Topic: Celery - how easy???

[1066]

good point Tim! Maybe, depending on whether I'm successful or not, we'll be having celery surprise a lot! and again isn't that where friends and family come in useful  ;)

[tim]

Agree - to an extent. But I find myself doing all the clearing, digging, feeding, planting, hoeing etc so that others can say look what I've grown & give it away.

NOT fair!!

[Ishard]

I grew/am still growing celery for the first time this year and its been dead easy and to get the long sticks of white I wrapped cardboard around some.
I also planted them close together, closer than it said on the seed packet and it worked fine.  :)

[1066]

Thanks for that tip Ishard, what variety are you trying?

Tim - I understand what you mean about the hard work, but those are very naughty friends of yours  ;)

1066

[Barnowl]

I agree with planting closer than recommended.
There were 5 different varieties in this block last year
[attachment=1]

Blush, Tango and Victoria (all self blanching) did ok, as did the more traditional Granada, but I can't say they were well up to eating raw.  
This year's varieties are the self blanching ones above and Utah and Giant Red. Already think I'm going to have the same problem as last year i.e. they won't be fat and juicy enough. Thinking of using a soak hose on a timer next year.

By the way, if all you want is leaf, grow lovage
[attachment=2]

[1066]

great photos Barnowl!

By the way, if all you want is leaf, grow lovage

Nah - I want the crunch as well  :D

[davyw1]

I grew Utah a couple of years back and found it to be one of the best i had grown.
The only Celery i have grown this year is Ideal.
As said manure water and slug pellets get you good results, growing them with collars there is no need to grow them in blocks which means you can stagger them.

[attachment=1]

[Ishard]

1066 Im sorry I have no idea which variety it is, just a cheap packet of seed from Wilkos.

If I can find the empty packet Ill post which sort but dont hold your breath as I may have slung it away.

[1066]

Not to worry Ishard, but thanks for the info and encouragement anyway!

Davy - those are mighty fine celery! I'd read about collars - seen cardboard ones, so thanks for the inspiration and the tip about staggering them. To be honest at this rate I'll be the one that is staggered if I get owt other than leaves  ;D  ::)

[earlypea]

Sorry if this is a really stupid question, but it's my first year growing celery and as you'll see I don't get it....

I've got a good-looking block of Giant Red and I wasn't going to bother earthing up, but quite fancy trying collars on some of them since I read this thread.

....but....when and how do you put the collar around?  Do the leaves have to stick out the top or the plant won't get any light and die?  Do you put the collars on when the plant is shorter than the collar and like dandelions they carry on pushing up trying to find the light? Or do you put shorter collars and then taller collars?

My plants are about a foot high at the moment.  What should I do?

Thanks.....

[saddad]

Eat them...  :)

[earlypea]

Eat them...  :)

I hadn't thought of that one  :D

Actually, they're not all a foot high (I was exaggerating) some are still fairly short - could I still collar those or is it too late?  At what stage do you need to do that?  Planting out?

[saddad]

Dunno... we grow self blanching and haven't used collars...  :-\

[Digeroo]

Very pleased with the celery I have grown this year.  In the past I have grown it as a tasty herb to tough to eat raw but very nice in soups and stews.

But grew it in a block this year, well mulched and earthed up/ collared some of it, and quite a lot of the centre is edible raw - huge amounts for soups and stews as well.

[BAK]

advice on earthing up celery can be found in various places on the web ...

http://topveg.com/2009/07/growing-celery-in-a-trench/

or

http://www.gardenplansireland.com/forum/about426.html

We grow self-blanching - it is much easier. Just dug our first 4 at the weekend. They are quite reasonable - a good size and edible (i.e. for eating raw as well as using in stews).

[thifasmom]

when you all plant them in blocks how close do you space them?

[Barnowl]

I grew Utah a couple of years back and found it to be one of the best i had grown.
The only Celery i have grown this year is Ideal.
As said manure water and slug pellets get you good results, growing them with collars there is no need to grow them in blocks which means you can stagger them.

[attachment=1]

Like the collars Davy. As you say one could pop small blocks around the place - in the dampest parts. Do you think it matters how many plants to a collar? 

[thifasmom]

you guys have peaked my interest again re growing these (failed 2 yrs running 2007 and 2008 very wet summers) and was thinking of digging a trench and lining it with empty compost bags to help retain lots of moisture around the roots, has anyone tried this, do you all think it would work/ help. might be an idea for the celeriac as well.

[manicscousers]

our celeriac is growing under the runner beans in a trench, they seem to be doing well  :)

[1066]

the more questions that are asked the more I'm thinking 12 out of 10 !! But I'm sure all the extra info will help me (and others) in the end   :-\