Cichorium intybus var. foliosum 'Radicchio'
Radicchio
Common names: Red Chicory Salad, Cicorino Rosso
Photo: Original book source: Prof. Dr. Otto Wilhelm Thomé Flora von Deutschla… · Public Domain · Source
This description was machine-translated.
Description
Radicchio is an Italian chicory salad plant that produces bright wine‑red leaves with white ribs, forming a firm, round head. Its strong bitter flavor makes it a specialty for autumn and winter, eaten raw in salads, grilled, or braised where the bitterness mellows pleasantly.
Care instructions
Sow in mid‑June so the heads mature during the cooler autumn period, falling temperatures trigger the intense red coloration. Keep the soil consistently moist and allow time for head formation. Harvest the firm heads before hard frost; light frosts deepen color and flavor.
Soil & site
Soil pH
Soil type
loamy, humus-rich, well-drained
Feeding
Medium feeder
Companion planting
Good neighbors
carrot family (Apiaceae)
Calendula and Tagetes next to carrots keep the carrot fly away with their scent.
For example celery rootDillParsleyCorianderCelery (Stalk Celery)Caraway and 17 more species in the catalogue
Source: classic companion planting (DACH-Gartenpraxis)
Rather not
nightshade family (Solanaceae)
Sunflowers release substances into the soil that inhibit potato tuber growth, and they also compete for water and nutrients.
For example PotatoTomatoSweet pepperCocktail tomatoEggplantCape gooseberry and 9 more species in the catalogue
Source: basic crop-rotation rule
Companion planting is partly traditional gardening lore. Where the reason is known, it is given.
Some of these explanations were machine-translated.
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