[monsta]

whats the best type of celery? self blanching or normal? and is it hard to grow?

[whippersnapper]

I won't be growing it again.

I found it very hard to germinate and then never really matured.

Tricky stuff.

[DavidT]

I`ve only grown it once, never again. When I harvested it I developed huge water blisters on my hands and arms.

[Shadrak]

From what lm told it take alot of attention to detail. It likes damp conditions with lots of organic matter. If you are going to give it go the self blanching varieties are the place to start the old fashioned trench types take to much work. Better still grow Celeriac..

[monsta]

I`ve only grown it once, never again. When I harvested it I developed huge water blisters on my hands and arms.

was this because of the celery or hard work harvesting?

From what lm told it take alot of attention to detail. It likes damp conditions with lots of organic matter. If you are going to give it go the self blanching varieties are the place to start the old fashioned trench types take to much work. Better still grow Celeriac..

not keen on celeriac self blanching sounds like its possibly worth a try. 

[DavidT]

Because of the celery. I didn`t know I was allergic to it. Glad I`ve never eaten it.lol

[penance]

I grow Loretta, a self blanching variety.
Started off in root trainers with around 80% germination. Good crop grown infront on my runner bean row.

TBH, quite easy to grow so long as you pay attention to soil prep and watering.

[yorky]

I've always found the self blanching very easy to grow. I germinate the seeds at about 65 degrees and then prick out into individual cells to grow on untill planting out time. Because they are a bog plant you need plenty of organic matter in the soil and you must water them just about every day.

The problem I found with the traditional blanched types is that the slugs loved to get under the blanching collar where it was impossible to get at them.

[monsta]

so i dont just sprinkle the seeds in rows! do you need special equipment to germinate seeds or will the airing cupboard do? 

[DD.]

You need special equipment such as this.



You may find the airing cupboard too hot for some seed and if you do take your eye off those that germinate.........

[monsta]

You need special equipment such as this.



You may find the airing cupboard too hot for some seed and if you do take your eye off those that germinate.........

so a sealable bag and a windowsil or radiator?

[DD.]

I just leave them in our bedroom, much to the disapproval of Mrs Digger. It's an even temperature in there and you can keep an eye on things as they need to come out of the bag as soon as they germinate.

[monsta]

I just leave them in our bedroom, much to the disapproval of Mrs Digger. It's an even temperature in there and you can keep an eye on things as they need to come out of the bag as soon as they germinate.

great will try it! cheers DD! 

[solway cropper]

I grew self-blanching in large tubs last year and it worked well although best picked when young. As the stalks grew more mature they also grew more stringy. Having said that a couple of minutes in the blender and they made a good basis for soup. Water is the key, it needs loads of water and loads of organic matter. If you can provide those it seems easy enough to grow.

[kermit]

Celery was one of my few unqualified successes last year - and that was my 1st year!  Started off in peat pockets, pricked out to one per pocket, potted on as per normal, then out in my raised beds.  The soil had plenty chicken pellets added a few weeks before, and good quality top soil.  They were perfect - from reading this post maybe our wet weather up here helped them. 

As young plants, just pick stems off to eat raw.  WHilst they lasted and kept growing up to the first hard frosts, they did get a bit stringy so just used them for stocks, roasting with meat, etc.

So, easy for me, bu maybe just lucky.  Cant remember variety Im afraid, but didnt have any messing around to blanche them so must have been self-blanching.