Growing Celery

Monek Marie
Monek Marie Posts: 3,539 ✭✭✭✭✭

Who grows celery here?

Since it's very cold day here and I have seeds that require more time I am starting many of those today.

One seed that seems to take a lot of time to sprout and get to a good size in my climate is celery. Has anyone grown it here?

I want to grow normal celery and a red celery (yes, back to color again!)

I know many people just use swiss chard around here instead of celery.

I do grow a cutting celery, which I really like and is easy to grow.

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Comments

  • Torey
    Torey Posts: 5,679 admin

    I grow celery but I usually purchase the plants. I haven't had much success with seeds. I don't think I start them soon enough. Last year I grew "Tango" as well as a standard variety. But I didn't notice any difference between the varieties despite the reviews that said Tango is better tasting and a less finicky grower. All my celery plants tasted the same and grew about the same rate. I haven't seen the coloured celery in garden centres as starts but I have seen it in seed catalogues.

    I have tried Par-cel cause I like drying the tops for seasoning blends. It is an easy grower; easier than celery.

  • Monek Marie
    Monek Marie Posts: 3,539 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited February 2021

    The secret to growing celery is to start it early and set it out early. (My Amish grower told me this and to expect it to be cranky) I need to get it started now for a summer crop. You can start more seeds 12 weeks before the last frost. If my frost dates held I could set out May first (I will wait til May 15th and be prepared) Celery seeds can also be slow to germinate so I figure that in my seed starting time too.

    Celery starts are hard to find around here so this is one reason I am growing them. Plus I really want the red variety!

    I was also really disappointed when a few of the greenhouse I used to go to all the time were as heavy handed with the chemical sprays as they were. They sprayed every night!

    You spend time growing your own fresh veggies to cut back on sprays and most of the starts you grow could glow in the dark. Its very sad.

    @torey I love drying the tops for seasoning and throwing in soups.

  • Acequiamadre
    Acequiamadre Posts: 269 ✭✭✭

    My mother says you can grow celery by saving the end pieces from ones purchased at the store and placing them in water. I had never done so, but it IS a thing.

    You have inspired me to try this, as my husband makes celery juice so we SHOULD grow celery.

  • Monek Marie
    Monek Marie Posts: 3,539 ✭✭✭✭✭

    yes, this does work @Acequiamadre and kids love it. I like any project that makes kids want to garden and experiment in soil

  • MaryRowe
    MaryRowe Posts: 736 ✭✭✭✭
    edited February 2021

    It's extra winter greens too: I haven't tried this with celery, but I currently have three pots of bok choy in my south window that I started this way and have been harvesting from all winter. Now I'm motivated to try celery as well!

  • dipat2005
    dipat2005 Posts: 1,290 ✭✭✭✭✭

    I have grown celery in Springfield, Oregon many years ago in the 1970's. It was a great experience.

  • John
    John Posts: 163 ✭✭✭

    Thanks for ll the great tips! I've not always had good luck with celery, but I'm looking forward to planting some now. :)

  • marjstratton
    marjstratton Posts: 1,132 ✭✭✭✭

    I haven't tried starting celery from seed yet. It is in my plans for this year. I did try the re-sprouting of a celery from the remains rather than just composting it. I got some tiny stalks. It really was much more of a science project that anything for actually getting a crop.

  • Monek Marie
    Monek Marie Posts: 3,539 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @marjstratton Celery is a slow grower from seed. Get it started soon.

  • MaryRowe
    MaryRowe Posts: 736 ✭✭✭✭

    As an alternative to the celery struggle (never managed to get full-grown regular celery from seed yet due to one thing or another), I generally wimp out with cutting celery--you don't get the nice big stalks, but you still get the celery flavor and it's so much easier and faster to grow....


  • Monek Marie
    Monek Marie Posts: 3,539 ✭✭✭✭✭

    I grow this and love it. It grows easy enough you can have it most of the year

  • Lisa K
    Lisa K Posts: 1,936 ✭✭✭✭✭

    I got some seeds last year so I am trying them again, if they don't work I will probably get some starts from my local nursery which grows only organics.

  • marjstratton
    marjstratton Posts: 1,132 ✭✭✭✭

    Oh no! I looked through my seed and I don't have any celery. Need to go shopping tomorrow!

