Re: radicchio/chicory
Hi Margaret,
Thanks for your response.
I wonder what purpose the bags serve?
The pollination factor did occur to me, and there don't seem to be many
bees around this time of year, so I've been using a small paintbrush to
pollinate the flowers, but so far only on one plant. The second plant has
buds but now flowers yet, so I'm waiting impatiently to be able to cross
pollinate. What do you think of the paintbrush as opposed to rubbing two
flowers together.
I had seen the Seed to Seed book in a catalog some time ago and tried
without luck to get it from the public library. Perhaps I will try to find
it again and buy it after all.
Pat
At 06:55 AM 10/25/00 -0600, you wrote:
>The resource you need is Suzanne Ashworth's "Seed to Seed" (I'm sure
>available from Seed Savers Exchange if you can't find it elsewhere). She
>says chicory flowers are perfect, but self-incompatible and have to be
>insect or hand pollinated. The evening before the flowers are to open, bag
>those flowers on as many different plants as possible. Early in the
>morning, remove bags and rub flowers from two different plants
>together...she has more detailed instructions, but that's the basic
>technique. Good luck, and I do highly recommend her book. Margaret L
>
>
>At 03:30 PM 10/24/00 -0400, you wrote:
>>Hi everyone,
>>
>>I have been growing some italian radicchio (seeds came from Italy). A
>>friend shared several varieties of seeds with me from various packets.
>>Mine are all unmarked, so I don't know exactly which varieties I have.
>>
>>My question is this: Can anyone tell me how radicchio forms its seeds? I
>>have a light green variety, one that apparently does not grow into a
>>head, is less bitter than most and can be harvested early. A couple of
>>the plants have started to flower, one is pretty far along and has
>>bloomed now for a couple of weeks. Flowers come and go -- lovely purple
>>flowers about an inch in diameter -- but I see no signs of seeds or seed pods.
>>
>>I have successfully gathered seed from every other kind of lettuce and
>>leafy green that I have grown, but this plant just doesn't seem to be
>>forming seeds. Does it take a long time? What should I be looking for?
>>
>>I have searched on the internet, using every resource I could think of
>>but come up with nothing.
>>Can anyone help?
>>
>>Many thanks,
>>Pat
>>Zone 7, Delmarva
>>
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>
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