A Guide to Growing Celery in Your Backyard

All you need to know about growing celery in your garden, including how to plant it, how to grow it, and how to harvest it, is here. 

This wetland plant of the Apiaceae family, known as celery (Apium graveolens), is one of the oldest vegetables known to man. 

The stalks of celery are long and woody. The stalks, leaves, or hypocotyl of the plant can be consumed and used in cooking, depending on where and how it is grown. 

Spices like celery seed powder are made from the seeds of celery plants. Rhombic leaflets from bipinite to bipinite measure 2–4 cm (1–1 + 12 in) wide and range in length from 1–3 cm (1–2 + 12 in). Compound umbrella-shaped flowers with a diameter of 332–18 in. and a color of creamy white cover the plant’s leaves.

Oval to globe-shaped seeds measuring 1.5-2 mm (116–564 in) long and wide. Hard petioles, leaf stalks, or big hypocotyls have been selected for modern varieties. A “string” of angular cholecystoma cells outside the vascular bundle can easily be distinguished from a celery stalk. Celery, too, is loaded with health advantages. It’s a low-calorie food because you expend more calories while eating it than you do while chewing celery.

You can use it to combat cancer and other chronic diseases because of its anti-inflammatory properties. There are short-season cultivars of these cold-weather, long-season crops, but it can take up to 140 days for them to be ready for harvest. 

Although celery is technically a biennial, it is typically grown as an annual for foods with 12- to 18-inch stalks because of its short lifespan. Since celery must be started from seed (transplants are scarce and not always successful) and the plant is susceptible to bolting in cold weather, celery is considered a difficult crop. We usually have celery in our garden even though it is one of the most challenging crops to grow at home because it is so handy in the kitchen. To learn more about how to produce celery, please continue reading.

Celery Planting Instructions

Celery cultivation known as ‘Pascal’ celery dominates commercial output in North America. It is possible to cultivate a wide range of unique variants, many of which are distinct from wild species, mostly on stiff-leaf stems. They were split into two groups, one white and one red. Clusters of stalks are arranged in a tight, straight, parallel arrangement and are often sold in unique ways. A modest amount of green leaves are included in the sale. As a raw ingredient, or as a flavouring ingredient in soups, stews, and pot-roastings. Celery is essential for holding soil moisture that isn’t rapidly drained away. Wild celery thrives in icy soil, so you’ll need to keep it well-watered and provide it with a sunny spot to thrive.

• The stems of celery need to be compacted because they can create crisp, pale stalks if they are not. Some gardeners choose to use cardboard tubes, pipes, or collars to aid in the blanching process of trenching celery since it is easier.
• Blanching celery eliminates the need for this extra step. As a bonus, the stalks are just as tasty as the original variety.
• There are tall, thin stalks (up to 30 inches in height) on Afina, a dark green, resilient, and quick-growing type (60 days from maturity).
• High temperatures, water scarcity, and ordinary soil fertility are all tolerated by Conquistador’.
• Stringless stalks of ‘Golden Self Blanching’. A terrific option for tiny gardens, this is an excellent choice.
• Gardeners with limited space can benefit from the Utah 52-70R Advanced. Only 18 inches in length, it’ll also be impervious to disease.

Celery seeds should be started inside since they require a long growing season. Seed 10 to 12 weeks before your last spring frost date. Sow seeds for fall crop 10 to 12 weeks before the first frost date to allow time for seedlings to be planted. To grow celery, you’ll need rich soil. Mix in 2 to 4 inches of old manure and compost soil or work with 5-10-10 manure to loosen the soil 12 to 15 inches deep. As a rule of thumb, celery thrives on soils with a pH of 5.8 to 6.8. Do a soil test if you are unsure of the pH of your soil. See the information provided below to learn more about growing celery.

How To Plant Celery

Soak the seeds in warm water for at least eight hours before planting. Faster germination is the goal here. Use caution when handling the seeds because they’re so tiny! Make sure the seeds are evenly distributed and levelled in the seed starter mixture before planting. In order to ensure good growth, do not cover the seeds with dirt once they have been saturated. If you tap the package gently on the pot’s surface, you’ll see the seeds fall out while you wait for them. Ideally, they should be approximately an inch away from your eyes. Harden the seeds after you’re done. To keep the starter container moist, wrap it in plastic wrap. Be patient; germination can take up to three weeks.

