What vegetable is bitter chicory? A detailed guide to growing methods
Perhaps many people think bitter chicory is a chrysanthemum as soon as they hear the name, but that is actually not the case. Although bitter chicory belongs to the Asteraceae family, it does not bloom. It is similar to the vegetables we normally eat: it can be eaten raw, stir-fried, or used in soup, and it tastes a little faintly bitter, but it is very effective for reducing heat and relieving summer heat.
What bitter chicory is
Endive, scientific name: Cichorium endivia L., is a biennial or annual herbaceous plant of the genus Cichorium in the Asteraceae family. The tender leaves are edible. Every 100 g of tender leaves contains 95.1 g water, 1.2 g protein, 77 mg calcium and other nutrients such as vitamins. It is suitable for eating raw, boiling or making into soup. Endive leaves are lanceolate. The capitulum has about 20 florets, the corolla is light purple, the pistil stigma is bifurcate and light blue, and there are 5 stamens joined into a tube, with light blue anthers. The seeds are short cylindrical and grayish white, with a 1000-seed weight of 1.6 g. Seed germination capacity can be maintained for 10 years, and in production seeds stored for 1-3 years are mostly used for sowing.
How to grow bitter chicory
1. Growth characteristics
Bitter chicory is a mesophytic sun-loving plant. It prefers cool conditions, likes moisture and water, is fond of fertilizer, and is not tolerant of drought. It is relatively cold-tolerant and can be grown on mountain slopes or valley forest edges at an altitude of 170-3200 m, under forests or in flatland fields, in open places or near water, and it is distributed almost worldwide. The suitable temperature for seed germination is 15-17°C; the suitable temperature for seedling growth is 12-20°C; the suitable temperature for plant growth is 10-20°C. Growth is slow at 5°C, and even under a short-term low temperature of -10°C it can still remain green. Bitter chicory is suitable for planting in sandy or clay soil with a pH between 4.5–8.9 that is loose, rich in organic matter, and has good water and fertilizer retention, but it grows best in slightly acidic to neutral sandy loam with a pH of 6-6.5.
2. Planting conditions
Bitter chicory is suitable for planting in spring and autumn. Choose excellent varieties with stable yield and disease resistance, seize the farming season, and sow in time, which can both extend the vegetative growth period and extend the harvest period. Direct sowing can be used for open-field planting.
3. Plowing and loosening the soil
Rake the soil fine and level. Combined with land preparation, apply 1000-2000 kg of fully decomposed farmyard organic fertilizer per mu. Fertilization should be moderate to avoid burning the seedlings from excessive fertilizer. Then make beds with a width of 0.8-1 m, and open small furrows 8 cm deep on the bed surface with a furrow spacing of 12 cm. Bitter chicory seeds are very small, so sow the seeds evenly, then cover with a layer of fine soil. The soil covering layer should not be too thick, and about 0.5 cm is appropriate. After sowing, spray an appropriate amount of water with a watering can. The bottom water should be thoroughly watered. After sowing, there is no need to tread on it; just pat it lightly, otherwise it will hinder the sprouts from breaking through the soil and affect the germination rate. Seedlings can emerge in 4-5 days, with a sowing rate of about 3 grams per square meter. The planting density should be well controlled, and sowing should not be too dense, otherwise it will affect plant growth and induce a high incidence of various diseases and pests, thereby affecting yield and returns.
4. Field management
To obtain higher yield and quality, strengthening field management is key.
1. After the sprouts break through the soil, check the field in time and spray water at the right time to keep the field soil moist and avoid the soil being too dry. Loosen the soil in time. Because the bitter chicory root system is fine and weak, movements should be gentle when loosening the soil to avoid damaging the roots, affecting root growth, and hindering the absorption of water and various nutrients. Moreover, timely soil loosening can also inhibit soil moisture evaporation and promote root growth.
2. Thin and fill in seedlings in time, and immediately pull out weak seedlings and diseased seedlings. At the same time, also remove weeds in the field in time. Weeds not only compete with bitter chicory for nutrients, but are also a major cause of the high incidence of many diseases and pests. The removed weeds, diseased seedlings and weak seedlings must not be discarded at will; they should be taken out of the field and deeply buried or burned in a centralized manner to reduce sources of disease.
3. Watering and fertilizing. During field management, water and fertilize as appropriate according to actual conditions. At the seedling stage, the soil should preferably be kept alternately dry and wet. Too much water will cause excessive seedling growth; too dry soil and too little water will cause seedling aging. During the vigorous stem and leaf growth period, keep the soil moist. Insufficient water will make bitter chicory too bitter and affect taste and quality. In the late growth period, water supply can be appropriately reduced to ensure quality.
During the plant growth stage, apply fertilizer as appropriate according to the growth of bitter chicory. For plots with normal fertility, one application of decomposed manure can be made, at 1000-1200 kg per mu.
5. Prevention and control of diseases and pests
Bitter chicory has relatively few diseases and pests, but improper management can also lead to some common diseases and pests, such as downy mildew, viral disease, and aphids.
1. Downy mildew
Downy mildew is a fungal disease, and it occurs in all growing areas. It mainly harms leaves. The pathogen overwinters in diseased residues and in the soil. When conditions are suitable the following year, the overwintering pathogen germinates directly and then invades the host through stomata, causing disease.
① Symptoms and conditions of onset. In the early stage of the disease, irregularly shaped spots appear on the leaves, showing chlorosis or light yellow, and white frost-like mold layers grow on the back of the leaves. As it develops, the spots gradually expand and turn yellow-brown, causing the leaves to wither and die. In severe cases, the entire leaf dries up and cannot be eaten, causing losses. Suitable conditions for onset mainly include low-lying terrain, relatively high humidity, heavy fog and dew, warm days and cool nights, small spacing, excessive field density, and poor permeability, all of which can cause a high incidence of downy mildew.
