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Sign up freeCichorium intybus (Puntarelle)
Roman chicory — central pale shoots eaten raw in classic anchovy dressing. Bitter, crunchy. Cool-season crop. Soak shoots in iced water to curl.
Cichorium intybus (Radicchio)
vegetable
A fellow Asteraceae — similar growing habits to Puntarelle
Attract Hoverflies, Lacewings, Ladybugs, Parasitic wasps to keep them in check — plant DillExcellent, ChrysanthemumGreat and CeleryGreat nearby.Direct-sow Puntarelle outdoors about 6 weeks after your last frost, keeping seeds in cooler soil (around 10–18 °C). Seeds usually come up in around 10 days. Grow in full sun, spaced about 30 cm apart. Expect to harvest in roughly 90 days.
Puntarelle seed rarely stays viable beyond 4 years — track what's still worth sowing.
Water: Medium · Height: 50 cm · Soil: Moist, fertile, well-draining
Aphididae
Curled leaves, sticky honeydew and ants on patrol — usually with something already eating them.
These three thrive alongside Puntarelle — and alongside each other.
