{"id":2425,"date":"2020-03-29T06:51:48","date_gmt":"2020-03-29T06:51:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/greenmanpublishing.com\/?p=2425"},"modified":"2020-03-29T06:52:25","modified_gmt":"2020-03-29T06:52:25","slug":"celery","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/greenmanpublishing.com\/index.php\/2020\/03\/29\/celery\/","title":{"rendered":"Celery"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Apium graveolens <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Introduction<\/strong>: This cool weather biennial is native to\nEurope and has been used as food at least since the time of the Romans (though\nthis was probably leaf celery). There are three distinct types of celery\ncommonly grown as crops. Here I am talking about the stalk celery that is\nfamiliar to all of us (in fact it is the only one most of us would even\nrecognize. There is also root celery, usually known as celeriac, which is\npopular in Eastern Europe. Lastly there is leaf celery (sometimes knows as\nChinese celery), which is the type most commonly used in Asia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ease of growing<\/strong>: Celery is notorious among home gardeners as being one of the\nhardest crops to grow well and it definitely isn\u2019t for the beginner. It is very\nparticular about its requirements and must have all the nutrients it needs for\nfast, uninterrupted growth. It also needs a constant supply of moisture and a\nlong period of cool weather. Celery is said to be even harder to grow\norganically and to be a true test of the organic gardeners skill.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nutritional content<\/strong>: Celery mostly consists of water and fiber and has barely any\nnutritional value (64 calories per pound). I guess that\u2019s why it is associated\nwith people who are trying to lose weight. It does contain some useful\nphytochemicals though, including apigenin, which has anti-cancer properties.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A few people are allergic to celery and can have a severe reaction\nto it<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Crop value<\/strong>: Celery\nisn\u2019t a very important crop from a nutritional or productive standpoint. It\ndoes provide an interesting flavoring though.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Climate<\/strong>: Celery\nneeds 120 days of cool (60 – 75\u02daF) moist weather for optimal growth. It doesn\u2019t\nlike extreme <\/p>\n\n\n\n

heat or hard frost, though it can tolerate mild frost. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

About Celery<\/strong>  <\/strong>

Seed facts<\/strong>
Germ temp: 40 (60 – 70) 80\u02daF
Germ time: 14 – 21 days
41 days \/ 41\u02daF
16 days \/ 50\u02daF
12 days \/ 59\u02daF
7 days \/ 68\u02daF * Optimum
8 days \/ 77\u02daF
Viability: 5 years
Germination percentage: 55%+
Weeks to grow transplants: 8 – 12  <\/strong>

Planning facts<\/strong>
Hardiness: Half hardy
Growing temp: 45 (60 – 65) 75\u02daF
Plants per person: 6
Plants per sq ft: 1 – 1\u00bd
Days to harvest:
85 – 200 days
75 – 120 days from transplant  

Planting<\/strong>
Transplants:
Start 8 – 10 wks before last frost
Plant out 2 weeks after last frost
Direct sow: 2 wks before last frost
Fall crop: Start 3 – 4 months before first fall frost  

Harvest facts<\/strong>
Yield per plant: 1 – 2 lb
Yield per sq ft: 2 – 4 lb sq ft   <\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Soil<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

