How to Grow Chicory at Home

How to Grow Chicory

Before you start growing chicory, gather your materials. I’ve found that having everything ready beforehand makes the whole process considerably easier, particularly when you’re dealing with both outdoor growing and indoor forcing later on.

Seeds and Growing Medium

You’ll need chicory seeds, which come in several varieties. Witloof chicory is the classic forcing type, producing those tight, pale chicons in winter. Red varieties like Rossa di Treviso offer colourful leaves for salads. Sugarloaf types form dense heads similar to cos lettuce. I’d recommend starting with Witloof if you’re new to chicory, as it’s the most forgiving and reliable. For more on this, see our guide on growing perfect peaches in british gardens: a complete guide.

For the growing medium, ordinary garden soil works perfectly if it’s reasonably fertile and well-drained. Chicory isn’t fussy, but it does appreciate soil that’s been improved with well-rotted compost or manure from the previous season. Avoid freshly manured soil, as this can cause roots to fork and become difficult to force properly.

Essential Equipment

You’ll need basic gardening tools: a rake for preparing seedbeds, a hoe for weeding, and a garden fork for lifting roots later. If you’re planning to force chicory indoors, gather large pots (at least 25cm deep), black plastic bags or opaque covers, and a supply of sand or light compost for packing around the roots. A garden trowel helps with transplanting if you start seeds in modules.

For forcing, you’ll also need somewhere with temperatures between 10-15°C. I’ve used everything from an unheated spare room to a garage corner. Many gardeners I’ve met in allotment societies around Birmingham and Bristol swear by their garden sheds for forcing, whilst others prefer a cool cupboard indoors. You might also find from bare root to bowl: my cherry growing journey helpful.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Sowing Your Chicory Seeds

Timing matters with chicory. I sow Witloof varieties between late April and early June, which gives plants enough growing time to develop substantial roots before winter. If you sow too early, plants might try to flower in their first year, which ruins them for forcing. Too late, and roots won’t be large enough.

Prepare your seedbed by raking the soil to a fine texture. Sow seeds thinly in rows about 30cm apart, covering them with roughly 1cm of soil. I’ve had success sowing directly into the ground and also starting seeds in modules indoors. Direct sowing is simpler, but modules give you more control and protect seedlings from slugs during those vulnerable early weeks.

Water gently after sowing. Seeds typically germinate within 7-14 days if soil temperatures are above 10°C. Once seedlings have two true leaves, thin them to about 20cm apart. Those thinnings are perfectly edible in salads, so don’t waste them.

Maintaining Plants Through Summer

Chicory is remarkably low-maintenance during the growing season. I water during prolonged dry spells, but established plants develop deep taproots that make them quite drought-tolerant. This characteristic makes chicory brilliant for those awkward dry spots in the garden where lettuce would struggle.

Keep the area weeded, particularly in early growth. Once chicory plants reach decent size, their broad leaves suppress most weeds naturally. You might notice some outer leaves becoming bitter and ragged by late summer. This is normal. The plant is putting energy into root development, which is exactly what you want.

If any plants start producing flower stalks (bolting), remove them immediately and use those roots first for forcing, as they won’t store well. In my experience, this happens more often in hot, dry summers, particularly in southern regions like Sussex or Hampshire.

Harvesting and Preparing Roots for Forcing

Lift your chicory roots any time from November onwards, once foliage has been touched by frost. I usually wait until December, as frost helps reduce bitterness in the leaves. Using a garden fork, carefully dig around each plant and lift the entire root. You’re looking for roots about 3-5cm in diameter at the top and 15-20cm long, though they’ll often grow longer.

Shake off excess soil, then trim the foliage to about 2cm above the crown. This bit feels counterintuitive, but you must remove all those leaves you’ve spent months growing. The crown (where leaves meet root) needs to remain intact, as this is where your chicon will grow from. Trim the bottom of roots to about 20cm long if they’re longer. Damaged or forked roots can still be forced, they’ll just produce less uniform chicons.

At this point, you can either force roots immediately or store them. I usually pot up a few roots at a time for continuous harvests. Store remaining roots in damp sand in a shed or garage, keeping them frost-free but cool. They’ll keep for several months this way.

Forcing Chicory Indoors

This is where the magic happens. Fill a deep pot with moist multipurpose compost or sand, then pack in 3-5 roots standing upright. The crowns should be at or just below the surface. Water lightly, then cover the entire pot with another upturned pot or a black plastic bag. Darkness is absolutely essential. Any light will cause green, bitter leaves instead of those pale, sweet chicons you’re after.

Place your covered pot somewhere with temperatures around 10-15°C. Too cold and growth is painfully slow. Too warm and chicons become loose and leafy rather than tight and crisp. I’ve found that 13°C is ideal, which is roughly the temperature of an unheated bedroom in winter or a garage that doesn’t freeze.

