6 Best Chicory Varieties for Long Term Food Plots That Thrive

When the summer heat sets in and traditional cool-season grasses begin to wither, a well-established chicory plot becomes the most valuable asset on the property. This hardy perennial provides a deep-rooted solution to forage gaps, offering high-protein greens that remain succulent even during dry spells. Selecting the right variety and managing the soil correctly ensures this investment pays dividends for years to come.

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Oasis Forage Chicory: Best for High Yields

Oasis produces massive amounts of leafy forage compared to older, traditional varieties. It is specifically bred to maximize tonnage per acre, making it a favorite for those managing small plots with heavy animal traffic. The mineral content, particularly zinc and copper, remains high even during the peak of summer when other plants lose their nutritional density.

This variety thrives in well-drained soils and responds exceptionally well to nitrogen applications. The leaves are broad and tender, providing a highly palatable food source that animals will prioritize over almost anything else in the field. It creates a lush, dense carpet of green that can easily reach heights of 12 to 18 inches if not kept in check.

This is the variety for the manager who wants the absolute maximum protein production and isn’t afraid to provide the inputs needed to fuel it. If the goal is to pack as much nutrition as possible into a limited acreage, Oasis is the clear choice. It demands more from the soil, but it gives back in sheer volume.

Puna II Chicory: Best for Rapid Regrowth

Puna II stands out for its incredible ability to bounce back after being grazed down to the ground. While some varieties take weeks to recover, this cultivar shows new growth within days of being browsed or mowed. It is a high-energy plant that maintains a low rosette form, which helps protect the crown from overgrazing.

The genetic improvements in Puna II have led to a plant that stays productive longer into the season than its predecessors. It is highly digestible, ensuring that livestock or wildlife can process the nutrients efficiently without wasting energy on high-fiber stalks. This makes it an excellent component for year-round forage systems.

If the plan involves rotational grazing or if the local deer population is high enough to keep plots short, Puna II is the undeniable winner. It is built for the “comeback” and ensures the ground stays covered even under pressure. This is a reliable workhorse for any perennial food plot strategy.

Six Point Chicory: Best for Extreme Cold

When temperatures drop and the ground begins to freeze, many forage crops simply give up and go dormant. Six Point is engineered with a deeper crown and a more robust taproot system to survive harsh northern winters that would kill off more delicate varieties. It stays green longer into the autumn and wakes up earlier in the spring than most competitors.

The resilience of Six Point is not limited to cold; it also shows remarkable persistence in wet soils where other chicory might suffer from root rot. It provides critical early-season nutrition when other food sources are still dormant. This early emergence is vital for animals recovering from winter stress.

Land managers in the northern tiers of the country should look no further than Six Point. It offers peace of mind that the plot will actually return the following year, regardless of how deep the frost goes. It is the gold standard for cold-climate durability and long-term perennial persistence.

Forage Feast: Best Choice for Dry Soils

Dry spells can turn a lush food plot into a brown wasteland in a matter of weeks, but Forage Feast is designed to survive these conditions. It utilizes an incredibly aggressive taproot system that searches for moisture deep beneath the topsoil where other plants cannot reach. It stays succulent and palatable when other varieties begin to wilt and lose their nutritional value.

This variety is particularly useful on ridges or south-facing slopes where the sun hits the hardest. It maintains its high mineral levels even under heat stress, ensuring that the quality of the forage doesn’t degrade just because the rain stopped. It is a tough, gritty plant that prioritizes survival and steady growth over flashy, high-volume yields.

For those dealing with sandy soils or inconsistent rainfall, Forage Feast provides the necessary insurance policy against mid-summer droughts. It is the best option for marginal land where water retention is a constant struggle. Choose this if the environment is harsh and the rainfall is unpredictable.

Command Chicory: Best Bolting Resistance

One of the biggest challenges with chicory is “bolting,” the process where the plant sends up a woody, bitter stalk to produce seeds. Command has been bred specifically to delay this process, keeping the leaves tender and high in protein for a much longer window. This significantly reduces the frequency of necessary mowing throughout the growing season.

When chicory bolts, the nutritional value of the leaves drops as the plant directs its energy toward reproduction. Command stays in its “leafy stage” for an extended period, ensuring that every bite an animal takes is high-quality forage. This makes it a lower-maintenance option for part-time farmers who can’t spend every weekend on a tractor.

Choose Command if the schedule doesn’t allow for frequent maintenance but the demand for high-quality forage remains high. It is perfect for remote plots or for managers who prefer a “set it and forget it” approach to their perennial greens. It offers the best balance of quality and ease of management.

Grouse Chicory: Best for Intense Grazing

High-density deer populations or intensive livestock grazing can kill off less resilient chicory varieties by damaging the plant’s center. Grouse features a unique growth habit that spreads more horizontally, making it harder for animals to damage the central growing point. It handles trampling and heavy defoliation better than almost any other variety on the market.

