Italiko Red
Cichorium intybus
Wikimedia Commons
This Italian dandelion has bold red stems and midribs for vibrant contrast. Deeply lobed leaves with classic bitter flavor. Good cold tolerance. Shows some variation in plant habit, leaf shape, and color.
Harvest
40d
Days to harvest
Sun
Full sun
Zones
3–8
USDA hardiness
Height
3-4 feet
Planting Timeline
Showing dates for Italiko Red in USDA Zone 7
All Zone 7 lettuce →Zone Map
Click a state to update dates
Italiko Red · Zones 3–8
Growing Details
Zone-by-Zone Planting Calendar
| Zone | Indoor Start | Transplant | Direct Sow | Harvest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zone 1 | — | — | June – July | July – September |
| Zone 2 | — | — | May – July | June – September |
| Zone 11 | — | — | January – February | January – December |
| Zone 12 | — | — | January – February | January – December |
| Zone 13 | — | — | January – February | January – December |
| Zone 3 | — | — | May – June | June – October |
| Zone 4 | — | — | April – June | June – October |
| Zone 5 | — | — | April – May | May – November |
| Zone 6 | — | — | April – May | May – November |
| Zone 7 | — | — | March – May | April – November |
| Zone 8 | — | — | March – April | April – December |
| Zone 9 | — | — | February – March | March – December |
| Zone 10 | — | — | January – March | February – December |
Succession Planting
Direct sow every 14–18 days starting March 1 in zone 7, and keep going through early May. Italiko Red handles heat better than head lettuce, but once daytime highs hold above 85°F the leaves turn sharply bitter and the plant bolts fast — sowing past mid-May is mostly wasted seed. Pick back up around August 15, once nights drop below 70°F again, and you'll get a solid fall run through November. Two windows, not a continuous season — plan your seed supply accordingly.
Complete Growing Guide
This Italian dandelion has bold red stems and midribs for vibrant contrast. Deeply lobed leaves with classic bitter flavor. Good cold tolerance. Shows some variation in plant habit, leaf shape, and color. According to Johnny's Selected Seeds, Italiko Red is 40 baby; 56 full size to maturity, annual, open pollinated. Notable features: Cold Tolerant.
Light: Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day). Soil: Clay, High Organic Matter, Loam (Silt), Sand, Shallow Rocky. Soil pH: Alkaline (>8.0), Neutral (6.0-8.0). Drainage: Good Drainage, Moist, Occasionally Dry. Height: 3 ft. 0 in. - 4 ft. 0 in.. Spread: 1 ft. 6 in. - 2 ft. 0 in.. Spacing: 12 inches-3 feet. Growth rate: Rapid. Maintenance: High, Medium. Propagation: Seed. Regions: Coastal, Mountains, Piedmont.
Harvesting
Italiko Red reaches harvest at 40 baby; 56 full size from sowing per Johnny's Selected Seeds. As an annual, harvest continues until frost ends the season.
Brown oblong and 5-ribbed achene with blunt ends. The wider end has a bristles across the top.
Color: Brown/Copper, Cream/Tan. Type: Achene.
Edibility: Leaves can be used in salads or cooked to reduce bitter flavor. Roots can be dried and used as a coffee substitute.
Storage & Preservation
Italiko Red chicory heads keep longest in a perforated plastic bag stored at 32–40°F with 90–95% humidity; a crisper drawer works well. Expect 2–3 weeks of acceptable freshness under these conditions. For longer preservation, blanch whole heads for 3–5 minutes, cool rapidly, and freeze in airtight containers for up to 8 months—this works better than raw freezing. Chicory also dries successfully; slice thinly and dry at 95–105°F until brittle, then store in airtight containers away from light. Fermentation is another option: shred the heads, salt at 2–3% by weight, pack tightly, and allow 2–4 weeks at cool room temperature. The distinctive deep red coloring of this variety intensifies slightly when blanched, making it particularly striking for both fresh and preserved presentations.
History & Origin
Italiko Red is open-pollinated, meaning seed saved from healthy plants will produce true-to-type offspring. Listed in the Johnny's Selected Seeds catalog.