  • Monek Marie
    Monek Marie Posts: 3,539 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @marjstratton I hope you know there is a rule that you can not buy just one packet of seeds. ;)

  • soeasytocraft
    soeasytocraft Posts: 237 ✭✭✭

    @MaryRowe thanks for the video link. I’m going to have to try this again! I had a failure when I tried. I think the video solved the problem of what went wrong.

  • Tave
    Tave Posts: 952 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Nice. I have celery seed, but I use it in cooking. The seed section in the Farmers' Market here sells it without a chemical coating. They think I'm crazy when I tell them it's a great spice. I may try to grow it next year because we're already heading toward fall.

  • Annie Kate
    Annie Kate Posts: 680 ✭✭✭✭
    edited February 2021

    I have tried celery a few times and once it worked (started it in a cold frame) but it was puny. I think I need to work on the soil some more. But I love your idea, @Acequiamadre! Thank you.

  • annbeck62
    annbeck62 Posts: 1,028 ✭✭✭✭

    @Acequiamadre I do that with celery I buy at the farmers market. I find it works well with lettuce too.

  • marjstratton
    marjstratton Posts: 1,132 ✭✭✭✭

    I just went to our local co-op and they have sold out of the vast majority of their seeds! Guess I had better go online and buy some of the additional vegetable seeds for things I still need.

  • Monek Marie
    Monek Marie Posts: 3,539 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @marjstratton

    What are you still looking for? And yes, seeds are flying off the shelves around here locally

    Just started my red celery seed today. And more cutting celery

  • SuperC
    SuperC Posts: 952 ✭✭✭✭

    When I get home from shopping at an organic farm in zone 4, i cut the end of the celery off and put the stubby end into a shallow bowl of water. Then, when little white roots (not black roots) begin to grow, it can be transplanted into a container pot during the cold months with a heat (72*F) and light source. Or, plant it outside in a container. Grows long and slender ribs with many fluffy leaves.

  • marjstratton
    marjstratton Posts: 1,132 ✭✭✭✭

    @Denise Grant, where did you get your red celery? Sounds intriguing. Does it taste different or is it just the appeal of something that looks different?

    Besides celery, I guess I'm just looking for interesting varieties that I haven't tried yet. You know how it is!

  • Monek Marie
    Monek Marie Posts: 3,539 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @marjstratton oh yes I do know how it it. I will have to check to see where I got the red celery and I do not know about the taste. Its a new veggie this year.

  • JennyT Upstate South Carolina
    JennyT Upstate South Carolina Posts: 1,273 ✭✭✭✭✭

    I found celery starts at the farmers market a few years ago. But I think it was more like the cutting celery because I accidentally thought it was parsley and took some to add to what I was cooking.🤦‍♀️

    I do like celery and want to grow it myself. I was able to find seed for this year so I'm hopeful.😊

  • norabelehcim
    norabelehcim Posts: 58 ✭✭✭

    I tried real celery in the close-packed container gardens of apartment living, but the plants were not happy, since we only get afternoon sun on the inset "balcony." However, I have regrown celery and grown something similar to the cutting celery mentioned above.

  • Monek Marie
    Monek Marie Posts: 3,539 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @norabelehcim The cutting celery is really nice to have on hand and grows well in a pot if need be.

    Celery can be tricky to grow.

  • Owl
    Owl Posts: 346 ✭✭✭

    I grew a cutting celery and (supposedly) regular stalk celery last fall and was terribly disappointed! They were more leaves than stalk and had an almost bitter taste to them. The two varieties were also indistinguishable from one another. At least my rabbits enjoyed them. I would love to know how to grow the kind of organic celery I buy at the grocery store in my garden!

  • Monek Marie
    Monek Marie Posts: 3,539 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited February 2021

    @Owl

    Usually bitter celery is not enough water or irregular watering, but here are a few other reasons

    https://gardenerspath.com/plants/vegetables/bitter-celery/

  • Owl
    Owl Posts: 346 ✭✭✭

    How timely, I was going to feed the rest of the celery to the rabbits today. I will definitely apply these techniques and see if I can salvage what’s left. Thank you!

  • Monek Marie
    Monek Marie Posts: 3,539 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited February 2021

    @Owl Let me know how it works out. and if you upset those rabbits with no snacks.

    It was probably to much heat and not enough water.