• For the first 16 hours after planting, install a fluorescent grow lamp 3 inches above the surface of the soil (the plant also needs dark times).
• Set your thermostat to 70 to 75 degrees F (21 to 24 degrees C) during the day, and 60 to 65 degrees F (15 to 18 degrees C) at night, to keep your body temperature stable throughout the day.
• Regular fog.
• When the seedlings reach a height of 2 inches, remove them from their peat pots and replant them in fresh potting soil or new peat pots.
• Trees should be at least 2 inches apart in flats.
• Before planting, give the seedlings a small misting of water and allow them to spend a few hours each day in the sun-protected region.
• It’s time to plant celery outside when the soil temperature is at least 50 degrees Fahrenheit (10 degrees Celsius). (Bolting can be caused by cold temperatures after planting.)
• Seedlings should be planted 8 to 10 inches apart.
• Give everything a good rinse.

How to Take Care of Celery: Special Tips

After the last frost has passed in your location, wait 10-12 weeks before planting celery. Celery can be started as early as 20 to 26 weeks after the last frost date for fall planting. Plants should be hardened off within seven to ten days of being planted. You should only sow seeds directly into the ground if the temperature is between 55°F and 70°F when you decide. In hot weather, celery plants dry out, and in cold weather, they don’t produce.

1. Cold weather; celery can’t stand it when it’s too hot.
2. A constant supply of water is required; otherwise, the stalks would become tiny, rigid, stiff, and/or hollow.
3. Soils that are rich in organic matter and – since their roots are shallow (just a few inches deep) – are fertilized.
4. Be sure to offer lots of water during the growing season, especially in hot, dry conditions.
5. Row covers should be used for the first four to five weeks to keep pests at bay.
6. Using mulch to keep the soil moist and keep the roots cool is a good idea when the tree is 6 inches tall.
7. Compost is used to adorn the sides of the gown. In between the trees, comfrey pellets, like coffee grounds, are ideal.
8. Side-dress each plant with 1 tablespoon 3 to 4 inches 5-10-10 fertilizer in the second and third months of growth.
9. Avoid cultivating celery where there are weeds since the short roots of this plant are vulnerable to being disturbed.
10. To prevent them from spreading, tie the growing celery stalks together.
11. A foot-long stalk of the trenching variety should be enough for you to begin lifting the dirt around three inches (8 cm) each time until you are unable to climb the hill.
12. Stalk Blanche (wrap or cover) to remove any bitter flavor and generate pale green stems. Brown-bag paper or cardboard (used nylon stockings, strings, protected with vegetable wire), half-gallon milk cartons (cut the top and bottom), or similar materials might help you stay light and mobile during your journey. Do not cover the celery leaves.

Extra Care For Celery

Crops of celery are collected from mid-summer through the fall, and again just before the first real snowfall. When celery is grown as a biennial in mild areas, the stalks may develop in the winter months before flowering in the spring. Cutting or picking individual stalks as needed will keep the plants producing for a long period even if you take the entire crop. Celery is harvested mostly for its stalks, which are buried after harvest. Stalks can be selected at any time. Also, young celery is a fully mature product. The exterior stalks should be collected. Start harvesting the plants when they reach a height of 8 inches or so. Garden celery can last up to a month in the ground if it is properly prepared to maintain an appropriate temperature.

A light frost will not harm celery, but a prolonged frost will. More nutrients are found in darker stalks. Dark green stalks’ texture will harden as they age. The celery can be stored in the refrigerator in a plastic bag. If you’re looking for a nice celery store, this one is your best bet. Cucumber stems can be frozen to extend their shelf life. Slice the stalks into half-inch pieces and put them in a freezer-safe container. A lot of people find celery to be a reasonably easy vegetable to grow. Plants should be protected from pests early in the growing season by using garden cloth (row cover).