Celery

[Joan.of.the.Arch]

What can I do to improve my chances of growing good celery?

This is my first time to try it and I've already had problems. I surface sowed in flats about seven weeks ago and growth has been very slow, I think due to the chilly, cloudy, if not rainy days we've had.

One source I read said that celery should not be exposed to more than ten days of temperature below 59 degrees, so my goodness, I brought my flats inside a lot so far.

Having been surface sowed the little seedling are flopped over , then curled back upward. Will the plants straighten as they grow, or should I unbend the soft seedlings as I plant them out and prop them up that way with a bit of soil. They are only about one in in length right now.

I think our summers here are hotter than is ideal for celery. Do I have a chance?

Should I expect to blanch with pulled up soil despite claims of this being a self blanching variety? If I don't blanch is it apt to be tougher and more bitter?

Will the heat make it tougher and more bitter?

Is it true that celery can be grown in soggy soil and would almost prefer it?

I was thinking of growing it in trenches, maybe six or eight inches deep sot hat I could flood it with water and also make the soil blanching easier to accomplish by filling in the trenches at that point.

Appreciate anything you can tell me.

[Joan.of.the.Arch]

Updating in case anyone cares. I did plant in trenches, but we've had so much rain that the trenches have had soils slowly washing back down into them. The growth of the celery is keeping up with the soil deposition, so they are not covered completely. I just hope they do not root all along the stems' length.

It is hard to weed among them planted this way, especially as I planted two other things directly next to the celery, with no paths alongside the celery. That was to have roots holding the soil to prevent that erosion of soil back into the celery trenches. The beans on one side and beets on the other were to have been harvested by the time I would need to pull soil back up onto the celery stems to blanch them before harvest.

At least this has been the least hot spring I have ever experienced, so it has been a good temp for the celery. Time will tell if it is worth trying to grow it. Celery was $1.69 at the store today.

[rob62521]

I haven't grown celery so can't help you there...but do wish you well. I did find celery a little cheaper at Aldi today. They were raising the price of eggs while we were there today by 20 cents. I imagine the big name grocery stores will be doing the same.