pH 6.0 \u2011 7.0 <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wild celery naturally grows near water and this is reflected in its preference for a rich, deep, moist (but well-drained), fairly acid soil, with lots of organic matter. It is a hungry crop, requiring a lot of nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus. The roots are fairly shallow and can tolerate wet soil better than most crops (it was originally a marsh plant).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Soil preparation<\/strong>: Incorporate a source of organic matter to supply nitrogen and to\nincrease its water holding capacity (use 2\u02dd of compost or aged manure). Add a\nsource of phosphorus (colloidal phosphate), potassium (wood ashes or greensand)\nand micronutrients (kelp). If the soil is heavy, or compacted, you might also\nthink about double digging. Add lime if the soil is very acidic. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Planning<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Celery must be planned carefully, because it takes a long time to\ngrow to maturity from seed and you often end up with a lot at one time. It is\npossible to sow it in succession, but this is even more complicated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Where<\/strong>: Celery is an upright, compact plant and doesn\u2019t take up a lot of\nspace (which is good, as it is in the ground for quite a long time). It prefers\nfull sun, but will tolerate light shade for part of the day (in warm climates\nthis may even be beneficial). However too much shade will make for tall, leggy\nplants that fall over easily.  It needs\nquite a lot of attention, so should be sited where it can be watched closely\nand tended frequently. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When<\/strong>: Celery\nneeds a long period (3 months) of cool temperatures (60 – 70\u02daF) for optimal\nquality and in warm summer areas it does best as a fall crop. It will grow in\nwarmer temperatures, but above 75\u02daF growth slows down and the stalks may be\nmore fibrous and strongly flavored.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Spring<\/strong>: In areas\nwith long cool spring weather, it can be started inside 8 – 12 weeks before the\nlast frost. It is planted out 2 weeks after the last frost. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fall<\/strong>: Celery\ngenerally does better as a fall crop, planted in mid to late summer. It then\ngets to mature in the cool weather of fall.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Winter<\/strong>: In areas with mild winters, celery does well as a winter crop,\nplanted in early fall.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Planting<\/strong> <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sowing<\/strong>: Celery seed has a reputation\nof being difficult to germinate, but I have never found it to be particularly\nproblematic. I have read one piece that said fresh seed germinates best and\nanother that said 2 or 3 year old seed is actually better because germination\ninhibitors have broken down. It is fairly slow to germinate (up to 3 weeks) and\nget going though, so you need to give it plenty of time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some people pre-soak the seed in hot (120\u02daF) water for a half hour\nbefore planting, or in compost tea overnight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some\nauthorities say the seed must be scattered on the surface and left uncovered,\nas it needs light to germinate. Others say a light \u215b – \u00bc\u02dd covering of soil is\nbest. I can\u2019t say I have noticed much difference either way, <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Seed sitting on the surface must be kept moist at all times, as it\ncan dry out easily which can be fatal. Germination may take as little as a\nweek, or as long as three weeks. Some books say it is important that the\ntemperature fluctuates below 60\u02daF at night during germination. Temperatures\nabove 80\u02daF may inhibit germination.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Transplants<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Starting inside<\/strong>:\nCelery is usually started indoors, because it is so slow growing initially. It\ndoesn\u2019t mind transplanting when young, so is commonly started in flats, leaving\n1\u02dd between plants. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Though\ncelery germinates best at 78\u02daF, the seedlings prefer a fairly cool 60\u02daF\ntemperature for growth. Prick out the seedlings to 2\u02dd apart when they have\ntheir first true leaves, as they seem to benefit from transplanting at this\nstage. As always, take care to keep them moist. They should take 8 – 12 weeks\nto reach 5\u02dd in height and grow 5 – 6 leaves, which is the ideal transplant\nsize. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hardening off<\/strong>: If\ntransplants are to go outside while it is still cold, the seedlings should be\nhardened off. They will then tolerate temperatures as low as 25\u02daF. Start by\nputting the plants outside for 2 hours on the first day, then 4 hours on the\nsecond day. Adding 2 hours every day for a week.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Vernalization<\/strong>: If the recently planted seedlings are exposed to extended cold\ntemperatures (10 days below 45\u02daF) after a warm period they could be vernalized.\nThey would then react to warmer weather by bolting. If cold weather\nunexpectedly returns after planting out, you should protect the plants with\ncloches. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Transplanting<\/strong>: When planting celery make sure you keep the\nroot ball of each plant as intact as possible. Some people run and knife\nbetween the plants in the flat, a few days before planting to separate them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Trench planting<\/strong>: An\nold method of growing celery was to plant in a trench. This was dug 12 – 18\u02dd\ndeep by 12 – 18\u02dd wide and was half filled with compost, aged manure or other\norganic matter (if necessary add lime to raise the pH). This was left for a\ncouple of weeks to settle before the transplants were planted in to it. The\ntrench is filled in later for blanching. