Eschscholzia californica (Bag) – Franchi Sementi

Cicoria Rossa Italiana. Some call this Red Dandelion, but it is a true chicory. Requires a rich, well-tilled soil. Mid-early, upright plant with a large, closely wrapped head. Intense gree, serrated leaves are tall, with large red ribs. Said to be an excellent forcing variety. Take the well-developed plants out in the fall, bunch the leaves and remove secondary roots. Then put in a cooler, closed tub or dark basement and cover lightly with soil. Be the first to let us know about this! 10 gram packet. Approximately 600-900 seeds per gram.

Mid Late variety that produce an upright plant with large wrapped head.
The leaves are tall, with an intense green colour and the ribs are large and red. 10gr

SOW: from March to August
HARVEST: from July to October

Partnership plant: Carrot, Bean, Fennel, Lettuce, Pepper,
Tomato.

What to sow after: Cauliflower, Cabbage, Cucumber, Bean,
Aubergine, Melon, Pepper, Pea, Tomato, Radish, Courgette.

Endive Riccia Romanesco da Taglio. A cut and come again endive from Rome. Thin serrated dark green leaves with classic endive taste and texture. Space at 4" between plants, 8" between rows. 40-45 days. Plant grows in a small upright bunch which is easy to harvest. You can also just broadcast seed it trying to get seeds every inch or two and cut it when it gets three/four inches high. Simple to grow and good resistance to bolting. Best for spring and fall but will work at any time throughout the growing season. Perfect for that Roman salad you remember. Can also be cooked. 60 or so days for full size. 10 gram pack. Approximately 900 seeds per gram.

*Heritage Variety*
L40 - Endive Romanesco da Taglio: Roman cutting endive with thin, jagged upright leaves that grow in small bunches. This is a very easy variety to grow and use and it has a long sowing season. Dont be tempted to sow them in the spring along with your other lettuces, you wont get very good results. Its an endive, not a lettuce, even if it looks more like a lettuce. They need heat initially to germinate and start their journey, and then cold to develop. Most varieties are very hardy and will tolerate sub-zero. There are several varieties of escarole and endive; the open-headed ones should be tied up about seven to ten days before harvest to blanch the heart and make them tender. Or you can just stick a bucket on top and, when you harvest that head, move the bucket to the next one. Be lazy – use an elastic band. Be even lazier and plant them closer than the standard 20 cm apart, so they all bunch up and blanch themselves.

Sow: from April to October
Harvest May to mid December.
Approximate seeds quantity: @5600 seeds.


Partnership plant: Tomato, Leek.

What to sow after: Cauliflower & Cabbage, Cucumber, Bean,
Aubergine, Melon, Pepper, Pea, Tomato, Radish, Courgette.

Violetto Aromatico / Dark Opal basil. This is a really pretty basil. Nice color, good size plant similar in size and growth habit to Genovese basil. Good aroma and flavor. Will do ok in a pot, but does better outside in the garden. Consider using it as a decorative plant in place of flowers. A bed of red basil, Genovese basil and lettuce leaf basil is quite pretty. For transplants, start 6-7 weeks before set out date (10 days after last frost date), 5-6 seeds/cell and thin to two or three. Plant at 12 inch intervals. For direct seed, 6-7 seeds every 12 inches cover with 1/4 inch fine soil and keep watered until germination: 7-10 days. Thin to 2-3 plants per space.

Basil has approximately 600-650 seeds per gram.

*Heritage Variety*
Red Basil. This is a mid-early variety with vigorus plant. The leaves have a bright violet colour and a sweet intense perfume. Sweeter tasting than regular basil with a slight clove undertone.
Easy to grow and ideal for containers.

Approximate seeds quantity: @3200 seeds.
To be sown from March to July directly in the ground or all year long in a protected indoor system.