How do you grow celery?

[pipscariad]

so perhaps being green, tough, short and stringy is not necessarily a disadvantage in life.

I know this is wildy off topic, (never having had the courage to try growing celery myself), but it made me smile, as I am pretty much three of the above - green (not literally, obviously ), tough and stringy - i.e. skinny, and it's never disadvantaged me either . I'm tall though, so can't claim to be all four!

[brooklynodog]

I quite like celery but have never grown it successfully. They say that nutritionally it has little value as calorifically it takes more energy to eat than it gives you. Good for dieters I suppose.

[zazen999]

It's good for soups, stews, casseroles and I put it into home made sauces all the time...cook it down with the onions...which is why I grow it.

[dexterdoglancashire]

I've never grown it before, but I'm giving it a go this year. I've just sprinkled some seeds over a seed tray and if any come up I'll put them into little cell trays. If the seed sown ones fail miserably I'll buy some plug plants from the GC

Same here Sarzwiz! I didnt know you could buy it from GC though - shall keep my eyes open, just in case!

[Snadger]

Bought celery seeds but forgot to sow em! Not too late I hope?

[maddensue]

Celery

Tried Golden Aurora Self Blanching last year. Not a huge celery fan - but always use to cook down with onions for stews / soups etc. so thought I'd try it. Froze in full stalks (quite tiny slim ones to be fair!) but great to pull out and chop to go straight in the pan. Still plenty left - and I only planted a square about 3' by 3'.

I didn't do any extra watering, and made a makeshift sunshield of some black ground cover matting and four bamboo canes (and the ever useful clothes pegs!).

Sufficiently pleased to try that and a non-self blanching red variety this year. Going well so far - but too cold to go out and plant out yet!

[NettyUK]

I don't think I've watered it enough - lots of strong plants, but stringy as anything! Will masses of water now change anything, or do I mark this one up to experience and use them in stocks?

[rustylady]

If they're stringy now, then no amount of water will change that.

[Jeanied]

Stringy celery? Time to make celery and stilton soup - and blitz it!

[Royster1]

My husband adores celery with roast beef. I was just checking we had some for Sunday dinner tomorrow and it struck me - I could grow the stuff myself!! Then it struck me that I had absolutely no idea how to grow it.

Does it grow from seed? What type of soil? When do you plant? How much food and water? How long does it take? Will it cope with a total idiot like me in charge?....

*Sigh* So many vegetables, so many questions.

My Dad used to grow it very sucessfully years ago without to much fuss
he did used to feed well with manure from a local farm and wrap newspaper around the plant to blanch them, Like you husband I love them as a second veg on my plate.
We used to buy cans of celery hearts from Sainsburys but they no longer stock them. heres what I found out and will definately be having a go next year:-

Celery does not grow well in very hot conditions, a hot spell without adequate watering will result in the stems becoming tough and stringy.

Soil type
Celery likes soil that is capable of retaining moisture and so soils that have had organic compost or manure are well suited.

If your soil is well drained ensure that the celery recieves adequate regular watering in warm periods.

Tending
Careful watering is vital to good celery yields as celery requires regular frequent watering.

Weed carefully between the celery plants as the weeds will compete strongly against celery for nutrients, light and moisture.

You can blanch your celery by covering up the stems to prevent light reaching them. Blanching your celery will reduce some ot the bitterness and will make your stalks paler. Soil or mulch can be used for blanching and should be built up as the stalks develop from about a month before you harvest the celery.

[NettyUK]

That sounds like a plan! - think I might pull it all up and freeze it to use in stocks and soups - don't really want to waste it, but it makes for a long lasting salad as it is ;-)

[Scottishnewbie]

i planted mine out in one of those polystrene fish boxes and the celery seems to be quite happy in it - will be using some this week so will know then if it is stringy or not

[super trowel]

I love google!!
It always brings me back to this site

Anyway, let's revive an old thred (again )

I have around 100 celery seedling on the go.
And just wondered how other peoples crops came out?

Before I manure the trench I am planning on putting a small amount of water retaining bead down.
Good idea or not?

I have managed to germinate really easy, and blimy... The seeds were small.
I think I must have thrown away a couple hundred seedlings (handed to a couple other plot holders)

[Two_Sheds]

I am planning on putting a small amount of water retaining bead down.

Yuk, it's horrible slimy stuff when it comes to the surface (which it will if you're digging and working the area).
You'll think you've got an infestation of slug eggs

[super trowel]

Oh ........
D'oh