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.