Brown Thumb needs help with Chicory/Belgium Endive?

erdavis

Active Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Nov 12, 2011
Messages
204
Location (City and/or State)
Gainesville, Fl (Go Gators!)
I saw a list of foods my sulcata can eat and Chicory (i think also called belgium endive?) was one of them. So I got some seeds without doing any research and planted them. They are really crowded and I was looking into harvesting them. Or at least trimming some leaves. I did some research (gardening is completely new to me) as to how to do this and I'm lost... I figured out how to do the turnips and arugula, but apparently there is a two step process to doing chicory. And I am not doing all that...
When it says chicory on food lists for my tort, are they talking about the white leaves that people are supposed to eat-the ones that you have to go through a painful process to get? Or can I just cut these green leaves and feed it to him?
If it's the white leaves I have to feed, I'm not doing it. Lol. If it's the green ones, tell me how to do it! How big should I let them get before harvesting? Should I just cut everything all the way at the bottom and then consider the rest garbage? Will it regrow? Or should I cut all but the center leaves of each plant?
I'm so lost and could use some help. I never knew chicory was such a long weird process...
 

Tom

The Dog Trainer
10 Year Member!
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jan 9, 2010
Messages
63,265
Location (City and/or State)
Southern California
I don't mess with all of that non-sense. I grab a handful, cut below my grabbing hand with scissors and throw it in a 5 gallon bucket. The stuff just magically re-grows over and over again.
 

Dizisdalife

Well-Known Member
10 Year Member!
Joined
Dec 24, 2010
Messages
1,754
Location (City and/or State)
California
I do the same. My sulcata will sometimes eat a chichory plant down to the root and it still comes back.
 
Top