② Control methods. Choose plots with higher terrain, low disease incidence, and good drainage and irrigation, and carry out thorough land preparation and plowing. Prefer disease-resistant varieties, strengthen management, control field density well, and improve permeability between plants. Water and fertilize reasonably. In weather with excessive rain, drain water in time to avoid water accumulation in the field and excessive humidity, which can cause disease. Fertilize appropriately and avoid one-sided application of nitrogen fertilizer. Remove diseased plants and weeds in time, and appropriately spray foliar nutrient agents to improve the plant's own disease resistance and promote good growth.
After onset, spray control can be carried out with 72% Kelu wettable powder at 800 times solution, 80% Saidefu wettable powder at 500-600 times solution, etc., spraying once about every 10 days for 2-3 consecutive sprays. It should be noted that the solution should be sprayed on the basal leaves and the back of the leaves to avoid missing sprays and delaying the control effect.
2. Viral disease
Viral disease is a viral disease that occurs in all growing areas, and the whole plant can be affected.
① Symptoms and conditions of onset. After onset, the plant becomes stunted and weakened, the leaves are small and ribbon-like, and the leaf color varies in depth. Compared with normal plants, it is obviously shorter, and the number of green leaves is relatively small, seriously affecting yield and quality. The virus is mainly transmitted by seeds and aphids. The high incidence of viral disease is mainly affected by weather, such as high temperature, little rain, and drought. When the temperature is higher than 18°C and there is also dry weather with little rain, it is very easy for aphid damage to spread the viral disease rapidly, causing harm.
② Control methods. On the basis of selecting good varieties, seed dressing with chemicals can be used, which can effectively kill pathogens on the seeds. Plant at a reasonable density to facilitate ventilation and air permeability between plants. Water in time to maintain suitable soil moisture. Watering should not be too heavy or too forceful; pay attention to frequent light watering. Immediately remove diseased plants and disinfect the soil around them with chemicals. Remove weeds in and around the field in time to reduce the occurrence of insect pests and other diseases. Fertilize scientifically to promote robust plant growth and improve its own disease resistance.
In the early stage of onset, spray control can be carried out with 20% Virus A wettable powder at 500 times solution, 5% Junduqing aqueous solution at 300 times solution, 1.5% Zhibingling emulsion at 1000 times solution, etc., spraying once every 8-10 days for 2-3 consecutive sprays.
Control aphids in time. When aphids are found occurring in spots, immediately spray anti-aphid chemicals. You can use 40% Keyaxing at 800-1000 times solution, 40% dimethoate at 1000 times solution, 50% pirimicarb at 2000-3000 times solution, 20% fenvalerate at 2000-3000 times solution, etc. Aphid control should focus on prevention, and spraying should stop half a month before harvest. When using chemicals to control diseases and pests, several chemicals should be used alternately to avoid developing resistance and affecting the control effect.
6. Timely harvest
To prevent leaves from wilting during harvest and affecting sales, it is recommended to pick in the morning.
Nutritional value of bitter chicory
Bitter chicory is a vegetable rich in nutritional value, and it is a natural healthy green food. Although the taste is slightly bitter, it still cannot stop people from loving it. According to research data, calculated per 100 grams of bitter chicory, it contains 1.8 g protein, 4.0 g carbohydrates, 5.8 g dietary fiber, 120 mg calcium, 52 mg phosphorus, and trace elements such as zinc, copper, iron, and manganese.
The vitamin content is: vitamin B 0.2 mg, vitamin C 88 mg, and carotene 3.22 mg, which is more than twice the content in spinach. The types of amino acids it contains are also relatively complete, and the proportions among various amino acids are appropriate. Bitter chicory has a relatively notable effect of clearing heat and detoxifying, and regular consumption of bitter chicory can also improve human immunity, promote brain function, and has effects such as diuresis, strengthening the stomach, relieving cough, and detoxification.
Efficacy and effects of bitter chicory
In the hot summer, many people like to eat cold-dressed bitter chicory to relieve the heat. Traditional Chinese medicine believes that bitter chicory is cool in nature, bitter in taste, non-toxic and harmless, and has effects such as antibacterial, antipyretic, anti-inflammatory, improving eyesight, cooling blood, and stopping dysentery. The more notable aspects are as follows:
1. Clearing heat and detoxifying
If you have a dry throat and tongue and internal heat, you can eat some cold-dressed bitter chicory, or soak dried bitter chicory in water and drink it, and the symptoms will be effectively relieved.
2. Supplementing vitamins
Bitter chicory contains various vitamin components needed by the human body, as well as nutrients such as carotene, potassium salt, and sodium salt, which are of positive significance for maintaining the normal physiological activities of the body.
3. Antibacterial and anti-inflammatory
This is the main efficacy of bitter chicory. The taraxasterol, choline and other components it contains all have bactericidal effects, and it can treat icteric hepatitis, pharyngitis, bacillary dysentery, cold and fever, chronic bronchitis, tonsillitis, etc.
4. Preventing cancer
Taking bitter chicory decocted in water has a clear inhibitory effect on the blood cell deoxygenase of patients with acute lymphocytic leukemia and acute and chronic myeloid leukemia, and it can also be used to prevent and treat cervical cancer, rectal cancer, and anal cancer.
Do not underestimate this bitter chicory; it actually has many effects. Especially in summer, many people like to eat cold-dressed bitter chicory, which can clear heat, detoxify, and reduce internal heat. As the effects of bitter chicory are gradually recognized by everyone, its market demand is increasing year by year.