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How to Grow Celeriac in the Vegetable Garden

Celeriac produces a large celery flavoured swollen stem. A relative of celery it is easier to grow. It does, however need a long growing season and must never go short of water to crop well. Celeriac takes twenty six weeks from seed sowing to harvest.

This increasingly popular root vegetable can be grated and eaten raw in salads or boiled and mashed either on its own as a low carbohydrate substitute for potatoes or combined (half of each) with mashed potatoes.

Get Celeriac off to an Early Start in Spring

Sow under glass in 9cm pots in February or March. Germinate in an electric propagator set at 16 degree C. Celeriac can be sown in a cold frame in March/April but the roots won’t get so big. When the first true leaves begin to form prick the seedlings off (transplant individually) into 7-9cm pots of multi-purpose compost. Keep the temperature above 10 degrees C and give them plenty of light before hardening them off prior to planting out in mid-May.

Varieties of Celeriac to Grow

There are only a few varieties of celeriac seed available:-

  • ‘Giant Prague’ has good flavour.
  • ‘Prinz’ shows good bolting resistance.
  • ‘Diamant’ is an F1 of good shape, colour and with long storage life.

Feed the Soil Well and Celeriac will Thrive

This vegetable will cope with a little shade, but celeriac demands a fertile, moisture retentive soil to grow well. Before planting enrich the ground with plenty of humus in the form of garden compost or well rotted farmyard manure.

Planting and Spacing of Celeriac Plants

Plant so the crown is just above soil level and space the plants 30-38cm each way.

Caring for the Growing Crop

Mulch the soil around the plants with garden compost or leaf mould to help retain moisture and control weed growth. In dry weather water at least once a week. Give a liquid feed once every two weeks. From mid-summer onwards remove some of the outer leaves to expose the stem. Celeriac is generally a trouble fee crop, but slugs may feed on seedlings and if so must be controlled.

When Celeriac is Ready to Eat

Fully grown roots about the size of a coconut are ready to harvest from early autumn. They can be left in the ground. A covering of straw and fleece will protect them from all but the severest ,prolonged cold weather.

Don’t Worry if You have Missed the Sowing Dates

Celeriac plug plants are available for delivery from mid-May from mail order suppliers including Delfland Nurseries and Marshalls Seeds. So prepare the ground now keep the young plants moving without a check and by autumn time the wonderfully flavoursome roots of celeriac will be ready for the kitchen..

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