How to Grow Celery: Expert Tips for Success

Learning how to grow celery gives you crisp stalks full of flavor. The taste of homegrown celery surpasses that of store-bought versions, and its nutritional value is equally superior. Additionally, kitchen scraps can be used to grow new plants, saving you money and reducing waste. Plus, beginners find regrowing celery easy, starting with a base from the grocery store.

Teach your children the cycles of plant life by growing celery. It was great fun watering it with them and watching for progress. Celery can be grown in a multitude of ways in your kitchen. Enjoy it fresh in salads, or use it in stews and soups. It takes about five months from seed, but wait with patience, and your crops will be abundant.

A wise choice of variety will assure you of success. Tango has crisp stalks and grows very well for beginners; Ventura will not bolt at 85°F (29°C). Avoid Utah Tall unless you keep your watering schedule constant: the stems become hollow otherwise.

Chinese Pink, while contributing bright color to the garden, must be left out of the table. It's beautiful, bright pink stalks are loaded with a piquant alkaloid. They are very bitter, so that it is altogether a waste of space to consider them other than for ornamental use. Go in for the Golden Self-Blanching; a strong grower, free from disease and insect pests, with a sweet, warm flavour.

Select varieties that suit your climate conditions, i.e. cooler regions plant coldparents, and warmer areas plant heatresistant ones be mindful of the fact that some grow much quicker than others, and may be ready to harvest before others, in which case you need to read the seed packets instructions as to how many days to harvest, so that you are not disappointed when you come to plant out your patch.

CELERY requires a soil of pH 6.0-7.0. Have your garden soil tested at your local university extension services or with a home kit. If the soil is already alkaline, amend it several months in advance of planting. Work some sulphur into the top layer. Also, add compost for nutrients. Celery cannot thrive in poor soil; it will soon wither and die. When you prepare your beds, dig deeply enough to give the roots a good chance.

Temperature. Celery is very susceptible to temperature fluctuations; keep plants at a temperature between 50°F and 80°F. F., otherwise when the temperature is below 10 °C. At 40 degrees, it will shoot to seed; above 80 degrees. F. The stalks become bitter. Sun screens should be stretched during a hot wave from tow cloth; frost kills all instantly. The seedlings, approaching frost, should be protected by cloches.

Grow for 14-20 weeks from seeding. It's a long time, and requires patience, so start them off well indoors in cool climates. Protect the young plants from the inclement weather, or they may suffer. Be sure to water regularly, or they won't bloom properly. You'll have to wait a little longer for your harvest; however, you'll be rewarded at last with goblet-shaped, beautiful stalks of the most exquisite flavor.

Celery seeds also need light to germinate. Just scatter them over the soil without covering. Use a heat mat to maintain tray temperatures at 70°F (21°C). Cover the trays with plastic domes to maintain humidity, and mist them daily to prevent them from drying out. Plants will sprout in 7-14 days if kept at a warm temperature.

Water celery thoroughly at the roots. Provide 1 inch (2.5 cm) daily if needed. Check the soil moisture both in the morning and evening, using a finger stick if necessary, and drip or tube-irrigate plants at the base of the roots. Container plants need watering until the water drains freely from the bottom. Keep about 0.5 inch (1.3 cm) of water in the saucers. Plant wilting means immediate watering.

To ensure healthy, productive growth, feed your plants regularly. Please give them a drink of compost tea at planting, then seaweed extract every three weeks. Try about 2 tablespoons to a gallon (30ml to 4 litres). Side-dress with aged manure in the summer months, and lush, yellow leaves will reflect the need for extra nitrogen. At the same time, brown tips indicate a lack of potassium.

Transplant seedlings that have been hardened off and moved outdoors over a period of 1 to 2 weeks. Plant them so that the root balls are completely buried, ideally 24 inches (60 cm) apart, and water them in well. Provide shade if the temperature is above 75°F (24°C) to prevent transplant shock.

Prevent it from rotting by regrowing store-bought celery using the toothpick suspension method. Chop off the bottom 2 inches (5 cm) from the end of a store-bought celery head. Stick toothpicks about an inch and a half from the bottom so that the celery base can be suspended over a clean jar of water with just the base soaking.

Water depth should be 1 inch (2.5 cm) in a shallow container. Change the water every 48 hours to prevent bacterial growth. Place by an east window. Never store the container at room temperature above 80°F (27 °C). New leaves will appear in three to five days if proper care is taken.

Transplant when roots reach 1 inch (2.5 cm) and have several strands, plant in organic vegetable soil. Set out of the ground so that the roots are planted deep, but leave the stump head above the surface. Water well until thoroughly soaked. Protect the leaves from the sun for three days if they droop.

Recap any problems with regrowth as soon as you spot them. Use tweezers to pull out any slimy-looking stalks to prevent rot (with the lower end angled so that it will be submerged), and keep the water at 65-75°F (18-24°C) for quicker roots. Apply rooting hormone if no roots appear after two weeks. Increase the light if the new growth is leggy.

Harvest stalks and leaves of celery differently; break off the outer stalks by snapping them down to the soil when they are 8 to 10 inches (20 to 25 centimeters) in height, and be careful not to injure the crown of the strongest plant. The young inner leaves of the center stalk are used for salads, and the older outer leaves are used for cooking; always leave three or four to grow.

Store celery in the refrigerator at 32-36°F (0-2°C). Wrap the stalks tightly in damp paper towels and place them in perforated plastic bags. For extra crispness, stand upright in 1 inch (2.5 cm) of water. This method will keep celery fresh for 2 to 3 weeks.

Celery can be frozen using the blanching method. Boil individual pieces for 3 minutes, then plunge quickly into ice water. Wipe dry before packing into suitable containers. These can be plastic airtight containers or vacuum-sealed bags. Clearly label with the date so that the old product can be used first. They retain their flavor for 10 to 12 months.

If you handle it well, Celery will regrow after you harvest it. Simply keep the central crown intact, and plants will grow new stalks for 2-3 months continuously. Use those stalks in combination with carrots and onions for freezer mirepoix packs - what a great way to make the most of the harvest.

There is something exceedingly satisfying about growing your own celery, whether you start seeds or use the roots and base of the plant. You are growing it from a "baby," nurturing it through the stages to harvest. You learn patience and perseverance. The result is crisp, exploding with flavour. Nothing can compare to your homegrown variety!

Homegrown celery costs less and tastes better. Just one plant can produce for several months. Try the heat-tolerant Ventura, or experiment with regrowth. Discover what works best for you and cultivate this rewarding vegetable your way.

There's no time like the present: Start your stalks today, and plant seeds indoors now. Regrow from a scrap base left from dinner and enjoy the satisfaction of harvesting your own food. Share this sustainable act with family. What will your garden next seek to become?