Jul
22

Organic Composting Garden Celery: How I grow this Challenging vegetable

Categories: Bonsai, Decor, Fountains, Furniture, Lighting, Outdoor, Plant Materials, Plants, Relaxation, Rocks, Rose, Seeds, Soil, Water Garden, garden

Some gardeners are hesitant to try celery and I understand why. It needs a long time to grow—up to 4 months of mostly cool weather. Celery also demands steady water and fertilizer because its root system is near the surface. But if your soil holds water well and has plenty of organic matter in it, you’re in good shape, especially if you plant early and harvest early.

Because celery takes such a long time to grow, start the seeds indoors early. Celery seeds are slow to germinate, so you can soak them overnight to speed the process. Plant them indoors 10 to 12 weeks before the average last frost date.

GardenTo transplant celery, work the soil, mix in the fertilizer (about 1 cup of 5-10-10 per 10 feet of row), and dig a trench 4 to 5 inches deep. Plant the celery in the bottom of the trench, spacing the plants 8 to 10 inches apart, and set them half an inch deeper than they were in their pots. As the plants grow, fill in the trench a little with sand, soil, mulch or compost. This blanches the lower part of the stalks and keeps the roots cool and closer to water, which celery plants like.

Give the plants a good dose of water regularly. This, plus a side- dressing of 5-10-10, will keep the plants growing smoothly.

When celery runs low on water or slows down its growth for any reason, the stalks will get tough and the flavor will be strong.

I harvest my first stalks when they get big enough to eat; they taste best at this stage. I take the largest outside stalks. The growing center of the plant will produce new ones. I’d rather have smaller stalks that taste good than big ones that are so strong you can only chop them into soups or spaghetti sauce.

Blanch celery by hilling it

I’ve spent a lot of time blanching celery with milk cartons or boards. Frankly, it doesn’t work too well. Blanching is supposed to produce milder tasting celery by shutting out the sunlight, but with standard methods it has never altered the flavor very much. In fact, blanching with milk cartons can cause problems—some stalks may rot because the air flow around them is cut down so much.

I like to hill the plants by bringing loose soil 4 or 5 inches up the stalks. It’s easier than fussing with boards and the plants don’t mind it. When I pull up the celery I get plenty of good-tasting stalks.

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5 Responses to “Organic Composting Garden Celery: How I grow this Challenging vegetable”

  1. Watering Trees said on July 29th, 2008 at 3:04 am:

    Using scarlet runner beans and rhubarb chard in the bed, the gardeners matched the colours of the two vegetables; the red of the chard stalks matches the red of the blooming bean flowers. … Watering Trees

  2. Garden Furniture said on July 31st, 2008 at 6:17 am:

    The lattice sides of this treated timber arch act as a natural support for plants to be grown up and over the rungs of the upper arch. … Garden Furniture

  3. Compost Makes said on September 3rd, 2008 at 7:12 am:

    25480 The Hardy Aster blooms splendidly late summer into the fall, opening masses of bright red two flowers on 18 high and wide plants. … Compost Makes

  4. Own Backyard said on September 20th, 2008 at 12:25 am:

    Because there are so many benefits of a backyard greenhouse, you’ ll wonder how you ever gardened without one. … Own Backyard

  5. Natural Organic said on September 21st, 2008 at 4:28 am:

    Kat Welch, a tender to the garden, ” It’s really important we are as organic as possible.&quot… … Natural Organic

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