me&thegals
Garden Ornament
That's exactly what keeps happening with MY radicchio, too! I was starting to think I was nuts or something or that my climate simply cannot grow the stuff 
Can you identify this veggie?
- Thread starter bills
- Start date
poppycat
Garden Ornament
- Joined
- Nov 27, 2007
- Messages
- 111
- Reaction score
- 0
- Points
- 94
Okay, my curiosity got the best of me. A little online research tells me that there are two types of radicchio, forcing and non-forcing types. THe non-forcing types form a head under "normal growing conditions" (whatever that means) but are much more likely to form a head in cool fall weather.
Verona Red, which you've got is a forcing type. From what I understand, you grow it in the garden and then when it frosts you dig it up, cut off the leaves, and put it in a burlap bag in a cool cellar. I guess it forms the red head in the dark?
An alternate method of forcing is to leave it in the ground, but cut off all leaves at first frost and then mulch heavily with straw. After an unspecified amount of time you should have the nice red head.
Sounds like a lot of work. But since you've already got it growing you might give it a go.
Verona Red, which you've got is a forcing type. From what I understand, you grow it in the garden and then when it frosts you dig it up, cut off the leaves, and put it in a burlap bag in a cool cellar. I guess it forms the red head in the dark?
An alternate method of forcing is to leave it in the ground, but cut off all leaves at first frost and then mulch heavily with straw. After an unspecified amount of time you should have the nice red head.
Sounds like a lot of work. But since you've already got it growing you might give it a go.
- Thread starter
- #13
bills
Deeply Rooted
Thanks Poppycat, You have given me hope, that in fact I do have radicchio after all. I was starting to think I was going crazy....
After doing further research, using the terms "non-forcing" or "forcing" with the word radicchio, I learned a lot. Obviously these were key words in using search engines. Mind you I never have found a good photo, showing the plants in the stages mine currently are, odd as that is....
In some cases different varietys do seem like a lot of work!
For others who may introduce this veggie into their garden, here is a link with a bit of info.
http://www.sfc.ucdavis.edu/pubs/SFNews/Vol1-2000/radicchio.html
I was starting to think I was going crazy....After doing further research, using the terms "non-forcing" or "forcing" with the word radicchio, I learned a lot. Obviously these were key words in using search engines. Mind you I never have found a good photo, showing the plants in the stages mine currently are, odd as that is....
In some cases different varietys do seem like a lot of work!
For others who may introduce this veggie into their garden, here is a link with a bit of info.
http://www.sfc.ucdavis.edu/pubs/SFNews/Vol1-2000/radicchio.html
