Afternoon All!!
The title says it all really. I've grown celeriac for the first time, and have some really healthy looking specimens with decent top growth 18". Doing some rootling around a couple of months ago I had noticed that it looked as though the bulbs/tubers were beginning to swell. However, when digging a couple up the other day, they were just a mass of small fibrous roots with no real bulb.
What have I done wrong?
Any help would be aprpeciated so that I can have better success next year.
Steve
Before we tell you what you did wrong you will need to tell us how you have feeding ,watering them and other growth related info. Since without knowing what you have been doing;It will be very hard to tell what you been doing wrong.
Celeriac can be tricky. They are greedy plants and also need a lot of water to do really well, which may explain why they are not very popular! I have only grown a few this year, and they vary from a really good sized root to a pathetic top knot of foliage with nothing underneath........and that was on really well manured ground.. ::)
Agree with Deb P _ they can be tricky but I do like to grow a few. A thread on celeriac earlier this year said they are bog plants, so water, water and more water. We have had an exceptionally dry summer here in the east but i have managed to grow some edible sized ones (but there are only 2 of us...) ;D
plot51A I have grown them twice and find them to be as troublesome as growing celery.
I've grown some lovely celeriac this year,previosly I'd grown them with the "roots"but discovered they should get good rich soil,plenty of water/feed and when the lower leaves bend down remove them.Well it's worked for me :)Previous attempts resulted in loads of peel nothing in the pot :(
we managed to get 4 out of 6 to grow well, they were planted in a well manured bed in a trench, under the beans..the biggest is about 3 lb. I've some giant seeds for next year ;D
Hi Steve I have quite a few on the go but only been growing Celeriac for a few seasons. It was only this season that I realised they needed so much water and they got it.
In Sept I removed all the bottom leaves from the plants and earthed up late Oct, I've only eaten one so far and have picked a few more to have for dinner this week, the rest of them don't look that big, but hopefully with the rain we've had they might bulk up a bit.
If you get them right its well worth growing them, I love them in with my roast. ;D ;D ;D
Quote from: manicscousers on November 04, 2009, 17:07:09
..the biggest is about 3 lb. I've some giant seeds for next year ;D
Wow manics, well impressed - any chance of a seed swap? ;D
Quote from: plot51A on November 04, 2009, 17:13:01
Quote from: manicscousers on November 04, 2009, 17:07:09
..the biggest is about 3 lb. I've some giant seeds for next year ;D
Wow manics, well impressed - any chance of a seed swap? ;D
send me a pm and I'll send some seeds, plot51
the ones this year were from franchi and only one grew to thet size, which do you want, the franchi or the giant prague?
Where did you get Giant Prague Mal, and how were they?
got them from kings, anne..haven't tried them yet, do you want a pinch?
Yes I'd love some please! I've only tried Monarch and Prinz so far. THanks Mal. You've got the address? Anything I can send you?
(Dammit! I keep meaning to do that spreadsheet for my seeds. I'll bump it up my to do list.) Anyway ask and I'll tell you what I've got!
Thank you for all the helpful replies.
I think the answer for next year then is more water. I didn't realise how much, and as my soil is always moist 2-3inches down (allotment on island with high water table) - I thought I would be OK. Lesson learnt for next year.
Thanks again!
You also have to make sure you don't bury the itsy bitsy bulby bit when planting them out...
The its water,water etc
My celeriac aren't huge 3 - 4" dia. - but for a one person household they are just right - if only the b........woodlice didn't love them. I tend to find a lot with holes and sometimes baby woodlice in them so there is quite a bit to cut away.
Tricia
It's probably slugs doing the damage and woodlice tidying up ....
I'd agree with that.. >:(