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Direct\nsowing<\/strong>: Celery can be direct sown if you have a suitably long and mild\ngrowing season. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Direct sowing celery is so slow it is only\npractical (barely) in areas with very long, cool growing seasons, such as in\ncoastal California. There it can be planted in spring to mature in late summer\nor fall. Of course you still run into the usual problem with direct sowing; the\nsmall plants take up a lot of bed space that might be used more profitably for\nother crops (See Outdoor nursery bed <\/strong>below).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Spring\ncelery needs to be sown as early as possible, though the soil must be at least\n50\u02daF (much lower and it will take a month to germinate). If necessary use\ncloches to warm the soil and protect the young seedlings during early growth.\nUsually the seed is sown quite thickly and the growing plants are harvest\nthinned several times until they reach they required spacing (the thinnings can\nbe used in the kitchen).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Outdoor nursery bed<\/strong>: In summer you can start transplants in an outdoor nursery bed.\nThis is a much more efficient use of space than direct sowing, as the plants\ndon\u2019t take up bed space for the first 8 – 12 weeks of their lives. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sow the\nseed about 1\u02dd apart and when they have all emerged and are growing vigorously,\nthin them to stand 3\u02dd apart. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Spacing<\/strong>: Celery is\nspaced fairly closely as this helps to keep down weeds and reduces the need for\nblanching (the soil has to be very fertile and must be kept moist for this to\nwork). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The plants are normally arranged in offset rows across the bed.\nThe spacing varies from 9 – 12\u02dd, depending upon the fertility of the soil.\nPlants have been spaced as close as 6 – get a greater quantity of smaller\nplants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Care<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Weed<\/strong>: Celery\nneeds to be kept free of weeds at all times, but especially when the plants are\nsmall (which is quite a while in this case).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Water<\/strong>:\nConsistent watering is the single most important factor in growing good celery;\nthe soil should never be allowed to dry out. This may mean watering daily in\ndry weather, though every other day is more usual. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Water is\nparticularly critical as harvest time approaches, because this is the time of\nfastest growth (plants may double in size in their last month). Lack of water\nat this time can result in bitter, pungent, stringy plants with hollow stems\nand may also encourage bolting. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The best\nway to water celery is with a drip system or soaker hose as this keeps the\nleaves dry and reduces the chance of fungus disease developing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fertilization<\/strong>: Celery needs lots of nitrogen to produce succulent growth, so if\nyour soil isn\u2019t very fertile you should feed your plants every 2 – 3 weeks with\ncompost tea or liquid kelp. You can also put a side dressing of fertilizer mix\non the soil between the plants. If plants don\u2019t get enough nutrients they may\nbe stringy and tough.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mulch<\/strong>: This is\nuseful to conserve moisture, keep down weeds and keep the soil cooler.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Blanching<\/strong>: Celery\nwas traditionally blanched (covered to deprive the stems of light) to improve\nits flavor and make it less fibrous. Most modern varieties don\u2019t need\nblanching, but a few are improved by it (it makes them milder and nuttier).\nWhen celery is planted in close blocks, it tends to self-blanch to some extent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Blanching\nshould only be done a couple of weeks before harvest, as too long a blanching\ncan cause it to deteriorate or rot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The\ntraditional way to blanch celery is to remove the outer leaves to expose the\ntall stems and then surround it with a 12\u02dd wide sheet of brown paper (newspaper\nisn\u2019t used as it may adversely affect the flavor). The paper is held in place\nby piling soil around the plant. This was one reason they were planted in\ntrenches, as the soil could easily be pulled down to hold the paper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A simpler\nway to blanch is to wrap the stem with a paper grocery bag and tie it in place\n(and forget about the soil).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another\nmethod is to tie the stalks together and gradually earth them up over 3 – 4\nweeks by piling soil against them (up to the base of the leaves). The\ndisadvantage of this is that soil tends to get down between the stalks, making\nthem gritty and hard to clean.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In cold\nclimates celery is sometimes blanched and protected from frost at the same\ntime, by placing a board on each side of a row and filling it with dried leaves\nor straw.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Problems<\/strong>: The month\nbefore harvest is the most critical time when growing celery. The plants are\ngrowing very rapidly at this time and need a steady supply of water and\nnutrients. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pests<\/strong>: Celery is\na relative of the carrot and is afflicted by many of the same pests. Carrot\nfly, celery fly, celery worms, aphids, leaf miners, slugs and snails can all be\na problem at times. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Disease<\/strong>: Celery leaf spot, pink rot and black heart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Harvesting<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

