Topic: Celery

[Palustris]

In all the time I have been looking a the Beeb and here nobody has ever mentioned growing Celery (that I can remember that is). It is not a veg we have ever grown since I am the only one who likes it and I could always get a decent head from peple who did grow it. Now the Supermarket stuff is as much like real Celery as their Kale is like the real stuff, ie not at all. Anyone grow Celery (properly like, white and crisp)? Any tips? And most of all is it worth the effort?

[Hugh_Jones]

Yes, both the white and the pink varieties - my family always preferred the pink for both flavour and `crunchiness`.Seeds sown under glass (with heat) in March and planted out in double (staggered) rows in  May in trenches containing a 6inch layer of well rotted manure mixed with topsoil.  Earth up as they grow, holding the plants tightly together as you do so until at full height you have only the green tops showing and a sloping ridge of soil on either soil. Slugs can be a problem.  Don`t start eating the celery until it has had at least one good frost to bring out the flavour and increase the `crunchiness`.

If you`re used to eating the self blanching rubbish usually sold in supermarkets you won`t recognise it as the same  plant.

[Palustris]

Thank-you kindly Sir. How much do you grow. I mean I like the stuff, but even I could not eat my way through too much of it. Was thinking of buying (disgusting) about 6 plants from the Garden Centre up the road, just to see what happens. Thanks again though.

[tim]

I never realised that the s/mkt stuff was self-blanching? Even our lovely UK stuff at this time of year?

We had fair success with s/b but, as with so many other things, we couldn't eat it all. We grew it in a block - 6' X 6', at 8" spacing. It sold well at the WI. Needs to be eaten very fresh. But, of course, nothing can beat the real thing. - Tim

PS Looking at Hugh's note below, that's another thing about s/b - doesn't stand very well. And, of course, needs LOTS of water.

[Hugh_Jones]

With a family of 5 to feed (plus occasional unwanted guests), 3 sticks would disappear with amazing rapidity at Sunday teatime, and, of course, there was a large demand from the commissariat department for stews, casseroles etc. during the winter months, so there was never anything left over in spring from  60 plants.  Don`t forget that these were late autumn/winter varieties, and grown this way one would expect to be harvesting fresh celery from early November until February.

By all means try half a dozen plants, but can you buy proper `earthing-up` celery plants from your Garden Centre?.  The variety generally supplied is `Fenlander`, a `green` variety which allegedly one can either earth up or grow as self blanching, but does not compare with the old winter white and pink varieties, which I think you would now only get from a specialist seedsman

[merv]

Hiya,  :)

The only time I was successful was when I grew it in conditions resembling a paddy field.

I would like to grow it, but when I have, it's always bitter.  :(

Any ideas?

[ina]

I tried growing celery for the first time this year. Just yesterday I harvested all and put it on the compost. I never knew it was supposed to be earthed up! The sticks stayed thin and when I tried eating it I ended up spitting out dried bunches of something resembling soggy wood fibers. Not a success. I think I now know what I did wrong: not enough water and not earthing up.

[Hugh_Jones]

Tim, most of the celeryI see in local supermarkets is foreign grown.  If you`re getting English some of it may still be grown `the proper way`, but if you were an English grower trying to supply for the supermarkets` cut throat prices, which method would you use? -growing in deep trenches at 9in. spacing, with labour intensive earthing-up 2 or 3 times in the season, or planting on the flat in blocks at 8in centres and no earthing up?  I know which method I would use if sale and profit were the only considerations, but I like to eat what I grow.

I forgot to mention - Sandringham Dwarf White, Clays Pink and Standard Bearer (red) were my favourite varieties.  I would add that none of the whites stand as hardily as the pink and red varieties, and should be eaten first.