Radicchio 'Palla Rossa'

Radicchio 'Palla Rossa' is a variety of chicory that forms a vibrant ruby and white head with green outer leaves. The flavour of Radicchio is a combination of its unique tang and bitterness. 9-13 weeks to harvests. Each packet contains about 100 seeds.
Radicchio 'Palla Rossa'
Radicchio 'Palla Rossa'
Price Per Packet: $ 2.50

Growing Advice

Scientific Name: Cichorium intybus

Common Names: Radicchio 'Palla Rossa', Radicchio 'Palla Rosso', Radicchio 'Rosso Di Chioggia'

Family: Asteraceae

Origin:

Palla Rossa is an open-pollinated, heirloom radicchio originating from the Chioggia region of Italy.

Culinary Uses:

Palla Rossa radicchio is a form of chicory which grows like a cabbage with dense red heads with white veins.  It's flavour is bitter and spicy when eaten raw in salads but mellows considerable when cooked.  Chunks of radicchio head is delicious grilled or roasted in olive oil and herbs.  Radicchio is also great when diced and used in risottos.  The roots can be roasted and used as a coffee alternative like other varieties of chicory.

Growing Tips:

Choose a growing location that receives full sun or light shade.  Dig through a combination of organic fertiliser, compost, worm castings or well rotted manures through the soil prior to planting.  Applying a fertiliser too high in nitrogen can cause your radicchio plants to bolt to seed and become bitter so take care not to over-do it.  Heads will form better and taste sweeter when they mature during the cooler months of the year.  Established plants are frost hardy.  Radicchio grows best when soil pH is slightly acidic to neutral, between 5.0 and 7.0.  Water radicchio plants deeply and regularly.  Mulch around radicchio plants well to keep their root systems cool, retain moisture and reduce competition from weeds.

When To Sow:

Sow Palla Rossa radicchio seeds from January to April in cool and mountainous regions of Australia.  In temperate regions of Australia sow Palla Rossa radicchio from Febuary to May.  In subtropical regions of Australia sow Palla Rossa radicchio seeds from March to June.  Radicchio is unlikely to grow well in tropical regions.

How To Sow:

Sow raddichio seeds 6mm deep, spacing or thinning plants to about 30cm apart.

Germination Time:

Radicchio seeds take between 6 and 14 days to germinate once sown.

Time To Harvest:

Individual outer leaves of radicchio can be harvested as soon as they are big enough to pick but the central head will be ready 9 to 13 weeks after sowing the seeds.  Radicchio heads are ready to harvest when they reach about the size of a grapefruit.