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

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23 Feb 20, Liz at Gardenate (New Zealand - temperate climate)
To change the information about soil temperature - open the page for Celery and click on (Show °F/in) next to the soil temperature information
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23 Nov 19, Lois Thornton (Australia - temperate climate)
How do I know when celery is ready to harvest
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25 Nov 19, anon (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
- HARVEST - 17-18 WEEKS from planting. Or when it looks like the stuff in the supermarkets.
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29 Nov 19, Mel (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
I use stalks as needed from the time they are as thick as your pointy finger ... they just seem to keep growing back the more I cut
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14 Aug 19, craig (New Zealand - cool/mountain climate)
what is meant by lifting celery after 11 weeks (Gardenate ed.- i have revised that and added 'to use' after lifting )
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14 Aug 19, Gary (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
What are the best pkt seeds to buy can't seem to find a reliable one Thanks in Advance.
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15 Aug 19, (Australia - temperate climate)
Trying to germinate celery seeds needs a lot of care and time. You need to have a very fine seed raising mixture. Use a sprayer to wet the soil not a hose. You need to plant the right time. The seed is small and takes 2-3 weeks to germinate, so means you need to have the soil moist but not wet for all that time. Unless you are prepared to do this then you will have failure. I would normally suggest buying seedlings from Bunnings/nursery but for 6 years I bought celery and end up with some other thing different - Italian parsley??? so I don't try any more.
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06 Nov 19, Dale (Australia - temperate climate)
Sure celery takes time and patience. I have now some 30 seedlings about 3 weeks from planting out so they will be strong enough and will cover some stalks but will plant close together. But when they are ready you appreciate the effort because the flavour is divine.
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27 Jun 19, Ghulam (New Zealand - temperate climate)
hi l am living in canterbury now can i plant celery?
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28 Jun 19, (New Zealand - temperate climate)
Look up what climate zone you are and check when to plant.
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Showing 41 - 50 of 117 comments
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There are lots of reasons why some seeds do not have the "plant in garden option -- also know as sow outdoors". It could be that the plant has a really HIGH germination temp -- so by the time the soil and air temperature was reached and sustained, there would not be much time left in the growing season: examples of high germination temps: : Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) 80-90 °F (27-32 °C) , Eggplant or Aubergine (Solanum melongena) 75-90 °F (24-32 °C) and watermelon -- which in the low temps requires more days to germinate (temp needs to be sustained longer) than it does at high temps: Watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) 70-95 °F (21-35 °C). It could also be that the plant has a high number of "days to harvest" -- that is the time it takes to grow from seedling to full grown -- so giving the plant a head start by sowing in doors in trays allows you to grow a plant that might not otherwise grow in your area . Maybe Leeks. or sweet potatoes. Also, sowing in trays makes better use of space -- for things like succession planting --- so if you are planning on harvesting a spring crop then using the space for a summer crop - you can start the summer crop indoors, giving it a jump start. So plants are also very susceptible to bug damage, wind damage, trampling, seedlings being eaten by birds etc. Also if the plant has a really low germination rate, sowing in trays is a good idea. So, WHY a particular seed does not have a sow outdoor option for your area will depend on the plant and the particulars of your area.

- Celeste Archer

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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.
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