Beautiful but non bulbing Celeriac

Monarch  or Giant Prague - 5th year at trying to grow this veggie and both varieties.  I sow indoors in Feb, prick off into individual pots and plant out when the weather and plants seem ready.  Again this year I have fabulous lookiing plants.  Good greenery and healthy strong roots...but nothing in between the two bigger than a deflated ping pong ball and on some plants not even that big!  I have allotments in various places, all with different soils and have tried on all of them.  Well worked heavy clay.  Sandy soil and lovely 'London loam' - but always the same result.  Zilch on the plate. What am I doing wrong     Shirl Girl

I do as MoS suggests. As the summer progresses, I start taking off some of the stems, a few at a time each week until eventually I'm just left with about 3-4 stems.

Just dug up my celerac today and I had lovely heads. I garden on clay soil which I manure annually, and water when its dry. I feel the real key is the stripping off of top leaves when the plant reaches a certain size so that the bulb can then size up.

Celeriac is one of only a few veggies that are very very gross feeders. The more manure and compost you add will pay you back with fast growing plants which will start to fatten while the weather is mild. Come late july / early august, as said above, you can start removing the leaves that are
on the outside of the plant, until eventually you have large bulbs with little green growth. Lots of water and lots of feed through the summer!

Totty

l

As indicated - Celeriac are gross feeders (as is celery but not related)
So ensure bed is wellprepared  with plenty of muck plus a good sprinkle of growmore
and then a regular liquid feed during the growing period plus a sprinkle of potash....
It is the sortof long haul crop that needs a bit of TLC.....  a bit like cauli's I guess.....

Ah yes.  Water.  Now I probably failed miserably in the watering area too. With 35 rods and a 'no hoses' policy, watering is not something I can major in. Once seedlings and plantlets are established they have to dig their roots down deeply to get the water they need.  A once weekly drenching is probably the only help they get.
Thanks Cooperman - and Kipper.   I'm going to lavish more care on them next year.  I grow great caulis so will treat my celeriac the same.   I am determined.........   :-)  What is your favourite variety ?
Shirl Girl