#46. Tips for Growing Celery
Most gardeners consider celery to be difficult to grow. This stems from the fact that traditional varieties require much time and effort. The celery needs to be planted really deep and the gardener needs to constantly layer the soil to blanch the green stems. Today, with better plant breeding techniques, celery growing has become a lot easier.
Celery can be grown from seed in early spring, but an easier option is to buy ready to plant seedlings. You can plant them in May or June. Celery fares best in a moisture retentive soil that drains well and gets a lot of sunlight. If you have an allotment, this is the perfect crop for you. However, you can add a row into your garden at home or add the plants as a border to an existing bed.
When spring arrives, it is time to start digging the soil to prepare for your celery planting. Clear the bed and remove large stones and weeds. Add plenty of well rotted manure or compost and dig into the soil. One week before planting, add a granular fertilizer to the surface layer of the soil, raking it in lightly.
You can start your celery planting by sowing the seeds in March and April. You can use a container or seed tray to start growing your celery seeds, use seed compost and tamp down to firm up. Seeds are minute, so you will need to sprinkle them over the surface of the soil. Use a misting
method to water the seeds or else you will disturb them. Cover the seeds with a thin layer of vermiculite and put the tray on a windowsill. Water the tray daily to prevent the soil from drying out.
Seedlings need to toughen up and grow to a height of about
8 centimeters before they are ready to be planted outside. This generally takes about five weeks.
Seedlings need to be planted about a foot apart with the crown of the plant at ground level. Arranging your plants in a grid pattern instead of rows enables the plants to grow better.
Once the celery is planted, you need to keep the bed well watered consistently. Tackle weeds the minute they start sprouting. One month after planting the celery, you can give a boost to the growth by adding a balanced liquid fertilizer.
Harvesting celery is generally done in August and continues till the first frost arrives. Use a hand fork to lift the plants out of the soil as you require them.