Gourmet Blend Chicory Seeds

Gourmet Blend Chicory seeds are a colorful mix of green, white, red, and purple chicories. Our special blend of heirloom Italian varieties brings fresh flavor, color, and crunch to your culinary creations! Add to your salad bowl or grill to perfection for an elegant side dish! These versatile veggies may be eaten raw or cooked to bring out their sweetness.

Planting by Zones

Zones 9-10

• Chicory is a cool-season crop that does best in cool temperatures. In Zones 9 and 10, it is happiest during winter and early spring with seasonal rains but can also be grown year-round in mild areas with cool evenings below 60°F. Row cover and shade cloth can extend the growing season. Chicory can be easily direct-seeded or transplanted out. Seeds do not germinate well in high temperatures.

Zones 2-8

• Start seeds indoors 3-4 weeks before the last frost. Seeds germinate well at low temperatures of around 40°F. The optimal soil temperature range for germination is 60–68°F.

Planting Gourmet Blend Chicory Seeds

• Chicory is easy to plant directly in the soil or into starter pots and transplanted out.
• To direct sow, plant seeds in well-worked soil that has been deeply watered and is debris-free. Cover with 1/4″ of finely sifted soil.
• If using starter pots, plant seeds into thoroughly moist high-quality seed starting soil. Place seeds on the top of the soil and cover with 1/4″ of finely sifted soil.
• Once your chicory has germinated and the first set of true leaves show, fertilize with an organic liquid fertilizer. When the plants are 3-4″ tall, you can plant them out into the garden. If you are planting chicory plants out during a warm spell, crop protection like shade cloth may be necessary.

Growing Gourmet Blend Chicory

• Grow in full sun during the cooler part of the year. If the weather is particularly hot, you can use shade cloth to protect the crop.
• Chicory requires good soil moisture. For Zones 9 and 10, this may mean daily hand watering or regular irrigation.
• Plant with adequate spacing to ensure good airflow around the plants. If you do have pest issues, please see the UC IPM link below.

Harvesting Gourmet Blend Chicory

• Chicory can be harvested at any point that it is worth eating. Depending on the variety of chicory being grown, you will either harvest the whole head or cut the chicory 2″ above the ground and let it regrow. This is known as a cut and come again crop.

Growing Chicory in Containers

• Chicory is a great container crop. Make sure your container is at least 20″ deep. Keep in mind containers will dry out faster because they have more surface area and less soil to hold onto moisture. Mulch heavily on the top layer of soil in the pot to keep the soil from drying out or heating up too much.

Southern California Pro-tips

• Mulch heavily around your plants to ensure the soil does not dry out or heat up too much.
• Protect chicory during heat spells with shade cloth or row cover.

Companion Flowers/Crops

• Grow alyssum, nasturtium, and gaillardia around your chicory plants for beauty and to bring beneficial insects.

Additional Learning Resources

• New to starting crops from seeds? Please watch our Seed Starting Presentation to learn the basics!
• Learn about growing all our crops on our YouTube page!
• Having pest issues? Check out in-depth information for pests that can be an issue for chicory at the UC Integrated Pest Management site.

Gourmet Blend Chicory Seeds are best planted in the cool-season of Zones 9 and 10. Start cool-season seeds in the fall and help your garden be full of delicious vegetables from fall through spring! Visit our Garden Wisdom Blog to learn more about Fall Vegetables to grow in Southern California.