Seed of the Month - Radicchio
Yates Seed of the Month for May 2008 is the traditional Italian favourite, Radicchio. This crunchy, red- leafed plant, which is a form of chicory, is closely related to endive. Like endive, it has a slightly bitter taste that mixes well with other flavours and makes it a popular ingredient for adding bite and piquancy to salads and cooked dishes.
Sow radicchio seeds into trays or pots of Yates Seed Raising Mix and transplant carefully when the seedlings are somewhere between three and four centimetres tall. Water in with Yates Nature’s Way Seaweed Booster and make sure that the plants are given plenty of water and fertiliser. This is essential because if the growth of the plant is checked at any stage, the leaves become unpleasantly bitter. Spreading mulch around radicchio plants helps to retain moisture in the soil, while feeding regularly with Thrive Soluble Plant Food keeps the plants growing steadily.
Radicchio is happiest during the cooler months and is ready for picking in ten to fifteen weeks, depending on growing conditions. The leaves can be shredded into a salad (dressed with a little olive oil and salt) or included in any one of a wide range of dishes, including risotto. Compact radicchio heads cut into quarters and toasted under a griller taste scrumptious, especially if they’re sprinkled with grated mozzarella cheese for the last couple of minutes of grilling time. Radicchio’s good for you, too. Because it’s rich in anti-oxidants, it helps to boost the human immune system.
At the end of the season leave a few radicchio plants to go to seed. They’ll shoot up and develop sprays of pretty, short-lived, blue, daisy flowers. The resulting seeds will choose new spots in the garden to grow another generation of radicchio.
Pest and disease problems are minimal. Use Blitzem or Baysol pellets to keep snails and slugs away and control sap-sucking pests with non-toxic Nature’s Way Natrasoap.
