[AlaninCarlisle]

It's a month earlier than recommended on the packet, but I've just sown some in the propagator. They were such slow growers last year that I don't think I'm taking too much risk. Any thoughts?

[mumofstig]

I'll sow mine in the next week or 2, so not really that early IMO. As you say they take a long while to get going.
I don't use a propagator for them though, just the warmth of the house works for me

Good luck with them!

[Mr Dog]

I used to sow mine in February but now leave it till mid March. I've found little to no difference in the final crop from sowing later. My observations are that earlier ones germinate and then don't seem to grow a great deal until the days begin to lengthen and the weather starts warming.

[Goosegirl]

Mr Dog is quite right there. Later-sown seeds do catch up and make stronger plants, plus growing indoors can make them leggy due to lack of direct light.

[AlaninCarlisle]

I'll report back in 9 months from now

[theothermarg]

Just thinking about sowing mine any time now.  Had a goodish crop last year 
I start them in the house till they show then they go in a unheated but sheltered Greenhouse.  That seems to slow things down so the produce better roots (Well that's my theory anyway 

[pigeonpie]

Sorry to hijack the post, but was just wondering how big the celeriac you've grown in the past have got to?

I love celeriac but when I've grown them in the past no matter how early the seeds were sown they still ended up more beetroot sized rather than the beauties I see in the supermarket.

Has anyone found a particular knack of sowing and growing to get bigger specimens?

[Mr Dog]

Sorry to hijack the post, but was just wondering how big the celeriac you've grown in the past have got to?

I love celeriac but when I've grown them in the past no matter how early the seeds were sown they still ended up more beetroot sized rather than the beauties I see in the supermarket.

Has anyone found a particular knack of sowing and growing to get bigger specimens?

I'm going to be harvesting some later this week (possibly tomorrow) so will put a photo on. They're usually 6"+, usually around 8-9" (getting on for a foot occasionally). The biggest effect I found on the size of root was changing to growing Ilona (from DTB), an F1 variety which hasn't let me down yet.

[AlaninCarlisle]

I grow Monarch and they get to about 8 - 9" across. To me the key is where I grow them. I have a bed on old pasture, quite a way away from the main garden. The soil is quite sticky, gets easily waterlogged with the run-off from the polytunnel next to it but grows beautiful large celeriac. The "better" more loamy bed in the main garden seems to only produce tennis-ball sized celeriac

[pigeonpie]

Makes my small tennis ball size celeriac seem rather pathetic!

I shall have to try them in some heavy peat, and might also try a different variety. It's been a few years since I've grown them so definitely up for the challenge!

[Mr Dog]

I grow Monarch and they get to about 8 - 9" across. To me the key is where I grow them. I have a bed on old pasture, quite a way away from the main garden. The soil is quite sticky, gets easily waterlogged with the run-off from the polytunnel next to it but grows beautiful large celeriac. The "better" more loamy bed in the main garden seems to only produce tennis-ball sized celeriac

Yes, water(ing) is very important for growing large roots. My soil is clay so never really dries out, although I do try and water them (and the celery) once a week. I bought some sprinkler hoses from the £ shop and used those last year for the celery/celeriac and beans. With those I could just plug the hose in and forget about it while I pottered doing other stuff rather than standing around holding the hose or carting the watering can back and forth. The bed where there are going to grow also gets a mulch of either manure or chicken pellets and spent compost the previous autumn/winter; I don't feed them during the growing season but do remove old leaves. I tried a few varieties before Ilona but could never get anything more than about 6" (most were around 4") although I haven't tried Monarch. I do have a packet of those that were sent free with some stuff I ordered a while back so may pop a few of those in and see how they get on.

[theothermarg]

Just sown Celeriac Giant Prague it didn't do too bad last year.