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Post by binnylou on Mar 19, 2019 10:00:24 GMT -5
I'm growing celery for my garden and a neighbor. It's time to pot up. In the past, I've used containers the size of yogurt cups. Because of space on the grow rack, I'd like to use cell packs to finish the celery. Do you think that is enough space for the celery babies? I don't want to stunt them.
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Post by heirloomfan on Mar 20, 2019 9:38:14 GMT -5
Binnylou I am growing celery for the first time too so will be interested to see how yours do. Any tips will be helpful.
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Post by SpringRain on Mar 24, 2019 11:59:07 GMT -5
binnylou , and heirloomfan , I'm going to try to grow some celery as well. I really like it, especially in apple waldorf salad, and just for nibbling. My question is on (a) best varieties and (b) blanching, especially the best method for that and how to keep the head aerated while it's blanched.
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Post by binnylou on Mar 24, 2019 13:14:09 GMT -5
SpringRain , be aware that garden celery (at least in my garden) has a stronger flavor. This may be because I don’t blanch it. I just let it grow . lisaann may blanch hers. Perhaps she will jump in.
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Post by lisaann on Mar 27, 2019 17:28:38 GMT -5
SpringRain , heirloomfan , binnylou , Mumsey , reuben , gardendmpls, pepperhead212 , Tomato Z, tom 🕊 , pondgardener , octave1 , ahntjudy I blanched the 1st year I ever grew it to get the FULL growing experience. Now I grow it as cut and come again. Just a couple plants each year. I don't blanch. I like the stronger flavor, but since I grow it as cut and come again, the stems really don't get huge and bitter. I noticed that the farm store is offering celery plants for the 3rd year. People must be requesting it. They are selling it in 6 packs. They are also selling pea plants in 6 packs for the second year. Well, Fool them once, last year, perhaps, when they bought the 6 packs. I figure they found out just how many peas you get out of 6 plants, and they won't waste 3.59 for 6 plants this year. Peas are NOT pole bean producing dudes!  I can't wait to see how all that pans out.................. 
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Post by binnylou on Mar 27, 2019 17:37:31 GMT -5
I spent time potting up celery plants. So far, I have four 9-packs done, but had to come up for air. Those babies are so delicate, but the root system is as long as the plant is tall. I've been ripping off about half of the roots so that I can fit them into the filled cell packs.
I figure that my neighbor will want 36 to 45 plants. And I will transplant 27 for us. The remaining 500 will go to the compost.
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Post by lisaann on Mar 27, 2019 17:56:25 GMT -5
And I will transplant 27 for us Hunh? That is so cool that you guys can eat that much celery! Are you going the chop and freeze way, or does your family just eat that much fresh, so fast?  |
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Post by binnylou on Mar 27, 2019 18:02:26 GMT -5
It's always chopped and frozen. Just for soups. I find it really strong for fresh eating.
My neighbor grows garden for 3 households. Plus she has discovered drying the leaves, grinding them in her spice grinder and using that powder for soups. She said she gave some as gifts at Christmas time.
She just happens to have the same model dehydrator as our old one so we gave our old one to her. So that more than doubled her dehydrating ability since what we gave her had eight or ten trays.
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Post by lisaann on Mar 27, 2019 18:08:29 GMT -5
It's always chopped and frozen. Just for soups Cool. Since you have so many plants, try the cut and come again approach with a couple plants. You will be surprised just how late in the year those plants keep growing, I was shocked at how cold and hard frost celery can handle. |
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Post by Mumsey on Mar 27, 2019 18:23:36 GMT -5
I may play with celery again next year. Unless I find some for sale somewhere, I'll do it this year.
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Post by pepperhead212 on Mar 27, 2019 18:38:36 GMT -5
I like that idea of the cut and come again, lisaann. Ive never heard of growing celery that way, but I do it with almost all of those Asian greens. I might have to try this. Do they grow through the entire summer this way? |
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Post by martywny on Mar 28, 2019 9:45:43 GMT -5
The only way I can grow celery is to buy it from the store, never had any luck with it. I will try it again in another week or two and see what happens. I love the taste of celery in V-8 juice and one day I will find the perfect recipe to make my own.
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Post by desertwoman on Mar 28, 2019 9:59:32 GMT -5
I only tried celery once and it didn't do well; grew really small stalks. It needs way more water than I am willing to give it. At least I think that's the reason for its poor performance.
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Post by binnylou on Mar 28, 2019 10:09:47 GMT -5
I never get the big stalks like offered in the grocery. But what I do get is lots of flavor for soups and no chemicals. At one time, local store was offering organic celery, but that’s been discontinued.
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Post by desertwoman on Mar 28, 2019 10:21:31 GMT -5
I can get just about every veggie and fruit I want organic, from the store. I'm spoiled.
But they still aren't as tasty as homegrown.
How big around were your stalks? Mine were about the size of a chopstick (the upper end of the stick)
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