Slow Celery?

[WigBag]

I've never grown Celery before, but I always said I would once I had enough of my lottie prepared. I remember being fascinated by Geoffrey Smith on the BBC back in the late 70's with his trench and cardboard collar, long before I was able to aquire a lottie/garden of my own.
Well I planted some last month and they germinated nicely in my heated propogater at home and then stopped! I'm sure there has been no increase since.
I have just taken them down to the greenhouse to increase the light as with my spade like hands I fear that they will never grow big enough to handle let alone pot up into roottrainers.

Am I being naive? Everything else planted at the same time or since is racing away even the Parsley.

The variety is Giant Red from Kings Seeds, I did'nt fancy a self blanching one and so chose at random. It says it is harvested from August, at this rate it might be next August

[hilary]

Hi,
Sorry can't help with celery, I gave up growing it as it needed so much water. I now grow celeriac which I find easier even though it does need watering. I have noticed that sometimes seedlings seem to stop growing perhaps because of a draught or some change in their environment and then romp away again. Perhaps someone else will have more advice for you!
Regards
Hilary

[Beryl]

I grow celeriac every year and have never had any problem with seedlings until this year. I've had to sow twice and still not had very good germination.
What I do have is very tiny and just doesn't seem to be growing. Not even large enough to prick out yet.
Must be one of 'those years'.

Beryl.

[WigBag]

thanks ladies for the replies, about Celeriac , I am growing it also as a bit of a fail safe!
As for my celery, I have three seedlings germinated now. Two have their 1st set of true leaves but still look incredibly small and fragile to lift out and transplant. I have looked up what J Seymour has to say and it does sound as though patience is required, he mentions 10 inch plants by August.
I will persevere as I reckon it will be worth the effort even if I get no more than these three

[Colin_M]

Hi WigBag, I'm trying celery for the first time this year.

Mine started fine, but since planting out, have remained about 1 inch high.

Hopefully someone will tell us the answer (do they dislike being transplanted?).


Colin

[WigBag]

an update for you Colin, I have transplanted two seedlings into 3 inch pots and popped them into the cold frame and they appear to be enjoying themselves, several leaves now but still on the small side. I will plant them out when I see how the bed is doing ie I dont want to lose them first day to a celery eater!!

[David]

I decided to grow celery for the first time this year too so that I could cook my italian recipes with it - part of the holy trinity of celery,onions and carrot.

As soon as they germinated I put one in each of the cells of those expanded polystyrene containers you get from B&Q with plants in - about 10 cells in a block each cell about 2 X 3inches. Left them in the greenhouse but in a tray of water. They are now huge and some are planted in the garden and about 9 inches tall.

Maybe its the insulation.... or begginers luck.

If I work out how to do pictures I'll post some on here soon.

David

[Colin_M]

Thanks Wigbag. My celery plantlets are now a little bigger. Due to laziness on my part, they are getting swamped by weeds, so I need to start helping them a bit more


Colin