Lucy Chamberlain’s Fruit and Veg
Moisture-loving, crunchy and nutritious, celery and celeriac will reward the patient gardener with generous returns and robust flavours, as Lucy explains
WITH the nights drawing in, our thoughts are turning to the crisp, nutty flavours that these two veg can offer. Add cheese and wine, or cream and garlic, and you have some delicious winter evenings at your fingertips.
Both celery and celeriac are known botanically as Apium graveolens, with celery being A. g. var dulce and celeriac A. g. var. rapaceum. Being biennial plants, they would naturally run to seed in their second year, but we harvest the crunchy stalks or ‘petioles’ of celery, and the bulbous ‘hypocotyl’ (not the roots) of celeriac beforehand. Both require very similar growing conditions (see my tips on the following page) to succeed.
Early bulking up
Patience is needed with germination. Set your propagator to 16-18ºC (61-64ºF), keep a judicious eye on the compost’s moisture levels, and don’t expect emergence for at least a week. Carefully harden off young plants in late April or early May – don’t rush because chills can trigger bolting in sensitive varieties.
Growth is rapid in late spring and early summer, and this period is key for good yields, so irrigate freely. Scorching summer days can inhibit bulking up, no matter how much you water.
“Keep a close eye on moisture levels”
Avoid pitfalls
Pests and diseases can easily be thwarted: add slug controls, especially during the cool, moist conditions of autumn. Pick off any leaf miner damage (irregular yellow-brown splodges) as soon as you see it, rotate crops to avoid sclerotinia rot, and ensure celery seed is treated for septoria leaf spot. Some folk are sensitive to celery foliage, coming up in a skin rash, so simply cover your arms when harvesting.