



Celery is one of the oldest root vegetables in recorded history. The plant have been cultivated in the Mediterranean region for more than 3,000 years. Celery root first achieved culinary importance during the middle ages. Celery has been grown as a food crop for thousands of years. It has also had many other uses dating back to ancient times, including medicine. Celery is a vegetable that is popular with the health conscious. The Italians domesticated celery as a vegetable in the 17th century resulting in selections with solid stems. Early stalk celery had a tendency to produce hollow stalks. After many years of domestication, selection eliminated this characteristic as well as bitterness and strong flavors.





How to Grow Organic Celery





Celery takes a while to grow, so you’ll need to start planting your celery seeds indoors before transplanting them outdoors.

Growing organic celery is quite easy if you understand its specific needs. Here are my tips from starting the seeds indoors, transplanting the seedlings, growing, and harvesting fresh celery!





Celery needs :

. An extremely long growing season, maturing in roughly 120 days, allowing generally for one crop per year. The plant will not tolerate high heat.

. Rich, fertile soil with plenty of organic matter mixed in. I always add a well aged chicken manure to the soil before planting and as the crop is a big feeder the plant needs to be fertilized during its growth period.

. A constant water supply and the soil must stay moised at all times. Celery requires lots of water. Provide the plant plenty of water during the entire growing season.

. Protection from hot sun and high temperatures.

Growing Celery From Seed

As transplants are hard to find, be prepared to start plants from seed. You can start your celery seeds indoors about 10-12 weeks before the last frost.

Celery seeds are very small. They germinate best if you plant them just below the surface of the soil, or even simply pressed into the surface of the soil and kept moist. If you plant them too deeply, the seeds will use up all of their energy trying to reach the surface of the soil, and will die before emerging!

Celery takes up to three weeks to germinate. Just be sure to keep seed pot in a warm area where the temperature does not fall below 50 degrees Fahrenheit, If the seeds receive a cold chill, they will fail to germinate.



Celery seeds need consistent light watering during germination and early emergence to keep the growing environment consistently moist.