Chicory: planting, effect and use

The chicory along the way delights us with beautiful blossoms and also enriches our culinary delights. The roots of the chicory served as a substitute for coffee for a long time and could still be used today as a regional coffee alternative if you cultivate it yourself.

The Chicory (Cichorium intybus) is a plant native to Central Europe that has accompanied us for hundreds of years and even tells us the time with the help of a flower clock. The flowers open at around 5 a.m. and close at 11 a.m. Get your hands on the chicory and enjoy the coffee from its roots while telling the time with the help of the flower. Incidentally, the common chicory is the ancestor of today's chicory salads.

Chicory: origin and characteristics

The Common Chicory (Cichorium intybus) is one of the most common native wild plants that also occurs naturally in West Asia and Northwest Africa. Due to its versatile applicability, it has now been spread to many other places in the world. As its name suggests, the chicory is often found along the way and can hardly be overlooked, especially in midsummer when it blooms.

The common chicory was already used in Egypt as a useful and medicinal plant and is still used today. Because the plant is native to us and was also used, the chicory received many popular names such as path lamp, coffee herb or blue thistle. Nowadays it is mainly called chicory or chicory.

As a wild plant, chicory is genetically the primordial mother of some important cultivated and useful plants. Several varieties are known that originally descended from chicory, such as:

• Chicory salads: Chicory (Cichorium intybus var. foliosum), radicchio (Cichorium intybus var. foliosum) and sugarloaf (Cichorium intybus var. foliosum f. cylindricum)

• root chicory (Cichorium intybus var. sativa)

Is the chicory perennial?

Chicory appears to be perennial, but is only biennial. In the first year it is in the vegetative phase and forms a rosette of leaves. In the second year, the generative phase takes place, with flower and seed formation.

How do I recognize the common chicory?

• The common chicory is a somewhat woody, biennial, herbaceous plant from the daisy family (Asteraceae), which can be recognized by the flowers.
• The flower heads are 3 to 4 cm wide and of the 2 rows of bracts, the inner one is longer and upright, the outer one shorter and spreading, and blooms from July to October with showy, mostly light purple or lavender flowers.
• The flower heads open before sunrise and begin to close in the afternoon. Each individual flower opens only once and withers after a day.
• White pollen collects at the tips of the stamens during the early morning and is visited by bees and butterflies.

• Chicory has a tough, furrowed and more or less hairy stalk when it is in bloom.
• It can grow up to 1.5 m high.
• The leaves are stalked, lanceolate, unlobed and 10–32 cm long and 2–8 cm wide.
• Like the dandelion, chicory contains a white milky sap.

Mixing up the waykeeper: Without its flowers in the first year, the chicory looks confusingly similar to the dandelion. Both also have a similarly bitter taste and a milky sap. Dandelions are not poisonous and are used in cooking in a similar way to chicory.

The most beautiful chicory species and varieties

Despite its obvious beauty, more useful than ornamental varieties of the common chicory have emerged.

• white chicory (Cichorium intybus 'Albus'): The white chicory is a selection of the common chicory, which bears the white flowers that give it its name.
• radicchio (Cichorium intybus var. foliosum): radicchio usually has red or red-green tinged leaves that form compact heads. Some refer to just the white-veined, red-leaved type as radicchio, also known as red endive and red chicory. It has a bitter and spicy flavor that softens when grilled or roasted.

• sugar loaf (Cichorium intybus var. foliosum f. cylindricum): It forms loose, green heads, similar to romaine lettuce. sugarloaf is a salad that can be stored for a long time. If the sowing takes place late in May, the lettuce will be much more bitter.
• chicory (Cichorium intybus var. foliosum): This chicory subspecies is harvested as pale or red buds, depending on the variety. Compared to other chicory subspecies, the Chicory very mild in taste. It is expelled in a special process from roots without soil and light.

• root chicory (Cichorium intybus var. sativa): Root chicory is processed into a coffee substitute. It has particularly thick roots and is even used to make plastic.

Plant chicory: sowing, location and Co.

Mostly the cultivated forms of the chicory are planted, but you can also establish the wild form in your garden. Chicory is not a demanding plant, as evidenced by its thriving on neglected roadsides. It prefers a well-drained, mineral-rich and calcareous soil. A substrate that is too humus-rich, moist and rich in nutrients even inhibits their development and prevents recurring seeding. Thin out such soils with sand or gravel. If you want to harvest the roots, you should make sure that the substrate is loosened before planting.

