When to plant Chicory in Subtropical Australia

Subtropical zone — applies to Brisbane, Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, Coffs Harbour, Lismore and similar areas. Growing elsewhere? Temperate · Cool · Tropical · Arid.

Sow chicory direct from March to September, through the cooler months when the subtropics suit this hardy, slightly bitter leaf. Seed germinates quickly in 7-14 days, so sow it 5 mm deep where it will grow and thin seedlings to 20-30 cm apart in rows 30-40 cm apart. Chicory takes 85-100 days to mature, developing its full flavour and, in heading types, a tight blanched heart as the weather cools. An autumn sowing across Brisbane and Coffs Harbour gives it the long, mild run it needs before summer heat turns the leaves harshly bitter.

Sowing calendar — subtropical zone

Green months are your sowing window: March to September.

Growing notes

Chicory is tough and largely trouble-free, but in the subtropics the main failure is bitterness and bolting from heat. Grown into warm weather, the leaves become punishingly bitter and the plant runs to a tall flower spike. Keep it strictly to the autumn-and-winter window, where cool nights mellow the flavour and slow the plant down.

How much bitterness you accept depends on the type. Leaf and root chicories are meant to carry some, and cooking or a cold snap tames it. For the heading types like radicchio and witloof, the sweetness comes from blanching: excluding light from the developing heart. You can do this by tying the outer leaves up over the heart a couple of weeks before harvest, or by lifting roots and forcing them in the dark for witloof chicons.

A few practical notes:

• Grow chicory in full sun with steady moisture; drought stress sharpens the bitterness further.
• Feed a moderate amount of nitrogen for leafy types, but do not overfeed, which produces soft growth prone to rot in humid weather.
• Space plants properly at 20-30 cm so heading types have room to form a solid heart.

Harvest outer leaves as a cut-and-come-again crop, or lift whole heads once they firm up in the cool.

Chicory at a glance

Common questions

Why is my chicory so bitter?

Chicory naturally carries some bitterness, but heat and drought stress make it far worse. Grow it through the cool months, keep the soil moist, and for heading types blanch the heart by tying up the outer leaves to exclude light and sweeten the centre.

When should I sow chicory in the subtropics?

Sow from March to September, through autumn and winter. A cool-season run gives the 85-100 day crop time to mature before summer heat sets in, which otherwise turns the leaves harshly bitter and pushes the plant to bolt.

How do you blanch chicory hearts?

Blanching excludes light from the developing heart, which sweetens it. Tie the outer leaves up over the centre about two weeks before harvest, or for witloof, lift the roots and force them in the dark to produce pale, mild chicons.

How far apart should chicory be spaced?

Thin or plant chicory to 20-30 cm apart in rows 30-40 cm apart. Heading types in particular need this room to form a solid heart, and the spacing also keeps air moving to reduce rot in humid subtropical conditions.

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