5 Tips for Growing Celery

Whether you are enjoying it with peanut butter or ranch dip, celery is a healthy and tasty treat that people love to munch on. This year, why not try growing some celery yourself? Having fresh celery at your fingertips can be quite easy and affordable, you just need to know a few special tips and tricks. Take a look below at how you can get started at growing celery in your own garden.

5 Tips for Growing Celery

1. Prepare your seeds.
About 6 weeks before the last frost, you can begin celery seeds indoors. If you are going to be planting directly outdoors, the tiny seeds can be hard to work with. To make things easier, mix your seeds with some sand and then toss the entire mixture into the soil.

2. Pick the Perfect Planting Time
You need to be sure that the temperature outside is at least 55 degrees or higher for one week or more before planting outdoors. You also want to be sure that the threat of frost has passed. Celery is a tad temperamental when it comes to temperature, so taking care to not skip this step and take precautions is key to a strong start.

3. Pick the Perfect Spot.
You want to be sure your celery is planted in a spot that gets 6-8 hours of sun. The celery will need a little shade and cool off time, so all day long sun is not necessary. The soil should also be full of nutrients, so turn compost or slow release fertilizer into the soil prior to planting.

4. Give them LOTS of Water.
Celery plants LOVE water and want lots of it. Celery will quit on you if it gets dry at all. You also risk ruining the taste if the plant gets too dry. To avoid this, always keep the base of the plant moist and well hydrated. Water daily and check the soil twice a day if possible.

5. Blanch the celery.
Blanching is a great way to get the best flavor out of your plant. To do this, build a mound of soil around the plant. Every other day add more dirt making the mound larger. You can begin blanching a few weeks prior to harvesting your celery and continue until the day you pick it.

Give these tips a try and see how fun and rewarding it can be to grow your own celery!