When<\/strong>: The first\nharvest you get from celery is the leaves. These can be harvested at any time\nfor use as flavoring for salads, soups, etc.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can\nharvest individual stalks of celery as soon as they are big enough to be\nworthwhile. This might affect the final size of the plant, but is worthwhile\nbecause it extends the harvest period. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can\nstart harvesting whole plants when their base is 2\u02dd in diameter (though 3\u02dd is\nbetter).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Spring\ncelery should be harvested before hot weather arrives as this will cause its\nquality to deteriorate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How<\/strong>: Harvest\nwhole plants when the stems are 8 – 10\u02dd tall, by cutting them down at ground\nlevel. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Storage<\/strong>: Celery\nwill keep for a couple of weeks in a plastic bag in the fridge. If you want to\nstore it for longer than this, pull it up with the root attached and re-plant\nit in moist sand in a root cellar. It likes to be kept at 32 – 40\u02daF and 90%\nhumidity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Seed Saving<\/strong>: Celery is\na biennial and doesn\u2019t produce flowers until its second spring (it sometimes\nproduces flowers prematurely in its first year, but you don\u2019t want to save seed\nfrom those plants). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The biggest problem with saving celery seed is just getting the\nplants to survive the winter. In mild areas they will usually do this in the\nground, perhaps under a mulch to protect them from frost. In colder areas they\nmay have to be dug up and stored in a root cellar until spring (See Storage<\/strong>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Celery flowers are cross-pollinated by insects, which makes it\nhard to save more than one variety at a time (unless you isolate by 1000 feet\nor more). One plant will produce quite a lot of seed, though you should still\nideally save seed from at least 6 plants to ensure genetic variability. When\nmost of the seed is ripe on the plant, cut the entire head and dry it in a\npaper bag. Be aware that some fungus diseases can be seed borne.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Celery seed\nis also commonly used as a flavoring for cooking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An excess of seed could be sprouted to make delicious celery\nflavored sprouts or micro-greens. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unusual growing ideas<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Multi-planting<\/strong>: It\nis possible to plant celery in multi-plant blocks. Plant 6 seeds per cell and\nthin to the best 3 plants, when they have all emerged. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Containers<\/strong>: Celery can be grown in a container, though it has to be a fairly big one. The resulting plant is probably best used as a source of leaves for flavoring. Growing good stems is a lot more difficult.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Varieties<\/strong>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Celery\nisn\u2019t a very popular garden crop, so the number of varieties available is\nfairly limited. There are some interesting old varieties with pink, yellow or\nred coloration. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Heirlooms<\/strong>: These have the best flavor, but\ngenerally need blanching to really bring this out. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Golden\nSelf-Blanching <\/strong>–\nJuicy, tasty and tender (and it doesn\u2019t need blanching!)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Giant\nPascal <\/strong>– Hardy,\nnot fibrous.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Giant\nRed:<\/strong> Has red stalks and strong flavor. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Modern varieties<\/strong>: <\/strong>Most of these are self-blanching (and\nmore disease resistant), which makes them easier to grow, but their flavor\nisn\u2019t as good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Utah\n52 – 70R Improved <\/strong>– A\nstandard commercial variety.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tango\n– S<\/strong>omewhat\nheat and drought tolerant.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Conquistador\n<\/strong>– Adaptable and\nsomewhat heat and drought tolerant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kitchen use<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Celery is most often used raw in salads, but it is also an\nimportant flavoring for soups and sauces.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In France\ncelery is used for mirepoix, (a mix of chopped celery, carrot and onions) which\nis used as a base for soups, sauces and other dishes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Celery and potato soup<\/strong>

3 tbsp olive oil
3 cups celery
1\u00bd cups green onions
\u00bd potatoes
\u00bd tsp salt
\u00bd cup soy milk
1 tsp salt
\u215b tsp black pepper
\u00bd tsp thyme  

Chop the celery stalks and tops finely (peel the stalks if they are stringy), then saute them with the green onions for 2 minutes. Add the potatoes, thyme, salt, pepper and 3 cups of water. Cook for 15 minutes in a covered pot until the vegetables are tender. Allow the soup to cool slightly, add the soy milk and puree it until smooth in a blender. Reheat and serve.  
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