug
- Leafminers
- Slugs and snails
- Groundhog
- Rabbits
- Gophers
- Deer
Diseases
- Damping Off
- Downy Mildew
- Powdery Mildew
Related Plants
Greens, Juicing
Sprouts
Seacale
Kohlrabi
Collards
Anise
Caraway
Cumin
Cauliflower
Culantro