Origin: Europe
Advantages
- +Bold red stems and midribs provide striking visual appeal in salads
- +Classic bitter flavor characteristic of Italian dandelion varieties
- +Excellent cold tolerance allows fall and winter harvesting
- +Fast 40-day maturity enables quick succession planting
- +Easy growing difficulty suitable for beginner gardeners
Considerations
- -Variable leaf shape and color creates inconsistent appearance in plantings
- -Deeply lobed leaves require careful washing to remove trapped soil
- -Bitter flavor not suitable for mild-preference palates
Companion Plants
Chives and garlic both release sulfur compounds that deter aphids, which tend to cluster on Italiko Red's broad, slightly textured leaves — plant either one within 12 inches and you'll notice the difference. Radishes are worth tucking in along the border: they germinate in 5–7 days, break up soil crust before the chicory establishes, and flea beetles will hit them first instead of your planting. Marigolds (Tagetes patula specifically) suppress soil nematodes in beds that have been in production for multiple seasons — that's a real, documented effect, not garden folklore. Keep broccoli out of the same bed entirely; brassica roots compete aggressively with chicory and typically win, and you'll see it in stunted Italiko Red plants by week 3.
Plant Together
Chives
Repels aphids and improves lettuce flavor while providing natural pest deterrent
Carrots
Deep roots don't compete with shallow lettuce roots and help break up soil
Radishes
Quick-growing companion that helps loosen soil and deters flea beetles
Marigolds
Repels nematodes, aphids, and whiteflies while attracting beneficial insects
Spinach
Similar growing requirements and can be succession planted together
Garlic
Natural fungicide properties help prevent lettuce diseases and repels pests
Dill
Attracts beneficial insects like ladybugs and lacewings that control aphids
Nasturtiums
Acts as trap crop for aphids and cucumber beetles, protecting lettuce
Parsley
Attracts beneficial insects and doesn't compete for space due to different growth habits
Keep Apart
Broccoli
Heavy feeder that competes for nutrients and can shade out lettuce
Sunflowers
Allelopathic compounds inhibit lettuce germination and growth
Nutrition Facts
Per 100g serving. % Daily Value based on 2,000 calorie diet. Source: USDA FoodData Central (FDC #2346388)
Pests & Disease Resistance
Common Pests
Slugs, snails, flea beetles, aphids
Diseases
Powdery mildew, downy mildew, fungal leaf spots in overly wet conditions
Troubleshooting Italiko Red
What you'll see, why it happens, and what to do about it.
Seedlings collapse at soil level within the first 7–10 days after direct sowing — stems look pinched or rotted at the base
Likely Causes
- Damping off — a complex of soil-borne fungi (Pythium, Rhizoctonia) that thrives in cold, waterlogged soil
- Overwatering or poor drainage in the seed bed
What to Do
- 1.Don't reuse soil from a bed where you've grown chicory or lettuce for 3 consecutive years — rotate to a fresh spot
- 2.Water in the morning so the soil surface dries by evening; soggy overnight conditions are what these fungi want
- 3.If starting in trays, use a sterile seed-starting mix and confirm there's drainage at the bottom before you sow
White powdery coating on the upper leaf surface, usually appearing once temperatures fluctuate between 60–80°F
Likely Causes
- Powdery mildew — a fungal pathogen that spreads via airborne spores and doesn't need wet leaves to establish
- Dense planting that restricts airflow between plants
What to Do
- 1.Space plants at least 6–8 inches apart — Italiko Red reaches 3–4 feet tall at maturity, so crowding compounds quickly
- 2.Strip and trash affected leaves; don't compost them
- 3.Apply a dilute baking soda solution (1 tablespoon per gallon of water) weekly as a low-input suppressor, or use a labeled sulfur-based fungicide
Irregular tan or brown lesions on outer leaves, sometimes with a yellow halo, during stretches of wet weather
Likely Causes
- Fungal leaf spots (Cercospora or Septoria spp.) — both splash up from the soil during rain or overhead irrigation
- Aphid feeding damage that opens entry points for secondary infection
What to Do
- 1.Lay 2–3 inches of straw mulch under the plants to cut down on soil splash reaching the lower leaves
- 2.Check leaf undersides weekly for aphid colonies — a hard spray of water dislodges most of them without any product
- 3.Pull heavily spotted outer leaves and put them in the trash to slow the spread
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does Italiko Red lettuce take to grow?▼
Is Italiko Red good for beginners?▼
Can you grow Italiko Red in containers?▼
What does Italiko Red taste like?▼
When should I plant Italiko Red lettuce?▼
Does Italiko Red have any disease resistance?▼
Growing Guides from Wind River Greens
Where to Buy Seeds
Sources & References
External authority sources used in compiling this guide.
- BreederJohnny's Selected Seeds
- USDAUSDA FoodData Central
See the Methodology page for how this data is sourced, what's AI-assisted, and known limitations.