ONE LAST TRY!!!

[thifasmom]

thanks Deb P for the link.

so far I've got

• grow in a trench
• ensure the soil is very fertile, (as i have forgone manure this year because i can't find a reliable clean source, would lots of homemade compost do??

• flood the trench with water every 3 - 4 days unless there was heavy rainfall
• feed about once a month (would comfry & nettle tea be good enough. i will be collecting some seaweed over the next few weeks and plan to make some tea from that as well, so which will be better??)

anything else ???

Whether trenching or not, I think it is best to grow in blocks (i.,e, have the trenches close together) because exposure to sun makes the stalks prone to going stringy.

• right in a block

but mine were in semi-shade last year :-\

There is no great secret to growing Celery all they need is manure and water.
Prepare the ground by digging in well rotted manure, if this is not available buy some 6 X or organic manure and dig that in.
Grow it in blocks and keep the soil moist but not not sodden.
Celery grows from the heart outwards so remove the small side shoots regulary.
if you want longer plants then collar up two thirds of the plant.
it is very atractive to slugs so you will need to use slug pellets around the base of the plant.
if you want to grow extra large celery then i recomend Ideal.

• right remove side shoots (at what stage do i start doing this ???)
• slug damage i've had that so slug pellets check

• for a longer plant use collars (again at what stage should i put these on and whats the best thing to use ???)

dear lord what have i let myself in for :-\

[thifasmom]

[shirlton]

I have tried to grow it but the time has come for me to admit defeat. Last year I grew Parcel. Looks like parsley but tastes like celery. If I really want to crunch then I buy it

[davyw1]

This is what i do.

First of all regardless of what type of celery it is, self blanch or none self blanching.
I prepare the ground with manure and plenty of it as celery is a hungry plant about a month before planting.
When it comes to planting i put the young plants in at about 1" depth in blocks about one foot apart. I put a ring of slug pellets around the plant and let it grow on. i remove any side shoots as i find them. There is no need to feed them at this point as there should be plenty in the ground. When the plant is about one foot high i then collar it with damp course or cardboard tied with string, I the put the slug pellets inside the bottom of the collar.
If you think they need a feed then use a liquid manure. I put a sack of manure in a barrel and stir before use. If you have no manure then put a few handfulls of organic manure in the barrel and again stir before use.
i water just enough to keep the ground moist at the root.

[Barnowl]

Celery grows from the heart outwards so remove the small side shoots regularly.

Thanks Davyw, hadn't though of that. I tend to have a number of thinner stalks so removing side shoots might be the solution.

[Barnowl]

::)Hi I am new to this site
my name is jackie and I live in essex
have just got my first allotment
and looking forward to chatting to you
about the allotment
bye

Hi Twins59, welcome to the site  :)

[asbean]

Thanks for the tips Davy, will bookmark this thread for later  :) :) :)

Welcome to A4A, Twins59  :) :) :) :)

[littlebabybird]

They are meant to like a bit of shade but mine don't have a choice!

If all else fails grow some lovage  :)

why havent i heaed of this?
what is it?
lbb

[thifasmom]

thanks davy for the clear step by step guide, i will try to make you proud ;).

bookmark done.

welcome twins 59 to A4A ;D

[davyw1]

They are meant to like a bit of shade but mine don't have a choice!

If all else fails grow some lovage  :)

why havent i heaed of this?
what is it?
lbb

http://www.victoriananursery.co.uk/herb_plants/lovage_plant/

[Barnowl]

Lovage went out of fashion but I think it might make a comeback. I've been trying to find a recipe for lovage cordial but rather than hijack this thread I'll start a new one.

[Barnowl]

Here's bit of chapter & verse on lovage

http://www.botanical.com/botanical/mgmh/l/lovage42.html

[star]

Welcome Twins 59,

Great info, Im trying celery this year :D

[saddad]

Welcome to the site Jackie (Twins59)...
We have almost cracked Celery and Celeriac... Lovage is just a monster...  :o

[thifasmom]

Welcome to the site Jackie (Twins59)...
We have almost cracked Celery and Celeriac... Lovage is just a monster...  :o

how big a monster cause as its a perinneal i was thinking of adding it to my herb bed.

[tonybloke]

wotcha twins 59

[Barnowl]

how big a monster cause as its a perinneal i was thinking of adding it to my herb bed.
[/quote]

Just cut it back regularly during the growing season - it seems to flourish under a punitive regime - and dig out half the roots every winter. :)

[littlebabybird]

brilliant, i'm going to grow lovage then, and have a break from trying celery.
lbb

[thifasmom]

thanks barnowl, will keep a look out for seeds whenever i'm browsing seed sections of stores.

thanks again everyone for all the helpful advice re growing celery, i now feel equiped to give it ONE LAST TRY!!! :D

[Sinbad7]

Good luck all you celery growers.

Mine looked brilliant last year but was stringy and not edible in a salad, wont be growing that again.  I wonder why it is so hard to grow, maybe it is better grown in a poly tunnel.

[manicscousers]

the trenching, I think, was in that very hot year, remember it, anyone, 2006?  ;D
it was to help the celery stay damp, loads of well rotted muck in the bed, don't know what went wrong  :-\