Any good tips on growing Celery

I really like Celery and often make Celery soup when I see reduced Celery in the supermarkets. I've always used at least double the quantity of Celery the recipe says which gives the soup a good consistency and bags of flavour but does mean you need a fair doze of the vegetable.
I have a packet of Celery seed that was given to me so planning to give it a go at growing it for the 1st time.
Is it difficult to grow/fussy as to needs? I can offer acidic soil or alkaline (made so with say wood ash or lime), quite good soil quality which is not very heavy and sun WHEN it shines! Any tips on what to do or not as the case may be would be much appreciated.

 

I did grow the self blanching stuff once and I didn't find it very tasty, the kids guinea pigs ended up eating it. I would love to grow proper trench celery, but have never tried it, on my to do list, maybe next year.

 

I'd be interested in knowing what it likes too.

Having seen this Indoor Gardening: Fantastic Infographics on regrowing veg, I thought I'd give it a go on Sunday and to my surprise, I have a small leaf emerging from the middle and 2 small roots

 

The vegetable expert describes growing trench celery as a lot of hard work, the trench needs to be well manured and the crop needs feeding during growing as well as wrapping in newspaper or corrugated cardboard and then earthing up. Seemingly the wrapping is to keep the soil out and the earthing up is not to blanch the crop, but to straighten and to add flavour.

 

ooh does seem like a fuss, if it needs to be wrapped in cardboard then earthed up.. I'll take my chances, stick it in a pot and earth it, not gonna bother with cardboard. Just read this How to grow celery / RHS Gardening I best be careful when planting it out too!

 

I love celery soup - not had it in years though. Instructions above sound like bloomin' hard work !

 

I remember seeing fields full of the stuff in the Fens in the early 1970's, they were earthed up, but I saw no cardboard or paper.

 

I grew it last year. I put brown paper collars around the base of them. The paper lasted about a week before the weather beat it down. My celery didn't care. It tasted great and wasn't a bother to grow at all. I've got seedlings started already for this year's crop.

 

Hmm well as it's going to be grown mainy for soup I'll give it a go and not worry too much about trying to keep it from going too green. it doesn't need to look pretty just taste good. Never ventured .....etc. The seed cost me nothing so little to loose. Thanks @CanadianLori, wow started already, do they need a very long growing season?

 

I just started some early so I could have successive crops. I started last year's in the spring and in pots then harvested in mid September. We had such a weird season weatherwise that last year is no judge of what to expect.

 

Self blanching celery will benefit from a low (450mm/18") vertical fabric barrier (I use Mypex) placed around the block of plants.

Trench celery is more difficult to get right, but even if grown badly it can produce a huge crop of Celery seeds for culinary use (and sowing the following year).

I always consider seeds to be a second crop with lots of stuff.

 

Its probably slightly different here but, as far as I am aware celery prefers being in shade or semi shade, clay soil, and about 6,5 -7 ph. Plenty humus in the soil, and we usually use seaweed to fertilise it. Never allow it to dry out, its one of the few plants that loves water.

 

Thanks @Sandy Ground and @Scrungee , I do have a bed which is really quite shady. The soil is mainly 5 year old garden compost (had too much and so created a bed with it). It's not that moist as have a Eucolyptus tree growing close by but it's close to a water supply. Would this be worth trying with Celery. It currently has so so Leeks growing in it. They were a late sowing so haven't bulked up that well. It is very sheltered so would I still want to put up a membrane "windbreak"?

 

I tried some Red Celery in the greenhouse last year, with poor results (guessing too much sun, too hot & not enough water. It has survived the winter & I'm wondering what to do with it. Could do with getting it out of the greenhouse, so is it ok to move it out now, or wait until all chance of frost gone (could cloche over). Have a location under tree shadow, never really dries out, so thats where I'm planning...........any further pointers please (and stop talking about the soup - I'm dribbling)

 

Then I guess that I shouldnt mention that celery soup tastes better with some fennel in it?