When to plant Chicory in Tropical Australia

Tropical zone — applies to Darwin, Cairns, Townsville, Broome, Mackay and similar areas. Growing elsewhere? Temperate · Cool · Subtropical · Arid.

In the tropics, sow chicory direct through the cooler dry-season months of March to September, placing seed 5 mm deep for germination in 7–14 days. Thin plants to 20–30 cm apart in rows 30–40 cm apart. Chicory matures in 85–100 days, so a dry-season sowing in Darwin or Townsville gives the leaves time to develop before wet-season heat drives the plant to bolt. Grown for its bitter salad leaves and coffee-substitute root, it handles tropical conditions better than many cool-season crops.

Sowing calendar — tropical zone

Green months are your sowing window: March to September.

Growing notes

Chicory is a hardy, deep-rooted perennial usually grown as an annual, and it is one of the more forgiving leaf crops for the tropics if you keep it to the dry season. The deep taproot lets it find moisture and gives it real staying power once established.

The main failure mode is bitterness and bolting driven by heat. Chicory naturally carries a pleasant bitter edge, but tropical warmth pushes it too far and sends up an early flower stalk, after which the leaves become tough and harshly bitter. Sow in the cooler dry months, keep the soil evenly moist, and harvest leaves young. For milder, sweeter hearts, you can blanch the plant by tying up the outer leaves or covering the crown for a week or two before cutting, which excludes light and reduces the bitterness.

Give chicory a free-draining bed, as waterlogging late in the season will rot the crown. In Cairns and Mackay, get the crop in early enough that it is finished or nearly so before the build-up humidity arrives. The taproot can be lifted, roasted and ground as a caffeine-free coffee substitute, a traditional use that suits the vigorous roots this crop develops.

Chicory at a glance

Common questions

When should I sow chicory in the tropics?

Sow direct in the cooler dry-season months from March to September. That gives the 85–100 day crop time to leaf up before wet-season heat and humidity trigger bolting.

Why is my chicory so bitter?

Heat and bolting intensify chicory's natural bitterness. Grow it in the cool dry season, harvest leaves young, and blanch the crown by excluding light for a week or two before cutting for a milder taste.

Can you use chicory root for coffee?

Yes. The deep taproot can be lifted, roasted and ground as a caffeine-free coffee substitute. Chicory's vigorous roots in tropical soil make this a rewarding secondary harvest.

Does chicory grow well in Darwin?

It is one of the more resilient cool-season leaf crops for Darwin, provided you keep it to the dry season. Its deep taproot helps it cope, but finish the crop before the wet-season build-up to avoid crown rot.

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