- Harvesting seeds with a sure instinct - this is how it works
- Sow chicory directly into the bed - how to do it right
Since the chicory thrives as a biennial plant, classic propagation methods such as division or offshoots are not available. The popular ornamental and useful plant makes up for this shortcoming by gifting us with numerous seeds. You can find out how to harvest and sow the seeds here.
After flowering, the chicory forms seeds that can be used for propagation
Harvesting seeds with a sure instinct - this is how it works
At the end of the flowering period, the pretty blue flowers turn into 2-3mm small seed heads. If these have turned brown and have dried, they are harvested in good time before the mother plant distributes the seeds in the garden. The seeds are in the base of the flower.
To get to the seeds, pluck off the dried flower parts. Below that appears a honeycomb structure made up of the seeds. If this structure is rubbed between the fingers, you hold tiny, slightly wrinkled seeds in your hands. Until next May, keep the seeds dry, dark and airtight.
Sow chicory directly into the bed - how to do it right
Mid-May is the best time to sow chicory seeds. To do this, prepare a finely crumbly sowing surface in a sunny, warm location. How to spread the seeds properly:
- Make 3 cm deep furrows with a stick at a distance of 30-40 cm
- Scatter the seeds in it, close the furrows and pour in a fine spray
- Protect the bed from birds and snails with a close-meshed net
From a growth height of 5-6 cm, the seedlings are separated at a distance of 10 cm. As a result, keep the soil constantly slightly moist and pull out the weeds every day. In the year of sowing, the chicory only develops a rosette of leaves. In the following year, the longed-for inflorescence rises from June to October.
tips
In 2009, the Loki Schmidt Foundation chose the common chicory as flower of the year. This campaign specifically drew attention to the endangered habitat of the blue natural beauty. By multiplying the flower in your garden, you make an important contribution to its preservation. The valuable wild flowers should not be taken from the wild.