Celeriac

General tips / questions on seeding & planting

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Beryl
KG Regular
Posts: 1588
Joined: Thu Nov 24, 2005 6:06 pm
Location: Gosport, Hants.
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Here's how I grow them Primrose.
Best of luck for 2011.

Beryl

Primrose I don’t think there is any great secret to growing celeriac just a little patience, good soil and a good water supply although having said that mine get well watered when planted and because of our dry soils I do mulch well and then rely on whatever the heavens bring.

However, I sow seeds on a moist seed tray in mid-March with only a very light covering of compost. I resist watering anymore till the seedlings appear. When large enough to handle prick out into modules, keep moist but not over wet. When roots are coming out of the bottom re-pot into 3” pots and grow on to produce good size plants about 6” tall; planting out in mid-late May. Don’t let them dry out and don’t plant out till it is warming up. They don’t like any check to their growth or very cold temperatures in the early stages. I plant out about a foot apart (sorry I still work in old money). Their roots are shallow and spreading, water well and mulch if you can. About mid-end Aug. the stem will start to swell, as the lower leaves bend over remove them. This encourages the stem to swell which is the part we eat. You will need to do this several times till about the end of October.

They are a marsh plant and will grow in partial shade – maybe your runner beans. They always get well watered don’t they?
After all this last winter has thrown at us, mine stood well till the end of Jan.

Beryl.

One other thing I would just add and that is to soak your plants well over night before planting out.