I had some success with celeriac a couple of years ago after sowing direct. This year, I've gone for starting the seeds in small pots. This has worked OK - but I'm not sure when to plant out.
What's the wisdom out there please?
Quote from: ThomsonAS on June 03, 2015, 14:51:18
I had some success with celeriac a couple of years ago after sowing direct. This year, I've gone for starting the seeds in small pots. This has worked OK - but I'm not sure when to plant out.
What's the wisdom out there please?
As soon as the plants are ready. Mine (Northamptonshire) have been planted out for about a month. :wave:
Mine went out a week ago. Never really managed to do well with them on my clay soil but I have higher hopes this year with raised beds full of much.
Thanks for responses.
More by luck than skill I cropped half a dozen good roots last time. I have about 18 seedlings this time and try to get them in this week!
By the way, isn't celariac a highly under-rated vegetable!? Grated with mayo is tasty but roasted/baked chunks are equally good.
I can't get it to germinate in time to go out - even starting in the airing cupboard, it finally sprouts about now (unless, like this year, I've given up and chucked it out). It's a bugger, because I love it. Just mashed with butter and chives... need to drain carefully or it's a bit wet, but flavourwise... mmm!
Adrian
I love celeriac too, it's just sooo good raw, steamed, mashed (with butter yum yum), roasted, soups, all ways really :drunken_smilie:
I planted mine out a couple of days ago, Giant Prague and Brilliant. Fingers crossed they do well, sometimes they can be a bit disappointing. Giant Prague haven't grown on as well but they went into B&Q compost which I've found has been a load of crap this year. I'm hoping they will romp ahead once they get their roots into the soil.
Planted mine out about a fortnight ago when they were about 4 inches tall. I read somewhere that they can bolt if they experience a cold snap after being planted outside ( as most of mine did the year before last)
The seeds are minuscule and even smell of celery. I sow mine very thinly on compost but don't cover them with any compost. Works fine for me.
I sowed seed inside in a pot in early March, they germinated within ten days. When they had true leaves I pricked 20 out into large modules (the rest get used as herbs from the pot left in the kitchen). I planted those out about three weeks ago, when any frost was unlikely. I grew them for the first time last year - smaller than tennis ball size which is pretty puny but tasted lovely. I'm going to keep them very well fed and watered this year and someone posted on here that you need to peel off the outer leaves through the season to make the bulb swell. I'm on clay soil, but it's pretty well dug and compost-enriched.
Celeriac are one to get started early as they are very slow compared to a lot of things we grow. You need to nurture them to a decent size for planting out by May so I start mine back in February as they are not a very vigorous seedling.
Once out - they really benefit from a heavy mulch and more watering than you'd think necessary to reach the kind of size you'd see in the shops.
I can't talk though - the deer have eaten every single one of mine this year!
Quote from: Jayb on June 05, 2015, 08:32:22
Giant Prague haven't grown on as well but they went into B&Q compost which I've found has been a load of crap this year.
Same here. To the extent that I ditched mine and bought some plants. GC celeriac is better than no celeriac....better compost next year...!