Celery

Celery

Common Name: Celery

Botanical Name: Apium graveolens

Family: Umbelleferae

Type and Use: Biennial, grown as an annual, edible stalk and leaves

Location: Sun to partial shade. Morning sun and afternoon shade.

Planting Dates: For fall, 14-16 weeks before the first average frost. Use transplants for the home garden. Use 8-12 week old transplants.

Planting Method: Seed. Sow seed in late winter in flats in organic potting soil no more than ¼ inch deep. Move seedlings to 4 inch pots when 1 inch tall.

Seed Emergence: 12-20 days. Up to 3 weeks at 60-70°

Harvest Time: 90-120 days

Height: 12-15 inches

Spread: 8-10 inches

Final Spacing: 8-12 inches for double rows, rows 10-14 inches apart, 6-12 inches between plants. A 6-11 inch spacing is considered the most efficient.

Growth Habits: Upright, leafy vegetable with edible stalks. Hard to grow.

Culture: Needs cool temperatures for success. Celery is cold hardy but will freeze during harsh winters. Avoid moisture stress to young plants. When the plants are about 8 inches, loosely tie the stalks together for compact and upright growth. Use lots of Texas greensand, lava sand, soft rock phosphate, and compost.

Troubles and Solutions: Not easy to grow. Blackheart is a calcium deficiency that is treated with soft rock phosphate at 20-30 lbs. In the soil. Boron deficiency is common in a chemical program but not in an organic program where the soil is healthy. Bitter taste results from high temperature and lack of trace minerals in the soil.

Harvest and Storage: Harvest 30-40 stalks per 10’ of row and store in the refrigerator.

Notes: Celeriac is one half celery and one half lettuce. Also called knob celery.

Varieties: Utah 5270, Florida 683 Heirloom, Red Stalk

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