what do I do with chicory?

[madmarchhare]

I bought some chicory seeds in France last year, threw them in, and theyve come up nicely into little plants. Trouble is, Im not sure what to do with them - I believe they need tieing round with string or something to keep them blanched inside,but at what point does one do that, and how exactly? There are some instructions in French on the packet but theyre beyond me! Any advice appreciated....

[trebellangeminired]

Just getting my head round this myself. Apparently there are three types of chicory; radicchio, sugar loaf and witloof. Witloof is the one you blanch. The other two can be grown close together and treated as cut and come again or baby leaves or can be grown farther apart and overwintered like cabbage. And slugs hate them

We were given some French pumpkin seed packets a couple of years ago and muddled through with a dictionary and experimentation.

Good luck!

[bluemoon]

Umm, personally I'd chuck 'em in the compost and grow something which tastes nice.

[Paulottie]

Witloof is the one you blanch.

Tried these last year. grew well then took them in to blanch resprouts under pots, Found it very difficult to achieve nice tight heads on them though...turned out more like yellow lettuce...anyhow definately got instructions right as Mrs P French. Thought I might try again and blanch in situ like rhubarb rather than moving the crown indoors.

Don't throw them on the compost the blooming things are like horseradish... keep resprouting. Keep coming up in the carrot bed too where i must have missed a couple of roots

And slugs hate them

Yeah but so do I