Wonderfully crunchy but much maligned as tasteless celery is one of those vegetables that really does taste different when you grow your own
There are two type of celery we can grow :self-blanching (you dont have to exclude light) and Blanched
Celery has a reputation of being difficult to grow but if you follow a few simple guidelines it really isn’t
The most important thing to remember is that the soil does not dry out and thats why celery does so well in raised no dig beds
These have plenty of well-rotted organic matter (Manure or compost) and this give a fantastic moisture-retentive soil
Celery likes a PH of around 6.5 so add calcified seaweed or lime if you PH is to acidic do this a few weeks before planting out
I sow in Febuary in moduals at a temperature of 18deg C (65deg F) and remember to surface sow as celery needs light to germinate
Once germinated grow them on at 13Deg C (55Deg F) and harden off in late Spring
before planting I work some coffee grounds into the surface of the bed as celery likes plenty of feed and as well as this I liquid feed with comfrey on a weekly basis after about 6 weeks
Plant out in blocks 20cms (9in) between plants this is closer spacing than some people recommend but I have found this spacing gives you the best crop in usable amounts without the plants becoming over big
Slugs do like celery and if you have a real problem the best method is to use nematodes watered onto the bed, these can be purchased or harvested
Use your celery before the first hard frosts
TopTip Watering shortly before harvest will make your Celery store for longer.
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