Seven Tips for Better, Healthier and Tastier Celery

Celery really makes a soup or stew “pop”. It gives them both great flavor, not to mention celery goes great with buffalo wings. Growing celery in your home vegetable garden is simple to do and with these tips you are sure to succeed.

Tip #1: Just Cover

Celery seeds are very small. In fact to plant just a single seed in a location is nearly impossible, although I use tweezers so that makes a big difference. Because they are small they lack the energy to push through the soil and grow if you plant them too deep. To ensure their success lightly cover the seeds with soil.

Tip #2: Start Indoors

Give your celery a head start by having them germinate indoors. Planting the seeds ten weeks prior to the last frost will give them plenty of time to grow and that makes it easier to move them outdoors.

Tip #3: Stay in the Correct pH Range

Celery grows well in soil with a pH range that is slightly acidic. Keep your soil level above 6.0 and less than 7.0. If you are unsure what your soil’s pH level is, now is the time to go and buy a simple soil tester from your local home center or garden nursery. They are about five dollars and will also give you the info to adjust your soil accordingly.

Tip #4: Proper Spacing

Nobody likes to be crowded and that goes for your celery as well. Space them out at least eight inches to give their roots plenty of room to grow.

Tip #5: Sun, sun and more sun

Celery grows well in full sun but will tolerate light shade. If you have an area in your yard where you can put your celery that receives sun all day long, then do so. Your celery will thank you for it.

Tip #6: Heavy Water

Make sure you give your celery a daily dose of heavy watering. I like to use a moisture level soil reading tester which gives me an exact reading of the amount of moisture in the soil. They are affordable at around ten dollars and they take away a lot of the guess work.

Tip #7: Plants to Avoid

For home vegetable gardeners that follow a crop rotation, be sure your celery avoids following lettuce or cabbage. If you practice the art of companion planting then keep your celery away from carrots, parsley or parsnips.

Celery is not a vegetable most people think about when they start their gardens. Once you add this great tasting item you will wonder why you never added it sooner.

About the Author
Michael C. Podlesny is the administrator for the largest Vegetable Gardening page on Facebook.