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Stems | Indoors and Outdoors

Celery

Celery is incredibly good for you and is a staple ‘stockpot’ veg. It tastes great raw and also freezes well.

There are essentially two types of celery: the traditional trenching celery and self-blanching celery. Most GIYers grow self-blanching (green) celery, which doesn’t require the labour-intensive process of ‘earthing up’ or trenching. Self-blanching celery is the easiest and most commonly grown type and the instructions given below are for the self-blanching celery.

BUY SEEDS

SOWING

  • Celery needs a fertile soil, so add a general fertiliser a week or two before transplanting out to soil.
  • Celery and celeriac are the only two crops that need to be sown in an open tray and pricked out – this is because the seed is very small and slow to germinate.
  • Sow the seed from March to May inside in a warm place. Scatter seeds thinly on an open seed tray – the seeds should only be lightly covered with soil, as some light is required for germination.
  • When the seedlings are about 2cm high they need ‘pricking out’ – this means they are carefully transferred to a small pot or module. To do this gently hold the seedling by the leaf and loosen the soil with a knife or seed label and pull out the young plant. Make a hole in the new pot with your knife, drop the seedling in and then gently firm the soil.

GROWING

  • About four weeks after ‘pricking out’, seeds should be ready for transplanting (plants should be around 10-15cm high).
  • Plant out in blocks with plants 30cm each way.
  • Water well in dry periods. Celery is a thirsty plant and if the soil dries out the stems won’t swell.
  • If growth appears poor then you can give a top dressing of a nitrogen-rich fertiliser or liquid feed, such as nettle or comfrey tea. Check out our liquid feed recipes here.

HARVESTING

  • Celery is ready to harvest when it looks big enough to eat.
  • Harvest from August to October, depending when it is sown.
  • After maturing it will hold in the soil for a few weeks, but can deteriorate or get damaged by slugs if left in too long.
  • Cut at soil level with a large sharp knife.
  • Roots can be left in the soil to decompose.

TIPS

  • Celery freezes well. Cut and blanch for three mins in boiling water. Allow to cool before packing in freezer bags.
  • Celery seeds store well for up to five years.

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