We grow giant celery in our NYC garden during the Summer. Here’s all the details you need to know about how to grow seeds, watering and maintaining, harvesting and storing celery!
We love growing celery!
Celery is one of those plants that just WOW you when you grow it. I still remember the first time we grew it, I was giddy for the whole day when we picked it.
Celery, although a frustrating seed to germinate, turns into a pretty simple plant that is drama free once it’s in your garden. Because it doesn’t stress out about heat, it’s a good Summer time vegetable to grow!
Once you pick it, it stores well in the refrigerator for a few weeks, and freezes to last even longer. We always chop and freeze a bunch of celery to use in our favorite celery recipes to use all Winter!
Here’s a video I made that walks you through this celery growing guide! I hope it answers all the questions you have. Any more questions? Leave them in the comments!
What type of celery do we grow?
We grow Tango celery which has tender stalks and great flavor. It’s a good Summer time vegetable to grow because it performs well under heat stress, even during hot NYC summers with minimal watering.
How long does celery take to grow?
Celery takes 4-5 months to grow, on average about 140 days from starting seeds to harvesting.
Usually we start our seeds indoors in March, transplant it in May and then pick it during the Summer. We are located in Zone 7B.
What are the difficulties of celery seeds?
From our experience celery seed germination in is one of the tougher seeds, even when using a heat mat. Celery takes about 3 weeks to germinate, so it’s a bit nerve-wracking and can easily hold up your growing calendar if the seeds aren’t sprouting. I always recommend starting 3x more seeds than what you need just incase they don’t all come up.
If you are not in the mood for celery seed drama, you can buy young plants at your local greenhouse to plant in your garden.
How to plant celery in beds or pots
Once your seeds have turned into seedlings, you can plant celery in garden beds or pots. You will want to space the plants about 10 inches apart. Celery needs full sun, so select a spot in your garden that is going to receive lots of sun.
Why is celery a good Summer plant?
Celery is a good Summer plant because it’s pretty resistant to heat and moisture stress. It’s a no-nonsense plant that needs minimal upkeep once it starts growing.
How to harvest celery
Celery is ready to pick when the stalks are at least 8 inches tall and the base is 2-3 inches in width.
You have 2 options on harvesting it. You can cut stalks off as you need them or pull out the entire plant. We usually pull the entire plant and store it in the refrigerator.
Does celery bolt?
Don’t worry about celery bolting. It’s not going to bolt or become bitter tasting until it gets cold out, so it’s flexible on timing when you want to pick it.
How to store and freeze celery
Store celery in your refrigerator crisper drawer where it will stay fresh for around 3 weeks. You can also freeze it for longer storage by blanching it and then freezing in freezer bags. I always freeze a little bit to use in our Winter time favorite soups like chicken noodle soup and yukon gold potato soup!
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