Kitchen Garden Forum

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

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

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.

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

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

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!!

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

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