Quality seeds for kitchen, cottage and native gardeners
Vegetable Seeds Catalogue
Celery & Celeriac
Sds/g: ~2,500 Feed Requirements: High Usual Seed Life:3 years
Cultural Notes:
- Celery can be a tricky vegetable to grow, requiring a lot of fertiliser and water throughout the season. The seeds are small and can take up to a couple of weeks to germinate. Once germinated seedlings can ‘just’ disappear (slugs love them) and if the weather turns cold again in late spring they think that they have had a taste of winter and go straight to seed. Bolting occurs when young plants experience temperatures below 13 ºC for 10 days or more. This is why it is recommended to plant in mid-spring when there is still moisture in the soil and the weather is warming up. transplants can be started in early August (they take 10-12 weeks to be ready for transplanting) and planted out in October, however, the roots systems tend to suffer through transplanting. We find the herb or cutting celery easier to grow and still has the distinct celery taste and crispness, the stems are not as thick but they can still be used in soups or for dips. Sow a generous amount of seed 5-7mm deep, 25-30cm apart in rows 75 m apart. Grow celeriac like celery.
Problems:
- Slugs and under watering are the biggest problems for celery.
Harvest:
- Harvest outer stems as needed as celery tolerates continuous harvests. Celery can survive light frosts and can be harvested over winter but will keel over in cold valleys or at altitude. Harvest celeriac bulbs when needed and peel off outer layer.
Sowing periods
This type of celery is grown for its edible bulb, which is strongly flavoured and up to 15cm in diameter with pure white, tender flesh. A typical ingredient for the 'Walddorf Salad', it taste delicious cold or cooked in soups or stews. A slow growing vegetable for well drained, fertile soil. 400 seeds
A leaf celery that looks like Italian parsley but retains that distinctive celery flavour. Much easier to grow than traditional bunching celery as it is much more forgiving. Use as a cut and come again herb. We use it in soups, stock, stir fries, juices and fresh in salads. A versatile ‘herb’ with a long harvest period. 300 seeds.
A 18th Century English variety with unique red stems. It is a hardier plant and stronger in flavour than today’s varieties. Some argue Red Stalk has the best flavour of all celeries. Leaves and stalks can be eaten raw or used in cooking where the colour is retained and the stronger flavour is fully released. 200 seeds.
Tall and vigorous, with crisp, succulent, bright green stalks. Growing to 75 cm this variety is a popular salad vegetable eaten raw or used to help flavour soups, stew etc. Stalks and leaves can be used. It grows well in full sun with plenty of rotted organic matter. Not to WA. 500 seeds.
This herb has been used for centuries in Chinese cooking. The aromatic leaves are vivid green with a peppery, celery flavour that sweetens when cooked. It is used in stir fries, soups, stews and rice dishes or added raw (sparingly) to salads for a bit of a kick. Leaves and stems can be used. Fast growing and produces high yields. 500 seeds.