Vegetable Varieties for Gardeners

Reviewed on 03/01/2014 by Stan in London - An experienced gardener
Overall Taste Yield Ease	Ontario, Canada Frost Free Season: 143 - 163 days Soil Texture: Loam Garden Size: Small - Less than 400 square feet (20' x 20') Sun Exposure: 6 to 8 hours per day
Sugarloaf chicory forms a tight head with a size and shape similar to a large type of romaine. The outer leaves and top are leafy and green, inside the leaves are thickened, with infoldings, tender and crisp The flavor is very mild as chicory goes, and sweet. It is a great addition to a green salad and can also be roasted. One favorite use of it is as a replacement for lettuce in a sandwich. Here is has the advantage that if you warm the sandwich in a microwave, sugarloaf stays crunchy whereas lettuce wilts. I grow this every year, planting in June through early August for harvest in the fall. Its a big plant so thin to 10-12 inches. Sugarloaf likes sun but will tolerate some shade and still produce well. With the long, mild falls of the Great Lakes climate here in London, Ontario it an be harvested into November, or even after an early snowfall. Also, it will keep a long time in the refrigerator. Sugarloaf is easy to grow, the main challenges are that it is loved by rabbits and slugs, and the occasional plant doesn't form a nice tight head.