Check occasionally for watering. The compost should stay barely moist, never sodden. In about 3-4 weeks, you’ll have chicons ready to harvest. You’ll know they’re ready when they’re 12-15cm tall and feel firm when gently squeezed. Cut them just above the root with a sharp knife.

Growing Chicory for Salad Leaves

Not all chicory needs forcing. Red varieties and sugarloaf types are grown purely for their colourful leaves. Sow these between spring and midsummer for continuous harvests. They’re treated much like lettuce: sow, thin, and harvest whole heads when mature, usually 10-12 weeks after sowing.

I’ve had particular success with cutting varieties, which you can harvest repeatedly by taking outer leaves. These provide salad greens from July right through to November in most parts of the country. In milder regions like Cornwall or coastal Wales, some varieties survive winter outdoors and provide early spring leaves.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Sowing at the Wrong Time

I’ve seen countless gardeners sow forcing varieties too early, sometimes as early as March. The plants grow beautifully but then bolt (run to seed) in late summer, making the roots useless for forcing. Stick to late April through June for Witloof types. This timing gives roots enough development time without triggering flowering.

Similarly, sowing too late means undersized roots come winter. A root that’s only pencil-thick won’t produce a decent chicon. You need that 3-5cm diameter, which requires at least five months of growing time in reasonable conditions.

Forcing in Light Conditions

This is perhaps the most common error. Even small amounts of light during forcing will ruin your crop. I learnt this the hard way when I left a tiny gap in my covering. The resulting chicons were green, loose, and intensely bitter, nothing like the pale, sweet produce you should get. Use proper opaque covers and check they’re completely light-proof. Some gardeners use special terracotta forcing pots with lids, but honestly, a black plastic bag works just as well if secured properly.

Incorrect Forcing Temperatures

Modern houses are often too warm for proper forcing. Central heating creates temperatures of 18-20°C in most rooms, which causes loose, leafy growth rather than tight chicons. Find genuinely cool spots. I’ve successfully used an unheated spare room, a north-facing porch, and even a cellar. Garages work brilliantly if they don’t freeze solid in winter.

Overwatering During Forcing

Roots sitting in waterlogged compost will rot before they produce chicons. The compost should be just barely moist throughout forcing. I water sparingly when potting up, then usually don’t water again until harvest unless the compost feels completely dry. The roots contain enough stored energy to produce chicons without much additional moisture.

Expert Tips

Succession Forcing for Continuous Winter Crops

Rather than forcing all your roots at once, pot up small batches every two weeks from December through March. This gives you fresh chicons throughout winter rather than a glut followed by nothing. I typically force five roots at a time, which provides enough for salads and cooked dishes without overwhelming us. Store remaining lifted roots in damp sand in a cool shed, checking occasionally that they’re not drying out or rotting.

Second Crops from Forced Roots

After harvesting your first chicon, don’t discard the root immediately. I’ve successfully produced second and even third smaller chicons from the same root. After cutting the first chicon, return the root to darkness and warmth. Within a few weeks, smaller side shoots will develop. These won’t be as large or tight as the first chicon, but they’re perfectly usable in stir-fries or soups. Eventually, the root exhausts itself and produces only tiny, useless shoots, at which point it goes on the compost heap.

Choosing the Right Varieties for Your Region

If you garden in northern areas like Scotland, Northumberland, or the Pennines, Witloof varieties are your best bet as they’re grown for forcing indoors anyway. In milder southern and coastal regions, you can experiment with Italian red varieties like Rossa di Verona or Palla Rossa, which overwinter outdoors in many years. These provide colourful winter salads without any forcing required, though they benefit from cloche protection during harsh spells.

Using Chicory Roots for Coffee Substitute

Not every root needs forcing. Smaller or damaged roots can be scrubbed, chopped, and roasted at about 180°C until dark brown and brittle. Once cooled, grind them in a coffee grinder. The resulting powder makes a caffeine-free drink that’s surprisingly pleasant, with a slightly sweet, earthy flavour. This was popular during wartime rationing and some artisan coffee roasters are reviving the practice, blending roasted chicory with coffee beans.

Companion Planting and Crop Rotation

Chicory fits well into crop rotation schemes with other root vegetables. I grow it where carrots or parsnips grew the previous year, as the soil structure suits deep-rooted crops. Chicory’s deep roots help break up compacted soil, leaving improved structure for shallow-rooted crops the following season. In terms of companions, I’ve had success growing chicory near climbing beans, which provide afternoon shade that chicory appreciates during hot summer months.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I grow chicory in containers?

