When to sow Radicchio (red chicory) in the UK
Radicchio (red chicory) is sown to the calendar rather than to the frost, so the window is much the same wherever you garden in the UK.
Sowing and harvest dates by region
Radicchio (red chicory) is grown to the calendar rather than to the frost, so the same dates apply across the whole UK and every region below reads the same. Where a plant’s timings do follow the frost, Plot shifts them from the Midlands and Lowland Wales baseline using Met Office average frost dates.
| Where you are | Sow indoors | Sow outdoors | Plant out | Harvest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| South West Coast and Cornwall | early April to late May | early June to early August | late May to late July | early August to mid October |
| South Coast and Channel | early April to late May | early June to early August | late May to late July | early August to mid October |
| Greater London (Urban Heat Island) | early April to late May | early June to early August | late May to late July | early August to mid October |
| South East and Home Counties | early April to late May | early June to early August | late May to late July | early August to mid October |
| East Anglia | early April to late May | early June to early August | late May to late July | early August to mid October |
| Midlands and Lowland Wales | early April to late May | early June to early August | late May to late July | early August to mid October |
| Wales and West Coast | early April to late May | early June to early August | late May to late July | early August to mid October |
| Northern England | early April to late May | early June to early August | late May to late July | early August to mid October |
| Scotland Lowlands and Central Belt | early April to late May | early June to early August | late May to late July | early August to mid October |
| Scotland Highlands and Islands | early April to late May | early June to early August | late May to late July | early August to mid October |
| Northern Ireland | early April to late May | early June to early August | late May to late July | early August to mid October |
| Channel Islands and Isle of Man | early April to late May | early June to early August | late May to late July | early August to mid October |
Growing notes
Sow non-forcing chicory outdoors in June and July: earlier sowings bolt rather than heart up. Cut the tight red heads from late summer to mid-autumn, before the first frosts, and expect a second flush of smaller leaves from the stump.
At a glance
- Spacing
- 30 cm between plants
- Row spacing
- 30 cm
- Plants per m²
- 9
- Days to maturity
- 90 days
- Yield per plant
- 0.4 kg
- Sun
- Full
- Frost tender
- No
- Grows in a container
- Yes, 20 litres or more
- Minimum soil depth
- 25 cm
- Balcony rating
- 3 out of 5
Succession sowing
Worth sowing in batches. Sow again every 21 days, up to about 3 sowings in a season, for a longer picking window rather than one glut.
What usually goes wrong
- bolting
- aphids
- grey mould
- slugs
Companion planting
Grows well near
Related guides
Timings cross-checked against RHS guidance for radicchio (red chicory).