[DigIt]

Third attempt at this infernal veg. We love to eat it but so far the previous two attempts to grow it, have been dismal failures.

So now I ask of the keen celeriac people out there, how do you start ?

I've sown the first batch and now they've germinated. I know they don't like getting checked particularly by colder conditions and the books say to prick out as soon as the seedlings can be handled. Would that be at first true leaf stage, earlier or later?

I'm pretty sure I can get the soil fertility right later but I think past attempts have faltered in the early stages.

Any help offered will be much appreciated.
 

[strangerachael]

Well, I'm no expert, I have grown celeriac several times but never had much success. This year is their final chance and this is my strategy for one last attempt: I started the seeds off early (January), I have pricked them out into 3" pots (when just big enough to handle - no true leaves yet) and they are currently in the greenhouse.  There is no frost forecast for a few days but if there is a frost they will get extra protection. Until this year I had never pricked them out before, just left them in the tray until they're big enough to plant out. That might be one mistake! This year I'm going to lavish them with TLC. When it comes to planting out I plan to prepare a deepish trench, lined with newspaper, and filled with lots of compost, water retaining crystals and chopped up cellulose sponge. Maybe a mulch on top as well, such as straw. They do like a lot of water apparently, so this will hopefully keep them nice and moist. I'm not sure what I will feed them with, but will do some research on that after planting out. Apart from that all i can do is keep my fingers crossed.

[Mrs Bee]

I love celeriac but it is a difficult beggar to get started.

The first time I grew them from seed OK but they didn't grow very big! I did put them in the garden as we hadn't cleared much of the allotment at that time.

Last year the seeds didn't germinate and I complained to Mr Fothergill who replaced them and those didn't germinate either. I had them in a propagator. Luckily Mr Sainsbury had some small plants; quite reasonable too so I brought them, potted them on and then we prepared a raised bed on the lotty. Dug the clay over topped it with loads of fresh horse manure and then the free compost you get from the council.

i know I am not supposed to use fresh manure but we had run out of matured stuff.
Well our celeriac have kept us full all winter and they grew like the clappers! Really big beasts. So I know what I will do this year.

I have just sown celeriac seeds and will see if this lot germinates. If not I will buy the plants from Mr S again and sav myself the grief.

[sunshineband]

I've never seen celeriac seedlings for sale --- must look harder 

[savbo]

they definitely need warmth to germinate....I won't be doing mine til March...

[DigIt]

Thanks for the feedback Rachael and Mrs B.
At least I'm not on my own thinking they're a bit of a swine to grow
 

[Totty]

They dont any sort of check when little. Looks like a warm spell is coming so now is the time to sow if you can keep any later frosts off of them.
 I sow them into modules, this way they need not be pricked out at all until they are ready for planting out. (leave it to just one per module though)
 Celeriac, like celery are gross feeders and the richer the soil the better. We choose a nice piece of ground that has had alot of manure added over winter and will top dress with poultry manure pellets halfway through the summer.
 When you have an abundance of green growth, carefully scrape a little soil from around the small bulb so it is not impaired and start removing the outer green leaves once a week. Come september/october you should be left with a rapidly developing bulb with very little top growth at all.

Totty

[Mrs Bee]

I start mine off in a heated windowsill propagator. But that still didn't work last year. Keep checking mine and hoping for the best this year!

[bigben]

I have mine sown in loo roll tubes full of compost in a propagator over a radiator. So far nothing except white fur on the loo roll tubes!

[DD.]

You may have them too warm.

I've never failed with the seed tray in a plastic bag in the bedroom.

[strangerachael]

When you have an abundance of green growth, carefully scrape a little soil from around the small bulb so it is not impaired and start removing the outer green leaves once a week. Come september/october you should be left with a rapidly developing bulb with very little top growth at all.
Totty

Oh yes, I forgot about that removing the leaves bit - I have tried it in the past, but it didn't help. I think I have just not fed and watered enough previously. If they still don't grow very big after being lavishly watered and fed, then I will have to conclude that I just have the wrong sort of soil, and will give up 

[compostqueen]

I grow mine from seed each year but they are divas!  I have mine in the conservatory at the moment and the heat is turned off. They have a lid over them and I'm keeping a close eye on them.  I might give them a bit of bottom heat if they don't appear within the next few days.
They are tiny seedlings which get potted on when they have their true leaves.  I do small seedlings like this in little clumps rather than individually as they hold each other up. I do the same with basil.  They seem to take ages to get to any size so patience is required

I plant mine out only when they are robust to cope with the cut and thrust of the plot. They like muck in the soil as it retains moisture and feeds them.  I water til they get established

[DigIt]

I grow mine from seed each year but they are divas!  I have mine in the conservatory at the moment and the heat is turned off. They have a lid over them and I'm keeping a close eye on them.  I might give them a bit of bottom heat if they don't appear within the next few days.
They are tiny seedlings which get potted on when they have their true leaves.  I do small seedlings like this in little clumps rather than individually as they hold each other up. I do the same with basil.  They seem to take ages to get to any size so patience is required

I plant mine out only when they are robust to cope with the cut and thrust of the plot. They like muck in the soil as it retains moisture and feeds them.  I water til they get established

Thanks CQ. I shall wait til the first true leaves before I pot on.

[bigben]

I have mine sown in loo roll tubes full of compost in a propagator over a radiator. So far nothing except white fur on the loo roll tubes!

Here I am quoting myself! When I got home and checked they have all come up! I had not checked since Saturday and they all came up together sometime between Sunday and yesterday.

I have now removed the lid from the propagator and need to find a bright windowsill as the one they are on gets little sun. Am now very excited about the possibility of some celeriac. 

[Growster...]

I grow mine from seed each year but they are divas!  I have mine in the conservatory at the moment and the heat is turned off. They have a lid over them and I'm keeping a close eye on them.  I might give them a bit of bottom heat if they don't appear within the next few days.
They are tiny seedlings which get potted on when they have their true leaves.  I do small seedlings like this in little clumps rather than individually as they hold each other up. I do the same with basil.  They seem to take ages to get to any size so patience is required

I plant mine out only when they are robust to cope with the cut and thrust of the plot. They like muck in the soil as it retains moisture and feeds them.  I water til they get established

Thanks CQ. I shall wait til the first true leaves before I pot on.

How are they doing Digit?

I'm putting mine in small clumps in paper pots, and think I may 'spot' plant them out in 'stations', as the soil just doesn't have a good build-up of manure or compost yet.