This fall, I finally solved the “too much celery in the kitchen” problem. You might know what this is — having to buy a big bunch of celery stalks when you only need a couple of pieces for a recipe. Sometimes, it is nearly impossible to get through an entire bunch of celery before it must go to the compost.
My solution is to grow celery at home. It is fairly easy. Local nurseries seem to carry a steady supply of starts most of the time.
Years ago, I tried to grow celery and failed miserably. The main reasons were planting it as a summer crop and not watering it enough. It was tough and bitter.
What celery needs most is rich soil, plenty of water and full sun. Winter and early spring crops get all the moisture needed due to cool, wet weather. To make the soil rich enough to meet celery’s needs, I add chicken manure pellets, blood meal and alfalfa pellets prior to planting the starts. A thick mulch of rice straw rounds things out.
Unlike other cool season winter crops, pests such as slugs and snails are not a problem with celery. And harvest is slow and easy. When celery gets to be 8 inches tall, I begin to harvest an entire plant for whatever a recipe calls for. Simply pluck the entire plant and use it all.
And blanching is not necessary since local nurseries carry varieties that are self-blanching, meaning you do not have to cover the stalks with soil or material to prevent sun exposure. Besides, early harvest of small plants assures fresh, tender stalks. The abundance of leaves are bright and flavorful. The stalks are as well, but they are quite small compared to the grocery store behemoths. These mini celery plants are very well-suited for soup, stew, stir fry and even tuna salad.
Right now, nurseries are more geared up for holiday sales so celery starts might not be readily available. But just wait until January when things settle down. When you find some celery starts, grab them and start planting. You will be glad you did.
Terry Kramer is the retired site manager for the Humboldt Botanical Garden and a trained horticulturist and journalist. She has been writing a garden column for the Times-Standard since 1982. She currently runs a gardening consulting business. Contact her at 707-834-2661 or terrykramer90@gmail.com.
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