Witloof chicory

[Annemieke]

Last year I successfully grew witloof chicory. I sowed it in June, dug it up in November (I think) and planted the roots in buckets in a shed. Now I can eat lovely salad: witloof with (cooking) apple and olive oil - easy, seasonal, lovely!
I do seem to have left some root-bits in the ground however, and they are coming up in a seedbed.
Can I still use them, let them grow and treat like I did the ones last year? Or would that be a waste of time?

[lancashire lass]

I suspect they will simply go to seed this year (that is, from a compact growing plant to a sprawling flowering one) Cichorium intybus is its latin name and according to Wikipedia is a perennial herbaceous plant (along with the pretty blue flowering common chicory) but bear in mind that the chicory you have grown is cultivated and usually eaten as an annual. You could perhaps try growing a couple to see if you can keep them going but in the meantime maybe you should sow some fresh seed just in case they don't work out.

[Annemieke]

Thanks - as they are in the middle of a seedbed I think I won't bother!