If you live in a colder climate, growing radicchio will be difficult during the colder months. However, this plant can thrive even in cool weather if it is properly given the right amount of sun, water and nutrients. To begin with, try to avoid spraying radicchio with any kind of insecticide or fungicide as these will damage the leaves. Although some homeowners like to use pesticides in their home garden, spraying radicchio with just a dab of liquid fertilizer may be all that it takes to keep the leaves from turning brown.
Radicchio can grow up to five feet high, so provide ample space in the garden if you are planning to grow radicchio in full sun or in partial shade. This is a very healthy plant to have in a home garden and can survive even with minimal water or other resources. Radicchio will flower during the late summer or fall months, depending on the location. The flowers look like little mushrooms and the fruits are small, black and purple in color.
To ensure proper planting of radicchio, it is important that the area to be treated before it becomes dark. It is also important to remove the weeds from the planting site after it has been sprayed with a fertilizer, and this should occur before the plant is put into the garden. It is important to keep a close eye on the plant and make sure it receives daily watering. Radicchio is quite susceptible to frost damage so make sure it is placed properly in a garden to avoid frost heaves.
Radicchio contains a lot of vitamins and minerals, so if you plan to grow radicchio, it is important to provide your plants with a good amount of these elements. Radicchio is one of many vegetables that are rich in vitamin C. Vitamin C is an essential nutrient for many people, especially those who need stronger teeth and immune systems. Radicchio contains 30 times more vitamin C than the recommended daily allowance of fruits and vegetables. Although a single serving of radicchio only contains about two percent of the recommended daily allowance of vitamin C, consuming this amount of spinach or other leafy vegetables can provide enough vitamin C for a healthy diet. Including radicchio in your diet helps reduce the risk of developing gingivitis, a gum disease, by reducing plaque and preventing damage to the teeth.
You can keep radicchio or any other type of leafy vegetable in the same pots in which you grow other plants. However, it is important that you select the correct pots for the size and health of your plants. Radicchio or other leafy vegetables do best in pots that have tight fitting lids or are round in shape. These pots allow air to flow through them and keep the soil at a consistent temperature. If you live in a sunny location, you can keep your radicchio or any other type of leafy vegetable in a potting pot even in the winter.
If you live in an area where there are seasonal weather changes, you should move your plants each year so that the soil is constantly kept at a consistent temperature. During the hot months of summer you can move your growing radicchio or any other type of leafy vegetable to a cool, shady area of your yard. During the winter, you can move your pots to a location where the soil is freezing. Radicchio roots well to rocks or wooden decks and planters are a good choice of pots for growing radicchio. Make sure your growing radicchio or any other type of leafy vegetable has access to a sunny location during all parts of the year.