Chicory, Cicoria Rossa Italiana

Cicoria Rossa Italiana.    The intense green serrated leaves are tall with large red ribs.  Some call this Red Stem Dandelion, but it is a true chicory. It requires a rich, well-tilled soil. Mid-early, upright plant with a large, closely wrapped head. Intense green, serrated leaves are tall, with large red ribs. Said to be an excellent forcing variety. Take the well-developed plants out in the fall, bunch the leaves and remove secondary roots. Then put in a cooler, closed tub or dark basement and cover lightly with soil.   Young leaves contain a large amount of vitamin C, carotene, B vitamins, valuable organic acids. In the summer and autumn seasons, it is cut off many times as it grows back.. The plant forms a powerfully raised rosette. The leaves are very delicate, strongly dissected, dark green and the petioles are claret.  Delicate texture and balanced sweet taste of dark burgundy, without pulp rings, ensured this mid-season variety an undeniable victory at all tastings.  Vitamin snack, vinaigrette, borscht - the taste and quality of such favourite traditional dishes depends primarily on it, so their main component should be truly sweet, bright and juicy. 

This germinates incredibly well as a direct seeded crop and grows throughout the summer and fall all the way until first freeze. It also tastes delicious, is great for you, and sells very well at farmers market as a "red stem dandelion."   

Sowing is carried out at the end of May (earlier sowing leads to stalking). Care consists of loosening, watering, fertilizing. Root crops are harvested before the onset of frost.
 

 Approximately 600 seeds per gram.