How to Grow

How to Grow Chicories USA | Planting & Establishment

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Chicory (Cichorium intybus)

A young chicory rosette of leaves before flowering — “Cichorium intybus sl18” by Stefan.lefnaer is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: Wikimedia Commons

6 sources cited · Verified

The short answer

Ready in
30–60 days
Site
6+ hours of sun, soil pH 6–7.5
Biggest risk
Grey mould

In the UK, chicories are ready to harvest 30–60 days after planting.

Chicories (Cichorium intybus) — perennial.

Unlike an annual crop, the work here is front-loaded into establishment: get the planting and the site right and the same plants crop for several seasons.

Core growing advice on this page is checked against named horticultural and university-extension sources — see References.

Soil & Growing Conditions

Chicory's wiry, branching flowering stems — “Cichorium intybus, la Cellera de Ter” by Josep Gesti is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: Wikimedia Commons
“Cichorium intybus, la Cellera de Ter” by Josep Gesti is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: Wikimedia Commons.

Soil pH range

6 7.5

Span reflects genuine variation between the cited authorities, not a single agreed figure.

Growth Stages

A chicory plant with several blue flowers on wiry stems — “Chicory flowers, near Atherfield, Isle of Wight, England” by ITookSomePhotos is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: Wikimedia Commons
“Chicory flowers, near Atherfield, Isle of Wight, England” by ITookSomePhotos is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: Wikimedia Commons.
Stage BBCH Notes
Sowing and germination 0 Sow forcing types outdoors May-June, radicchio/sugarloaf indoors April-May or outdoors June-July, all at about 1cm depth in rows 30cm apart (RHS).
Thinning and leaf growth 1 Thin to 15cm apart for forcing types, 30cm for radicchio/sugarloaf, or 5cm for baby leaf crops; water thoroughly in dry weather to deter bolting and bitter leaves (RHS).
Heading (radicchio/sugarloaf) or root bulking (forcing types) 4 Radicchio and sugarloaf form heads through summer for a late-summer harvest; forcing chicory instead bulks up its root through summer ahead of winter lifting and forcing (RHS).
Harvest, or lifting and forcing 8 Radicchio/sugarloaf harvested as whole heads from late summer. Forcing chicory is dug up in November, roots stored and then forced in the dark at 10-15C, yielding pale chicons at 15cm tall after about 4 weeks, through winter into early spring (RHS).

Quick Facts

Close-up of a pale blue chicory flower — “Cichorium intybus” by Marcus Lüpke is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: Wikimedia Commons
“Cichorium intybus” by Marcus Lüpke is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: Wikimedia Commons.
Factor Value
Soil pH 6 - 7.5
Sunlight 6-6 hours direct sun
Optimal growing temp 10-30C
Minimum survivable temp -5C
Time to harvest 30-60 days
Drainage Well-drained
Lifecycle perennial
Edible parts leaves, root (forced chicons)

At a Glance

Close-up of a pale blue chicory flower — “Cichorium intybus” by Marcus Lüpke is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: Wikimedia Commons
“Cichorium intybus” by Marcus Lüpke is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: Wikimedia Commons.
Cichorium intybus Chicory Grey mould Powdery mildew Aphids Slugs Snails DISEASES PESTS

Harvest & Storage

A field of chicory in flower with pale blue blooms — “Cichorium intybus MG 8535” by Assianir is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0. Source: Wikimedia Commons
“Cichorium intybus MG 8535” by Assianir is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0. Source: Wikimedia Commons.

When to pick: RHS: cut-and-come-again leaves ready "just a month or two after sowing"; forced chicons ready "about four weeks" after potting up, harvested "once the chicon is 15cm (6in) tall, by cutting it at the base"; mature whole heads ready from late summer to mid-autumn.

Storage

Forced chicons and cut leaves best used fresh, short storage life

Diseases

Chicory's wiry, branching flowering stems — “Cichorium intybus, la Cellera de Ter” by Josep Gesti is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: Wikimedia Commons
“Cichorium intybus, la Cellera de Ter” by Josep Gesti is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: Wikimedia Commons.
Fuzzy grey-brown Botrytis mould covering a tomato stem — Rasbak, CC BY-SA 3.0
Rasbak, CC BY-SA 3.0
Grey mould

Botrytis cinerea

Soft brown fruit decay; Fuzzy grey-brown mould

Pests

Chicory's wiry, branching flowering stems — “Cichorium intybus, la Cellera de Ter” by Josep Gesti is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: Wikimedia Commons
“Cichorium intybus, la Cellera de Ter” by Josep Gesti is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: Wikimedia Commons.

Aphididae (various spp.)

Slugs

Gastropoda (slugs, various spp.)

Snails

Gastropoda (snails, various spp.)

References

  1. country=INTL

  2. country=INTL

  3. country=INTL

  4. country=USA

  5. country=UK

  6. country=UK

6 independent sources are cited for this crop. Where they disagree - soil pH is the clearest case - every figure is preserved rather than averaged into false precision.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long do chicories take to grow?

Typically 30–60 days, depending on cultivar and growing conditions.

What soil pH do chicories need?

A pH of about 6–7.5. That span reflects genuine variation between the authorities we cite rather than a single agreed figure — the References section lists each source's exact range.

What problems affect chicories?

Our data links 2 diseases and 3 pests to this crop. See the sections above for each one and how to manage it.

Plan next season before the problems start

Almost everything on this page resolves to your own frost dates rather than the calendar — the last spring frost moves by roughly two months between zone 3 and zone 10. The USA Garden Planner works from your zone so the timing is already decided before the season starts.

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SoilCommander Editorial Team

US vegetable growing guides · Checked against USDA & Cooperative Extension guidance

Every SoilCommander guide is written and maintained by our editorial team for real US growing conditions, and checked against USDA hardiness and frost-date data and Cooperative Extension growing advice before publication.

Vegetable Growing Guides USA

Last verified 2026-08-30

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