When to plant Witloof in Temperate Australia

Temperate zone — applies to Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth, Newcastle and similar areas. Growing elsewhere? Cool · Subtropical · Tropical · Arid.

Sow witloof, the chicory grown for Belgian endive, direct from October to January in warm soil, dropping seed about 5 mm deep. It germinates in 7–14 days and needs a long 120–150 days to build the fat taproot that you later force for chicons. Space plants 20–25 cm apart in rows of 30 cm. In a Melbourne or Adelaide garden the plan is to grow the roots through summer and autumn, lift them as the weather cools, then force them in the dark for those pale, tightly folded winter shoots.

Sowing calendar — temperate zone

Green months are your sowing window: October to January.

Growing notes

Witloof is a two-stage crop and worth understanding before you sow. Stage one is simply growing a strong parsnip-like taproot over the warm months in deep, loose, stone-free soil. Stage two, forcing, is where the magic happens: you lift the roots in autumn, trim the leaves, and pot them upright in the dark, where they push up the crisp, bitter-sweet chicon.

The usual failure is a forked or stunted root, caused by shallow or compacted ground, which then forces into a loose, leafy mess rather than a tight chicon. Dig the bed deeply and remove stones before sowing, and thin ruthlessly so each plant has room to swell.

Don't rush the forcing, either. Cover the crowns completely and keep them in true darkness at a cool, steady temperature; any light and the chicons green up and turn harshly bitter. In milder Sydney winters you may need to force roots in a cool shed or the bottom of the fridge to hit the right temperature. Patience across both stages is the whole game with witloof.

Witloof at a glance

Common questions

how do you force witloof chicory

Grow the taproots over summer and autumn, then lift them as it cools, trim the leaves to a stub, and pot the roots upright in a container of moist sand or soil kept in complete darkness. Over a few weeks each root pushes up a pale, tight chicon. Total darkness is essential or they turn green and bitter.

when to sow witloof in Adelaide

Sow direct from October to January so the roots have the full warm season to develop before forcing. The roots need 120–150 days of growth, so earlier spring sowing gives the biggest crowns. Lift and force them through the cool Adelaide winter.

why are my witloof chicons loose and leafy

Loose chicons usually mean the taproot was too small, forked, or grown in compacted soil. Prepare a deep, stone-free bed and give each plant room to swell into a strong single root. Weak roots simply cannot force a tight head.

how long does witloof take to grow

The root stage alone takes 120–150 days from sowing, and then forcing adds a few more weeks in the dark. It is a slow crop spanning most of the year, so it rewards planning rather than impatience.

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