What has gone wrong with my celeriac?

[Primrose]

Monika very kindly sent me some celeriac seedlings which I have been carefully tending. But have dug up two because I wanted to include some in some Minestrone and found that both of them consisted of hundreds of roots but no bulb has formed. I don't want to dig any more up yet in case I'm digging them up prematurely but can anybody suggest what has gone wrong? The leaves look incredibly healthy and prolific but it seems that all the energy has gone "up top, rather than down below".

[Angi]

Celeriac isn't very keen on being transplanted. This may be why they've done this, although I'm surprised they didn't bolt instead. Daft question I know, but are you absolutely sure they were celeriac seedlings?

[oldherbaceous]

Dear Primrose, it is a little early to be harvesting them, mid to the end of October is nearer the time i would have thought, so saying that i would have thought there would have been some bulbing.
They do like a very rich, well watered plot to succeed.

[tricia]

They need lots of water and a very richly manured soil.

[Beryl]

The only other thing I would add is they do need a long growing period. Setting plants out n early May to harvest end September/October onwards.

Remove the lower leaves to expose the bulb to encourage it to fill out.

Beryl.

[Johnboy]

Hi Tricia,
You are certainly correct that Celeriac needs plenty of water throughout the season and should never be allowed to dry out from the day the seed emerges. Having said this Celeriac hates to be saturated with water and I feel that success comes to those who water little but often.

Hi Primrose,
I suspect that this may well be how your Celeriac appear to have gone awry. If the period between watering them is too long or they have dried-out they seem to stop growing and then start again which might explain your multi-roots. This is pure surmise on my behalf but I have been thinking about this since your posting and the old brain takes a little longer nowadays.
Sincerely,
JB.

[hilary]

Hi,
My celeriac is the same - I just put it down to the summer we didn't have and not enough warmth though I did water during the early dry spell.
Better luck next year.
Hilary

[Mike Vogel]

I see that the last contribution to this thread was in October, so I'm just hoping somebody reads this.

I have been harvesting celeriac for ourselves, friends and relatives during this month. At the beginning of Dec the bulbs were clearly formed, but on the small side. By the week before Xmas, they looked a lot sturdier.

I used 3-year old 'President' seed and newly-bought 'Prinz', both from the Organic Catalogue.

Seedlings were pricked out into small styrofoam cups in March/April [I'm a compulsive DIY recycler] and planted out in May/ early June.

I grew them on a raised bed with lots of compost dug in the previous winter. The plants were mulched with straw and some horsehair from an old settee which had seen better days [see above].

As the summer was wet, I didn't water them much, but occasionally gave them a good soak at the base under the mulch with comfrey or nettle tea.

I did pull the lower leaves off as the bulbs began to form.

In a year when quite a lot of my crops were disappointing, this was a successful one. I found no difference in yield between the President and Prinz varieties.

Happy New Year
mike

[WestHamRon]

I'm bumping this thread as I've had the exact same problem. I can't believe they haven't had enough water this year,after the horrendous "summer", and are planted in newly made compost. Any ideas ?

[realfood]

After the same problems the first year I grew it, now it grows well for me in Glasgow.

People do not realise that it needs a long growing season of about 8 months and it needs to be kept well watered, being a reletive of celery.

It is best sown in February in heat in individual cells, then transferred to a cold frame and planted out in May at 30 cm spacing in their final positions. The ground should be fertile and the plants should be kept well watered in dry spells to prevent them becoming stringy. Best harvested when the bulbous root is slightly larger than a tennis ball. When raw, has a wonderful aromatic presence which will stay on your hands for days!

[Monika]

I have found that celeriac is exceedingly, not just VERY, greedy and needs a lot of feeding. Also, as Mike Vogel says above, always take the bottom leaves off as soon as they show any sign of yellowing or flagging so that, finally, you end up with just a tuft of central leaves at the top.

This year's crop was better for us than ever before, presumably a combination of lots of water/rain and lots of feeding. The variety was Prinz.

[Mike Vogel]

I am resigned to getting small celeriac roots with a lot of root rather than bulb, but the most annoying thing is the number of holes and discolorations due to slugs. Slug pellets may be an answer, but I never remember until I actually bring the things home.
mike

[Beryl]

Mike,

If you don't remove the lower leaves you will always get lots of root and no bulb. In all the years of growing celeriac I have never known it to be attacked by slugs - woodlice yes.
Persevere next year it is worth the trouble.

Beryl.

[Johnboy]

Hi Beryl,
I certainly agree with what you have said. Slugs may well have a crack at the foliage but not the root.
Another case where the supposed totally harmless woodlice is the villain of the peace!
JB.

[realfood]

I have come accross a few holes in the bulb of celeriac, caused by fat white grubs, possibly leatherjackets.