Topic: when is celery ready?

[giantseye]

My celery at the moment is growing really well, but how will I know when it is ready for harvesting?

Does it flower, or do the leaves start to die off?

Sorry for the questions, but none of the books I have cover this.

Many thanks

[Svea]

when it is a good size and you fancy some? i guess
i dont think there is a 'ready from' date - but maybe a 'best before' that someone knows off?

[jennym]

If it looks ready now, try some. Don't let it flower, and don't wait until leaves die, it'll be past it. I harvest mine about now.

[Svea]

mine is still tiny though so that's why i said 'when it's a good size'.

when did you sow and plant yours, jenny?

[tim]

Ours is self-blanching. Won't be ready for at least a month. With so little water, the outer stalks could be stringy.

Trench celery should be ready from mid-autumn.

[giantseye]

OK, thank for all the quick replies.

I will go and take a look and dig one up and see what it's like.

Thanks for your help

[Mrs Ava]

Mine is self blanching, and also small, but compact and bijou.  I would say a good couple of months off cutting yet though.

[jennym]

I sowed mine at end of April in a shade house, and pricked out into 9cm (3.1/2")pots a fortnight later. Planted about end May onto allotment, quite close together, about 6" apart. I have good, deep ditches because we flood on winter, so I filled about 6ft length of ditch with muck and planted in that, then about 2" sieved clayey topsoil. It's easy to keep this really moist which is what they like. mine are about 20 - 30cm high. Self blanching though.

[Svea]

wow! yours is much faster growing than mine in that case.
i bet the muck helped, too. i didnt give mine any special treats when planting.

[tim]

Just starting to look like celery!

[Mrs Ava]

Well mine is still tiddly.  Thinking it will be going on the compost heap if it doesn't get a move on!  Is it hardy enough to stand a cold snap?