Radicchio, sometimes called Cichorium Intybus and Italian Chicory within Asteraceae family, is a perennial and leaf vegetable. In generally, it is planted for the leaf vegetables. It contains red and white-veined leaves. Its flavor is spicy and bitter. The Radicchio always mellows once it is roasted and grilled. Humans all over the world have been consuming it for favorable foods and other interests since antique times. Based on the benefits, people try to find how to grow Radicchio in need.

How to Grow Radicchio – Step by step guides to Radicchio Growing
Certainly, to understand how to grow Radicchio well, you try hard to track each phase for planting it as follows:

Firstly, Radicchio can actually be planted indoors or outdoors. If you wish to plant it outdoors, make up your mind which type of seeds you choose to plant. For instance, the Di Treviso seed is slim and long similar to the Belgian endive whereas, the Red Surprise one is common but bears tiny cabbage.

Secondly, discover any area to plant Radicchio. It needs the soil which is fertile and fully moist to grow very well. Nevertheless, it can be planted within all sorts of soil. Anyway, Radicchio prefers to stay within enough sunlight, yet it can grow fast in slight shade.

Thirdly, scatter the seeds right away upon the planting soil in the late spring or early summer. You could sow your seeds on the prepared soil and use a tiny soil layer to cover the seeds as well as the soil for 0.45 to 0.5 inch. After scattering the seeds, properly water them at once. If the Radicchio seeds are likely to be so crowded, thin them as they start to germinate. Space your seedlings for approximately 5.6 inches apart.

Fourthly, regularly water your seedlings during the planting stage. Do not let your seedlings dry out because their flavor can become bitter. It is best to put the plant within the shaded plot during the drought season in summer. This way will prevent the leave tips from burning.

Fifthly, prune its outer leaves off when the initial frost has gone out and let its inner leaves grow. The leave’s color will go dark once it is colder, being prone to the shape of its plant heads. All winter long, the Radicchio taste gets sweeter.

Sixthly, if you wish to plant Radicchio indoors, begin to be in progress of its plantation in approximately 56 days prior to the ultimate frost in your area. You should select any container to scatter your seeds for around 0.5 inch to the sowing soil. It is great to grow only one seed within one container.

Eighthly, properly inspect the pH prior to growing the seeds. In general, the proper pH is 6.00 to 7.00. Once the seed establishes its seedlings, it starts growing whereas, the roots also start developing. Thus, it is best to plant one plant within a container. Its space is enough for growth and development. Store the container within the full sunlight area to get sunshine all day long.

Ninthly, moderately spray water on the seedlings for the period of its planting season. It will establish good crops when the Radicchio heads are mature enough, and you can harvest it in need. The Radicchio plant can be stored within refrigerator for many weeks. In the cold environment, it can stay fresh and green. At times, it is not harvested unless it is needed for cooking.

image by Adrienne | hungrybruno

Benefits or nutrition – Why growing Radicchio
If you realize how to grow Radicchio, it will offer you a great deal of advantages:
People try to plant Radicchio for the chicken purpose. It can be used with other vegetables for salads. Moreover, it is the delicious and leafy vegetable which can be boiled or fried with distinct meat like pork, fish, beef and others to make many kinds of tasty food such as Radicchio Su, Goat Cheese, Chicken Radicchio, Radicchio Pasta, and so on.

image by Adrienne | hungrybruno

Furthermore, Radicchio is rich in vitamin A, vitamin B6, vitamin C, and vitamin E which make food tastier and make human beings’ bodies more and more healthy. Also, it is full of some minerals such as Magnesium, Copper, Zinc, Potassium, Iron, Calcium, Thiamin, Pantothenic Foltate and Nacin.

image by Natoora

Thanks to its nutrients – the minerals and vitamins, Radicchio plants have been invented as remedies to curemany diseases, such as Acne, Anti-Ageing, Blood Pressure, Dandruff, Constipation, Falling Hair, Memory Loss, Scar Mark, Skin Darkening, Sun burn and so on.