Try to offer the chicory full sun. It also tolerates part shade, but does best with six or more hours of sun per day.

Tip: Chicory loves base-rich soils. So if you have lime on hand for the garden, mixing it in at planting can help the plant grow.

Sowing chicory: Only sow the plant outdoors after the last frosts. The seeds should be in twos at a distance of 40 cm from each other. The seeds should be covered with a thin layer of soil or sand. The seeds will germinate after two to three weeks. The weaker seedling can be removed after emergence.

The seeds can also be grown indoors from the beginning of April. Use special potting soil that is loose and poor in nutrients. Our Plantura Organic Herb & Seed Soil is peat-free in contrast to the commonly available potting soil. At 20 °C germination takes only one to two weeks and after germination the young plants will grow preferably at a cooler 15 °C and placed in a bright place so that they develop normally and not spoil. Plant the young plants in the garden after the last frosts, 40 cm apart. You can then put the plant in a bucket and put it on the balcony or terrace. Use a slender, tall container so that the long root has enough space.

The right care

Sometimes the chicory can also be a nuisance in the garden. The seeds are not blown by the wind like dandelion seeds, so they won't pop up in random places unless a bird carries the seeds. However, keep your eyes peeled and rip out any seedlings that sprout where you don't want them. Cut off the flowers once they have opened to prevent re-seeding.

When cultivating in a container, you should give a liquid fertilizer every six weeks. Otherwise, the chicory does not require any special care. It is best to use a primarily organic liquid fertilizer, because the chicory does not tolerate sudden nutrient boosts. A mostly organic fertilizer like ours Plantura organic flower fertilizer prevents this slight over-fertilization, because the nutrients are quick, but not available all at once.

Pests usually disdain the chicory. But aphids like the black bean aphid can definitely get a taste for the succulent plant. The chicory usually copes well with the pests. But if their presence bothers you, you can read about how to do it here Fight aphids naturally can.

Do I have to protect the plant in winter?

Chicory is native to us and does not need winter protection.

breed chicory

Chicory is propagated by seeds. In late summer, these are formed in abundance, so you can harvest them and dry them on a kitchen towel for a week. Then store the seeds in a cool and dark place, for example in a garden shed. You can also sow them again directly in autumn, which often produces stronger young plants and saves you storage.

Use and effect of chicory

Chicory leaves can be eaten raw, but they usually taste bitter, especially the older ones. This taste is appreciated in certain cuisines, for example in Italy and also in the southern part of India. In Albania, the leaves are used as a substitute for spinach, mainly steamed and marinated in olive oil, or as an ingredient in fillings.

The succulent leaves don't dry well, so use them right away. You can store the harvested greens in a sealed plastic bag in the refrigerator for up to a week. Wash them just before use so they last longer. Wet leaves rot faster. Boiling and draining the water will soften the bitterness of the leaves.

Preserve the roots for use as a coffee substitute by cleaning them and scraping off the peel. Then cut them into inch-sized pieces. Place the pieces on a baking sheet and toast until they turn dark brown. This can take anywhere from 45 minutes to a few hours depending on how thick the roots are. Keep an eye on them as they roast, turning them occasionally to allow for even drying. When you smell a coffee-like smell, it's time to take them out. It is best to store them in a cool and dark place so as not to lose the aromas. Crush the roasted roots like coffee beans and brew your own local "coffee".

The numerous bitter and tannins as well as the inulin in the roots make chicory a medicinal plant with various uses, including in naturopathy. However, scientific evidence for its use in conventional medicine has so far been scarce. However, tea made from chicory root has been empirically proven to help with digestive problems. For this purpose, 1 to 1.5 teaspoons of chopped root are scalded with 200 ml of water and strained after five to seven minutes.

Is chicory healthy?

All parts of the plant are edible. Chicory is also used as animal feed and can be consumed by humans and animals without hesitation.

Is the chicory healthy?

Chicory, especially the root, is a healthy addition to any diet. The root contains the prebiotic fiber inulin, which is also found in Jerusalem artichoke. Inulin regulates the insulin level and serves as food in the intestine for important intestinal bacteria in our body. But too much fiber can also lead to indigestion, which is why chicory should not be consumed in large quantities.

An old medicinal plant whose effect is better supported by scientific studies is the fenugreek. You can also enjoy its special taste as a tea or as a spice.