How to Grow Celery

advancedGardening6-12 months9 steps

Safety Warnings

Plow — For shallow plowing (5 inches)

Trenching tool — For digging 6-inch deep planting trenches

Ventilators — Wooden chimneys for celery houses

Rotted barnyard manure — Thoroughly decomposed(As needed for rich soil)

Muck soil — Dark soil consisting mainly of vegetable matter(As needed for blanching)

Sawdust — Filling for celery house walls/roof(As needed)

Straw or litter — Covering for rain protection(As needed)

Prepare a rich, moist, loose, and mellow soil using rotted barnyard manure; avoid newly-turned sod land.

Tip: Perform shallow plowing to a depth of 5 inches since celery roots do not go deep.

Sow seeds of early varieties or late varieties (such as Winter Queen for better keeping).

Tip: Late celery is of stronger growth and requires more room for development.

Transplant plants into the garden; late varieties should be set in rows 3.5 to 4 feet apart and 6 inches apart within the row.

Tip: You may dig a trench 6 inches deep to facilitate watering and later blanching.

Ensure the plants receive plenty of water throughout the growing process.

Tip: Celery can be set between rows of corn to provide shade during the critical transplanting period.

Begin the blanching process by 'handling': grasp all leaves in one hand and pack soil around the stalks to hold them upright and compact.

Tip: This prevents soil from getting into the heart of the plant.

Perform 'hilling' by drawing additional soil or muck around the stalks.

Tip: For muck soil blanching, draw 6 inches of soil 5 days after handling, then another 2 inches 3 days later.

For field trenching, set stalks upright in a dry trench (as deep as the celery height) with perpendicular sides, removing decayed leaves.

Tip: Decrease covering in warm weather and increase it in cold weather to prevent rot.

Optional: Use a celery house (coop) with sawdust-filled walls and a loose soil floor for professional blanching.

Tip: Root the celery in the floor soil to allow for the slight growth needed for complete blanching.

Harvest once the stalks are thick, robust, tender, and crisp.

Tip: Self-blanching varieties may be ready for market within two weeks of the first handling operation.

Synthesized from 2 verified sources:

Gutenberg: Farm Gardening GuideView →

Gutenberg: War Gardens GuideView →