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Please help, my celeriac bulbs have possibly a 2-3" globe followed by lots of chunky tangled roots, this seems so wasteful after waiting so long to harvest it can't be right can it? what am I doing  wrong?

hiya, susiebelle, last year was our best ever, really good, deep bed with very well rotted muck in, plenty of water, ended up with too many but they stored okay..we did have a few small ones, washed, cut up and either frozen or used in mash..maybe this year was funny for them as well, forgot to sow any this year  ;D

Ours aren't much above tennis ball sized either but we still like them.. didn't give them anything like the TLC Manics did!
::)

It is one of my favourite vegetables, and I have another good crop here in Glasgow. I think that the secret for bigger roots, apart from feeding and keeping well watered, is to start them early in heat, say February in individual cells. Then plant into final positions in April or May.
They are relatively hardy in Glasgow, especially if they have some cloche protection over the Winter.

I start mine in warmth in January, prick them out into modules when large enough, then let them grow into sturdy plants ready for planting out in May. I've had my best year yet - planted in a raised bed on 6 - 8" of well-rotted manure topped with home made compost. If it wasn't for the woodlice which seem to love them and make their homes in them, my end product would have been very good. Still, those which the b........woodlice left alone are about 5" across and although I have to cut away quite a bit on the others, they are a lot bigger than my last year's crop. The secret is to keep them well-watered, they are thirsty plants!

Tricia

Here in Edinburgh I'm not even thinking about them yet, except for feeding them. I'll harvest them in December/Jan/Feb or even later.

I've never fed mine - what do you feed yours grawrc? I still have 15 in the ground.

Tricia

Thanks for all your comments - it seems the key is "Muck,Muck & more Muck"and muck is something I have lots of! here's to a better crop next year.

Yes compost or manure - whatever I have available. Oh and occasional seaweed based stuff to perk them up.

This is the first time I've planted them, and I've grown nearly a hundred and they are a good size.
I sprinkled a load of growmore around mine as I was worried that the soil didn't have enough goodness for them. Been eating them for the last month or so......

Cor!!!! 100?I'm impressed.  :o :o :oNormally I grow between 10 and 20. I don't think we could eat 100...

Quote from: grawrc on November 13, 2007, 22:50:09
I don't think we could eat 100...

Ah but I have goats  ;)

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Quote

I could give it a good go!Impressed and sooooo  envious, I only had 10 and some of them went to seed ::) definitely doing something wrong!

sorry not mastered the quote thing yet Luddite or wot!

ours look huge but when you dig them up they're just a mass of small roots. Still, they're getting better. Maybe next year...

HI Guys,

I am seing the green mist :)

I cant germinate the seeds let alone grow celeriac, planning on getting plug plants next year so thanks for the advice i will add more muck :)

Cambourne7

I'm toying with the idea of growing some next year, what do they taste like?

When I cook them as a gratin they taste like potatoes tasting of subtle celery.

Raw they are exactly like the root stump on a celery stick, which I luuuuurve  ::)

I had no luck germinating them at first, in the dark. Reseeded the same compost and tried again.
Nothing.
Gave up and brought them out in the light and the whole bloody lot germinated !
Hence 100 roots.....and I lost the first 70 I potted on cos the greenhouse was too cold !

I was totallly ignorant never having grown them before so I stuck the seeds in some compost and waited. They grew, I potted them on and the rest was dinner! ;D



Just lucky I guess?