[Stratts]

Hi guys I'm gonna try celery for the 1st time and need some advice please.

What height and when do they need planting out? I have space for a block of 25 but they seemed to germinate and grow at differing rates so they range from 2" down to tiddlers!

I have read about them needing plenty of water.  I thought about digging out the planting area so they are in a square trough so to speak to make it easier to water & retain any we get when they go in.  Good idea?

And I have loads of bits of 4" diameter plastic drain pipe cut into about 10" lengths.  Could I place these over the plants when they go in to help blanching and to keep the slugs at bay?

Cheers

Stratts

[sunshineband]

Slugs'll just go in your pipes 

Mine were fine last year, about ten-twelve inches apart in a block, and tied up with brown string round their middles when they were about eight inches or so tall.

Got plenty of water, with BFB raked in mid summer and they were just fine

This year's seedlings are in modules now and have three proper leaves

 

[solway cropper]

Is it trench celery or self blanching as they need different growing techniques. I grow self-blanching and put them in blocks of five so they shade each other. When big enough I wrap plastic DPC membrane round the outside of the block which helps with blanching. As sunshine says, slugs love to live inside the plastic pipes. I tried it once and ended up with very holey celery.

[sunshineband]

Sorry stratts, forgot to say I shall not be planting mine out until frosts have finished, and by then I expect them to be about five inches or so tall

[Stratts]

Ah ok thanks guys it is self blanching Lathom Galaxy.

I'll leave it all in the house for a good while then it should be a good size when it's planted then too.

What about the trough idea for retaining water?  Worth the effort as the plot is black fen soil which drains real easy.

All this rain and after 1 day sunshine the other day the top 1" was bone dry and cracking!!!!!

[Salmo]

The farmers used to grow trench celery on the black peat soil between Yaxley and Holme Fen. They used to earth it up in enormouse ridges with a special plough. No celery tastes better than off that soil, really crisp and nutty. You used to see it on the local markets and occasionally still do. Some of the peat there goes down over 10 ft. They used to dig it for commercial compost until the planners stopped them. The last area was along by the Holme post which was allowed to enhance the nature reserve.

[compostqueen]

I am growing self blanching celery and I've not planted mine out yet. I was potted them on today as they are quite a size now as I've been holding off planting them as the weather is so foul

They like a water retentive soil so I add plenty of manure to the planting patch and keep them well watered until they're growing away. 

[Stratts]

Thanks again guys i spent most of my childhood playing in Holme Woods!!

I have some manure but it has not totally rotted down yet, would this still be ok?  It's about 6 months old maybe older,

Cheers

[compostqueen]

Well I'd use it but most folks seem to insist on their muck being totally rotted down. 

I wouldn't sow seeds in fresh muck but for your celery plants it should be fine - as you say it's six months old. The sting should have gone out of it by now    Work it into the soil a bit as if you leave it lying about on the top the blackbirds hoik it out and chuck it everywhere. Your plants can go the same way too if you don't get some soil over it

[Stratts]

Nice one thanks I'll get some in the ground this week