Growing Celery

Apium sp. : Apiaceae / the umbelliferae family

Jan F M A M J J A S O N Dec
                  S S  
T                     T

(Best months for growing Celery in New Zealand - cool/mountain regions)

  • S = Plant undercover in seed trays
  • T = Plant out (transplant) seedlings
  • Grow in seed trays, and plant out in 4-6 weeks. Sow seed at a depth approximately three times the diameter of the seed. Best planted at soil temperatures between 54°F and 70°F. (Show °C/cm)
  • Space plants: 6 - 12 inches apart
  • Harvest in 17-18 weeks.
  • Compatible with (can grow beside): Not applicable as celery needs to be close together to encourage blanching.
  • Avoid growing close to: Sweetcorn

Your comments and tips

Post a comment or question Display Newest first | Oldest first, Show comments for New Zealand | for all countries
18 Jun 09, Sue (Australia - tropical climate)
My 1st ever crop growing well but very green not mature yet how does it go white is there somthing i have to do like you do with leeks.
Reply or Post a new comment
10 Mar 09, Barb (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Celery needs very regular watering, and regular light fertilising to keep it growing fast. I've heard that growing too slowly causes the thin stems and not so nice flavour.
Reply or Post a new comment
05 Mar 09, Kate (Australia - temperate climate)
I planted celery in October last year - it grew beautifully and nothing has damaged it, but the celery hasn't developed to the size I expected and it doesn't taste good. It is the right height but the stems are very thin. Can anyone offer suggestions for next time?
Reply or Post a new comment
01 Feb 09, amy (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
i have bought celery ,cut off the bottom and planted that. small ,thin stalks will grow but thats about it.does anyone have comments or suggestions ?
Reply or Post a new comment
Showing 111 - 114 of 114 comments
See comments for all plants

Celery take a long time to grow. After 2 months my seedlings were like 3 week old lettuce. I don't know your climate but we grow them autumn into winter. I will finish picking mine this week (last week of winter- Australia- sob-tropical climate). Maybe a bit of fertiliser to kick them along. They need sunlight. Hope they are in a decent size pot, have a big root system.

- Anon

Please provide your email address if you are hoping for a reply


All comments are reviewed before displaying on the site, so your posting will not appear immediately

Gardenate App

Put GardenGrow in your pocket. Get our app for iPhone, iPad or Android to add your own plants and record your plantings and harvests

Planting Reminders

Join 60,000+ gardeners who already use GardenGrow and subscribe to the free GardenGrow planting reminders email newsletter.


Home | Vegetables and herbs to plant | Climate zones | About GardenGrow | Contact us | Privacy Policy

This planting guide is a general reference intended for home gardeners. We recommend that you take into account your local conditions in making planting decisions. GardenGrow is not a farming or commercial advisory service. For specific advice, please contact your local plant suppliers, gardening groups, or agricultural department. The information on this site is presented in good faith, but we take no responsibility as to the accuracy of the information provided.
We cannot help if you are overrun by giant slugs.