Growing and Sowing Green Chicory

For those who would like to eat fresh vegetables from the garden even in October, growing green chicory is highly recommended. It is an easy vegetable to grow and requires little care. Green chicory is related to normal white chicory and endive and tastes slightly bitter with the texture of endive. This vegetable can be eaten both raw, for example in a salad, and cooked.

Growing your own green chicory from seeds

Green chicory is a leafy vegetable and easy to grow. It is a forgotten vegetable and is related to normal white chicory and the red variety. Its taste is also a bit reminiscent of that of chicory, although the texture is a bit different. It is a healthy vegetable and can withstand light frost. This means you can harvest it until October. As it can be sown late, you can grow it after other crops.

Sowing and planting green chicory

Green chicory can be pre-sown in April and May, or after the longest day, but can also be sown directly in the garden. From late June is preferred as the vegetable tends to bolt quickly. Sow in rows with a row spacing of about 30 cm. After the plants emerge, you can thin them out so that they are about 20 cm apart. This gives the plant enough space to grow well.

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Position and soil of Green Chicory

Green chicory prefers a sunny to semi-shaded spot. It has few requirements for the soil and does not require much fertilization. A layer of compost will suffice.

How to care of your green chicory plants

Green chicory is easy to grow. Just regularly pull weeds and remove the dead leaves. This is to give the healthy leaves more air and prevent them from getting moldy. Be careful fertilizing with nitrogen. This ensures that the head in the middle, the edible part, remains small, while the outer leaves grow.

When and how to harvest green chicory?

This, of course, depends on when you sow, but usually you can harvest green chicory  about 3 to 4 months after sowing. For the early cultivation this will be from July, the late cultivation from the end of September.

How to preserve green chicory

When covered, you can store green chicory in the vegetable drawer of the fridge for a few weeks. Covering prevents the vegetable from drying out. Chicory can also be stored in a cool, dry, dark place. In addition, it can be frozen, but blanch in advance. 

Is green chicory healthy?

An old Dutch saying is ‘bitter in the mouth, makes the heart healthy’. Whether this really is true is of course questionable, but the vegetable is certainly healthy. It is low in calories and high in vitamins and minerals. Plus, you can harvest it relatively long into the season, which means you can also eat fresh from your own garden in the autumn and partly winter months.

Green chicory seeds in our collection

In our range we have a self-closing type of green chicory. In addition, we also have ‘normal’ chicory and red chicory in our range.

Tips to grow green chicory

For those who do not like the bitter taste, it is best to avoid the dark green leaves and use only the light green ones. This is the heart of the chicory and these leaves contain less bitterness.

To protect the chicory from frost, they can be covered with fleece. Be careful though, this only protects during moderate frost. Once the head has frozen, it will rot quickly.