Yes, though forcing varieties need deep containers to develop proper roots. Use pots at least 30cm deep filled with multipurpose compost. Salad varieties work well in shallower containers, around 20cm deep. I’ve successfully grown red chicory varieties in large pots on a north-facing patio in Manchester, where they provided autumn and winter leaves. Container-grown forcing chicory produces smaller roots than garden-grown plants, but they still force reasonably well if you’re patient. Water container-grown plants more frequently than those in open ground, as pots dry out faster.

Why are my forced chicons green and bitter?

Light exposure during forcing is the culprit. Even brief periods of light cause chlorophyll production, turning chicons green and intensifying bitterness. Check your covering is completely opaque and hasn’t slipped or developed holes. Also verify forcing temperatures. If it’s too warm (above 18°C), chicons grow too quickly and become loose and bitter. The ideal range is 10-15°C in complete darkness. Some slight bitterness is normal with chicory, but properly forced chicons should be pleasantly mild with just a hint of bitterness that adds character rather than overwhelming the palate.

When is the best time to sow chicory seeds?

For forcing varieties like Witloof, sow between late April and early June. Earlier sowings risk bolting (flowering) in the first year, which ruins roots for forcing. Later sowings don’t develop sufficient root size before winter. For red and sugarloaf varieties grown for leaves rather than forcing, you can sow from April through July for successive harvests. I typically sow forcing varieties in early May, which gives reliable results across most of the country. In particularly warm southern regions, wait until mid to late May to reduce bolting risk.

How long does chicory take to grow from seed to harvest?

Forcing chicory requires about seven to eight months total. Roots need five to six months growing outdoors from sowing to lifting in late autumn or early winter. Then forcing takes another three to four weeks indoors. So if you sow in May, you’ll harvest chicons in January or February. Salad varieties are quicker, ready to harvest as whole heads in 10-12 weeks from sowing, or you can pick leaves from cutting varieties after about eight weeks and continue harvesting for months.

Can I force chicory more than once from the same root?

Absolutely. After cutting the first chicon, I routinely get a second crop of smaller shoots from the same root. Return the root to darkness and warmth after harvest. Within two to three weeks, multiple smaller shoots will emerge. These won’t form tight chicons like the first growth, but they’re excellent in cooking. Some roots will even produce a third flush of very small shoots. Eventually, the root exhausts its energy reserves and produces only tiny, weak growth. At that point, it’s finished and should be composted.

What’s the difference between chicory and endive?

They’re closely related but distinct vegetables. Chicory (Cichorium intybus) includes forcing varieties like Witloof and red types like radicchio. Endive (Cichorium endivia) includes frisée and escarole, which form frilly or broad-leaved rosettes. Both taste slightly bitter, but endive is typically used fresh in salads and doesn’t force well. Chicory has more versatility: you can eat the leaves fresh, force roots for chicons, or roast roots for coffee substitute. In practical growing terms, endive is faster and easier, ready in about 10 weeks, whilst forcing chicory requires far more patience and effort but provides unique winter crops when little else is available.

Do I need to blanch chicory leaves to reduce bitterness?

For forced chicons, the forcing process itself is a form of blanching, as growing in darkness naturally produces pale, less bitter growth. For red and green salad varieties grown outdoors, you can blanch them to reduce bitterness if desired. About two weeks before harvest, gather the outer leaves together and tie them loosely, or cover the whole plant with an upturned pot with drainage holes blocked. This excludes light from inner leaves, making them paler and sweeter. However, I often skip this step and simply embrace chicory’s natural bitterness, which adds complexity to winter salads and pairs beautifully with sweet elements like oranges or roasted beetroot.

Final Thoughts

Growing chicory has transformed my winter vegetable gardening. What starts as a simple row of leafy plants in late spring becomes a source of fresh, crisp chicons during the darkest months when shop-bought salads are expensive and flavourless. The process requires patience and a bit of planning, but the skills involved are straightforward once you’ve done it a few times.

I particularly value chicory’s forgiving nature. Unlike temperamental vegetables that demand perfect conditions, chicory tolerates neglect, poor soil, and drought once established. The roots store well, letting you force small batches as needed rather than dealing with a single overwhelming harvest. Even the supposed drawback of bitterness becomes an advantage when you learn to balance it with sweet and rich flavours in cooking.

Start small if you’re new to growing chicory. A single short row of Witloof variety will teach you the basics without overwhelming you. Pay attention to sowing timing, ensure complete darkness during forcing, and keep temperatures cool. Those three factors determine success more than anything else. Once you’ve harvested your first batch of homegrown chicons and tasted the difference from anything available commercially, you’ll understand why this humble vegetable deserves a permanent spot in your garden rotation.

Author: Megan Walker

Megan focuses on seasonal food, kitchen garden growing, and how households can reconnect with where their food comes from. Her writing blends practical growing advice with ideas for cooking and eating in season. With a passion for fresh ingredients and sustainable living, Megan’s articles help readers make the most of local produce while supporting British farms.