Homegrown celery is extremely rewarding, not just because it is so much more flavorful than the selection at the supermarket, but because it requires a bit of patience from the gardener. We've been harvesting from our celery patch for Manresa since January, from plants that were sown back in July.
We selected a new variety to try this time, D'Elne from GourmetSeed.com, an Italian company. Once the seeds were sown, then we started to play the waiting game......Two months later our sprouts were finally big enough to prick out into 3 inch pots!
Next, a little more waiting, until the celery starts were 4 inches tall.
Then we planted them in a raised bed that we amended with our regular recipe, 8 inches apart in an offset, or checkerboard, pattern. This spacing allows us to fit more plants in than with straight rows. Once the celery was planted, more patience, sunshine, and a good amount of water were required to get to the wonderful day when we could harvest our first mature celery ribs.
Instead of harvesting the whole head, single ribs can be cut as needed, to extend the celery season we've waited 6 months for. And is it worth it! Celery from the store cannot prepare you for this deep flavor. With almost zero calories and tons of fiber and calcium, this vegetable is a great addition to soups, stuffing, and Bloody Marys! Patience is a virtue and so is backyard celery, so start your celery seeds now to plant after the last frost. For more information on growing your own celery and other vegetables, consider taking our Summer Vegetable Gardening Class.
Sounds really nice. I would love to have a go at growing my own. Did it take six months to grow, or did you guys get two harvests out of six moths?
Posted by: Topsoil suppliers | February 22, 2011 at 01:18 AM
Really nice one This spacing allows us to fit more plants in than with straight rows.
Posted by: Danny DeMichele Entrepreneur | February 21, 2011 at 02:27 AM