Celeriac
If you have a greenhouse, coldframe or a window sill you can grow celeriac from seed. Ready to plant out into the allotment in spring.
Its big and fairly ugly however celeriac is a wonderful vegetable, and easy to grow in the home garden. You can grow celeriac from both seeds or plugs, readily found for sale.
Grown for its roots which are used in soups, as a mash or finely grated into salads, it is a favorite of ours.
And yes it is related to celery which is grown for the stalks. It certainly does not look like it, and it is far easier and we think more worthwhile in the garden.
Celeriac Varieties
This is a root vegetable with a unique nutty flavor when cooked or roasted. Varieties include:
- 'Monarch' - Smooth skinned
- 'Prinz' - Good disease resistance and not prone to bolting.
- 'Alabaster' - Large bulbs, high yield. Good disease resistance and not prone to bolting.
- 'Albin' - An excellent high yeilding disease resistant variety
- 'Diamant' - Long storing, smaller bulbs than some but excellent taste
- Bianco del Veneto - Rather small bulbs and not a favoutite of ours.
Where to grow celeriac
In the allotment try to plant seedlings in a position that has not been used for nitrogen fixing plants such as peas and broad beans, we are trying to encourage bulb growth, not leaf growth.
Preferring a sunny to part shaded position in a well drained but moist, humus rich well composted soil.
How to grow celeriac
Seeds need to sown early, and this means they should be planted in the greenhouse to give plants a good start however plant them out before they get to big for best results. Most gardeners will soak the seeds for a day before sowing, this seems to help germination.
We like to grow them in those coir pots that can be planted directly into the ground, newspaper tubes will do as well. This means the roots get minimal disturbance. If you are starting them in the greenhouse, then remember to harden them off before planting out.
Once transplanted into the garden a good liquid fertilizer made from worm castings is a great organic way to water in celeriac.
Celariac Care
Assuming you have the required humus rich well drained soil and good sun then you need the following care regime
- moisture, celeriac needs to be moist at all times, not wet , but moist
- use a liquid seaweed fertilizer rather than a high nitrogen type.
- harvest is late autumn after the first frosts
Celariac Problems
- Lack of moisture
- Slugs are attracted to new growth
- Leaf spot - remember to use good crop rotation, you can spray if you are that way inclined.
- Side shoots which need to be removedPlants
Celariac seedling and seed suppliers for the UK
DEFLAND NURSERIES LIMITED
Benwick Road, Doddington March, Cambs. PE15 OTU
tel. 01354 740553 fax 01354 741200
Specializing in Organic Plants for Garden Allotments. Vegetable, Salad, Herb, Strawberry and Ornamental