{"product_id":"italian-dandelion-leaf-chicory","title":"Italian Dandelion, Heirloom Leaf Chicory Seeds","description":"\u003ch1\u003eItalian Dandelion, Heirloom Leaf Chicory Seeds\u003c\/h1\u003e\u003cp\u003eBring a classic Italian bitter green to your kitchen garden. Italian Dandelion produces long, deeply cut green leaves with pale midribs and a savory, pleasantly bitter flavor. Pick small, tender leaves to add character to mixed salads, or let them grow for a pan of greens sautéed with garlic and olive oil.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eLeaf Chicory, Not a Lawn Dandelion\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eDespite its familiar name, Italian Dandelion is \u003cem\u003eCichorium intybus\u003c\/em\u003e, a non-heading leaf chicory, rather than true dandelion (\u003cem\u003eTaraxacum officinale\u003c\/em\u003e). Its upright, loose-leaf growth makes it useful for repeated picking. Plants allowed to flower develop pale blue blooms, not yellow dandelion flowers.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eWhy Grow Italian Dandelion?\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDistinctive leafy texture:\u003c\/strong\u003e Narrow, deeply lobed leaves bring a different shape to salad mixes and garden beds.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eTwo kitchen harvests:\u003c\/strong\u003e Use young leaves fresh and larger leaves as cooked greens.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePick a little at a time:\u003c\/strong\u003e Harvest outer leaves while leaving the crown and young center growth intact for further picking when conditions permit.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCool-season flavor:\u003c\/strong\u003e Plan spring and fall sowings for tender greens; hot weather can intensify bitterness and encourage flowering.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003ch2\u003eGrowing Notes\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eDirect sow about ¼ inch deep in prepared soil in spring or for a fall crop. Choose full sun to partial shade and rich, well-drained soil. Keep the seedbed evenly moist during germination, then water consistently as plants grow. Thin young plants rather than leaving crowded seedlings to compete.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eRaised-Bed Spacing\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eFor full-size plants in a square-foot bed, use 1 plant per sq ft. Give especially large plants more room if needed. Baby-leaf sowings can be closer together when harvested young. Keep picking regularly and avoid cutting into the central crown.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eHarvest Details\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePacket size:\u003c\/strong\u003e 0.30 g, approximately 200+ seeds.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eBaby-leaf harvest:\u003c\/strong\u003e May begin around 20+ days from sowing under favorable conditions, following the supplier's estimate. Pick by leaf size and tenderness rather than the calendar alone.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eLarger greens:\u003c\/strong\u003e Allow additional growing time and harvest before leaves become tough or flower stalks develop.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eFlavor:\u003c\/strong\u003e Savory and pleasantly bitter; young leaves are usually the tenderest.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eBotanical name:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003cem\u003eCichorium intybus\u003c\/em\u003e.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eType:\u003c\/strong\u003e Heirloom, open-pollinated leaf chicory.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003ch3\u003eKitchen Uses\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eMix a handful of young leaves with milder salad greens. Sauté larger leaves, stir them into soups or serve them as a side dish much like other cooking greens. Blanching before sautéing can soften their bitter edge.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eChicory roots are traditionally dried, roasted and ground as a coffee additive or substitute. This listing is primarily for leaf production, not a specialized root-chicory crop, so no fixed root-harvest date is promised.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eWill It Return?\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eItalian Dandelion can persist as a perennial where conditions allow, but winter survival and useful leaf production vary with climate, drainage and management. It is often grown as a seasonal greens crop. Remove spent flower heads before seed dispersal if you do not want volunteers.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003ePacked and shipped by Box Garden Seeds LLC.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Box Garden Seeds LLC","offers":[{"title":".3 g\/~200+Seeds","offer_id":41712244686982,"sku":"TLM\/A5-200-79-821-28","price":3.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/2669\/3330\/files\/Italian_Dandelion_Chicory_87c.jpg?v=1794003972","url":"https:\/\/bgseedsllc.com\/products\/italian-dandelion-leaf-chicory","provider":"Box Garden Seeds Store","version":"1.0","type":"link"}