This variety was selected for its high leaf-to-stem ratio, ensuring that almost every part of the plant is edible. It forms a dense mat that helps suppress weeds, which is a major advantage in small-scale farming where herbicidal options might be limited. The persistence of Grouse under pressure is its defining characteristic.

This is the go-to seed for high-traffic “kill plots” or small paddocks where animal pressure is relentless. If previous attempts at chicory have resulted in bare dirt by mid-season, Grouse is the solution. It is built to be eaten and thrives in environments where other plants would be bullied out of existence.

How to Prepare Your Soil for Planting Chicory

Success with chicory starts well before the seed hits the dirt, primarily through managing soil acidity. Chicory thrives in a pH range between 6.0 and 7.0, and it will struggle significantly in sour, acidic soils. Applying lime several months before planting is the best way to ensure the nutrients in the soil are actually available to the plant.

The seedbed must be firm and free of large clods to ensure good seed-to-soil contact. * Kill off existing competition with a non-selective herbicide or through repeated tilling. * Disk the soil to break up the surface, but follow up with a cultipacker or roller. * Test the soil to determine if phosphorus and potassium levels are sufficient for root development.

Avoid planting into “fluffy” soil that hasn’t been packed down, as this often leads to seeds being buried too deep. A firm seedbed should be hard enough that a person can walk across it without sinking past their boot soles. This preparation phase is the most labor-intensive part of the process, but it determines the lifespan of the plot.

Optimal Seeding Rates and Planting Depths

Chicory seeds are remarkably small, which means a little goes a long way, but it also makes them easy to plant too deep. The ideal planting depth is no more than 1/4 inch; anything deeper and the seedling will likely run out of energy before it reaches the surface. Many successful plots are created by simply broadcasting the seed onto a firm bed and letting the rain press it in.

When planting a pure stand of chicory, a seeding rate of 4 to 5 pounds per acre is generally sufficient. If the goal is a mixed plot, that rate should be dropped to 1 or 2 pounds per acre to avoid crowding out other species. Over-seeding is a common mistake that leads to stunted plants and poor root development due to intense competition for space.

Calibrating the seeder is critical because the tiny seeds flow through gates very quickly. It is often helpful to mix the seed with a carrier, like pelletized lime or dried distillers grains, to ensure even distribution across the plot. Precision during the seeding process prevents expensive “hot spots” and bare patches.

Mixing Chicory with Clover and Brassicas

Chicory is rarely planted alone because it pairs so perfectly with other forage crops. White clovers are the most common companion, as they provide a nitrogen-fixing benefit that fuels the chicory’s growth. This combination creates a “perennial buffet” that offers different protein sources and growth structures, making the plot more attractive to a wider variety of animals.

Adding brassicas to a chicory mix provides a high-volume food source for the late autumn and winter months. While the chicory handles the summer heat and early fall, the brassicas take over once the first frost hits, converting starches to sugars. This staggered maturity keeps the plot productive for a longer portion of the year.

• Standard Mix: 2 lbs Chicory, 6 lbs White Clover per acre.
• Late Season Mix: 1 lb Chicory, 3 lbs Clover, 3 lbs Radish/Turnip.
• Drought Mix: 2 lbs Forage Feast Chicory, 4 lbs Alfalfa.

The key to a successful mix is ensuring that one species doesn’t completely shade out the others. Proper sunlight penetration to the ground level is necessary for the chicory rosettes to establish themselves during the first year. A diverse mix acts as an insurance policy against weather extremes and pests.

Mowing and Fertilizing Chicory Food Plots

Maintenance is what separates a one-year plot from a five-year plot. Once the chicory begins to send up flower stalks, it should be mowed back to a height of about 6 to 8 inches. This “tips” the plant, forcing it to redirect its energy back into leaf production and root growth rather than seed production.

Fertilization should be handled with care, as too much nitrogen can encourage weed competition or cause the chicory to bolt prematurely. A balanced fertilizer applied in the spring and again in late summer is usually ideal for maintaining vigor. If the plot is mixed with clover, use a fertilizer with low nitrogen and high phosphorus and potassium to favor the legumes.

Regular soil testing every two years will help track nutrient depletion and pH shifts. Because chicory is a “heavy lifter” that pulls minerals from deep in the soil, keeping the topsoil replenished is vital for long-term health. A little bit of attention with the mower and the spreader will keep the plot succulent and productive for several seasons.

By selecting the right variety for the specific climate and soil type, a hobby farmer can create a resilient, high-protein food source that persists for years. Proper preparation and consistent maintenance are the keys to turning a small patch of dirt into a thriving perennial powerhouse.