Lazy Celeriac

Some advice please. I have about 24 celeriac in the ground - grown from seed early last year. The leaves look good, bright green no yellowing, no sign of pests BUT they don't seem to be bulking up - I've just pulled one and the root is about the size of a golf ball. Do I just keep fingers crossed and leave them or have they not formed as they should?
Jen

 

Hi Jen, Celeriac isn't the easiest crop to grow well. It needs friable but permanently damp, rich soil. I doubt the long, hot summer would have helped! You could leave them in the ground, but the most likely scenario is that they'll produce flower stalks and then die without ever having decent sized roots. I buy big, healthy plants from our local market in Spring which, if kept well-watered, produce a few useable roots, so that might be the way to go later this year?

 

Thanks for that - so annoying as they take so bloomin long from seed to plant out stage! It's impossible here to give them permanent damp soil it's so dry here in the summer just keeping things from dying of thirst is a challenge. It's high teens today so flower stalks it looks like...I'll report back if miracles happen and I get to eat one!