How to Grow Celery
If you're up for a challenge this fall, try growing celery and celeriac in your garden.
Celery and its cousin celeriac, or celery root, are picky. They’re picky about weather during the growing season. They want it cool, and they want it cool for a long time. They’re great crops for cool-summer areas, as temperatures of 70 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit during the day and 60 degrees at night are ideal. Celery (Apium graveolens) can also tolerate frost, but it doesn’t really like it too cold.
Celery and celeriac are also picky about other growing conditions. They want consistent water and food, protection from pests and, in the case of celery, special growing conditions. To achieve the mild-tasting light stalks found in supermarkets, gardeners will need to blanch the celery stalks before harvest. Celeriac, which is grown for its knobby root, won’t need blanching. Read on for our tips on how to grow your own celery.
More: How to grow cool-season vegetables
Celery and celeriac are also picky about other growing conditions. They want consistent water and food, protection from pests and, in the case of celery, special growing conditions. To achieve the mild-tasting light stalks found in supermarkets, gardeners will need to blanch the celery stalks before harvest. Celeriac, which is grown for its knobby root, won’t need blanching. Read on for our tips on how to grow your own celery.
More: How to grow cool-season vegetables
Days to maturity: 90 to 120
Light requirement: Full sun
Water requirement: Regular
Favorites:
Celery: Conquistador, Georgia Southern, Giante Pascal, Golden Boy, Tall Utah 52-70 Improved, Tango, Tendercrisp
Celeriac: Brilliant, Diamant, Giant Prague
Planting and care: Start celery seeds indoors about 10 weeks before your planned planting date. In cold-weather climates, set out plants after the last frost date in spring. In mild-winter climates, set out from fall to spring whenever the soil temperature is above 55 degrees Fahrenheit. Place celery plants 6 to 10 inches apart. To grow celery, keep the soil constantly moist and fertilize regularly; liquid fertilizer is best. Problems include aphids, cabbage loopers, leafhoppers, nematodes, wilt and blights.
Three to four weeks before harvest, tie the tops of celery stalks together and either mound soil over them or cover them with rolled-up newspaper, pipes, cans or milk cartons (with ends removed). The celery leaves should not be covered. Blanching celery is not essential, however; unblanched celery has a stronger flavor and is more nutritious.
Harvesting celery: You can remove the entire celery plant or the individual stalks. Cut just at the base. Dig up celeriac roots when they are about 2 inches wide.
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