Tips on how to grow Celery from seed to harvest

This particular plant is a long-season vegetable that is grown in the spring or fall. Celery has the reputation of being fussy. According to history Celery plant originated from the Mediterranean regions and the Middle East. History also told us that the Egyptians, Greeks, and the Romans grew Celery as an aromatic and medicinal plant. Celery belong to the family Apiaceae (Umbelliferae). The following are the tips on how to sow, grow, and harvest Celery plant.

The land preparation

Make sure you dig some organic compost or manure into the soil few weeks before planting out the celery seedlings. Doing this will really help soil moisture retention and it will also provide nutrients for the Celery plants.

The Sowing

This plant germination rates are really low, make sure you sow the Celery seeds in stations (5 seeds a station). You can sow stations in seed plugs or around 5 cm apart if you are sowing in seed trays. Make sure you sow seed about 0.5 cm deep. You can sow the Celery seed in late March or about eight weeks before the last frost. Don’t forget that a hard frost can completely destroy the whole crop. The germination of the Celery plant takes about 12-14 days. The germination of the Celery plant is most successful when the temperatures are around 70 deg F.

The Planting out of the seedlings

Make sure you plant out the Celery seedlings when they are about eight cm tall. Actually this is normally about 5-6 weeks after sowing.  Make sure you wait until the temperature have risen above 55 deg F. / 13 deg C. Make sure you space the seedlings about 20 cm apart in rows and 90 cm apart.
Try and make sure you plant the seedlings out into the garden after the last frosts. If you are planting out, make sure the crown of the plant is at the soil level.

The position of the plant

One thing about Celery plant is that they does not grow well in hot conditions. A position that receives shade for the hottest part of the day is really a good choice. Also the Celery plant can be grow in grids or in rows.

The soil type

One thing about Celery plant is that they like soil that is capable of retaining moisture. Make sure you address this before planting out by digging in organic matter such as garden compost.
If you are planting on well drained soil, make sure the celery receives adequate regular watering in warm periods.

The harvesting of Celery

This plant can be harvested when it has reached the desired size, which is  about 12-18 inches (30-45 cm). To harvest this plant cut the plant off above the soil line so that all the stalks will still be in one unit. Make sure you wash the stalk bulb in cold water and dry it.
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