Growing, harvesting and storing celeriac

Celeriac may not add visual value to a vegetable garden, but its unmistakable celery flavor makes growing it very worthwhile.

Celery root (Apium graveolens var. rapaceum) is not only a soup vegetable, but can also be used in many other ways. We show what you should consider when growing in the vegetable garden and how you can preserve the tuber. With this knowledge, nothing stands in the way of growing celery and you can enjoy the miracle tuber from your own garden.

Celeriac: origin and properties

The vegetable, also known as root celery, knobbed celery or in Austria as cellar, is one of the oldest cultivated plants in our region. The plant is generally at home in temperate latitudes in the northern hemisphere.

The celeriac reaches a height of up to 60 cm and forms its storage organ partly from the root and the shoot. This yellow-brown celery bulb weighs between 200 g and 2 kg, depending on the variety and environmental influences. On average, the weight is 650 g and the tuber diameter is 10 cm. The leaves of a healthy celeriac plant look fresh and bright green and have a pinnate leaf shape.

Generally it is a biennial plant. But since celeriac becomes woody, flowers and loses its taste in its second year of vegetation, it is harvested as a vegetable in its first year. This means that in most beds it is only found for one growing season. However, if you want to get the seeds, which can also be used as a spice, overwintering is necessary. The plant is considered bee-friendly because it produces abundant nectar. However, this is only formed during the flowering period in the second year. The white individual flowers consist of 5 petals and are present in umbels. They bloom from July to September. After pollination, two small, flat seeds form in a five-rib split fruit. The celery seeds ripen in September.

The best varieties of celeriac

When looking for the right seeds, you may come across more than a dozen different varieties. In addition to their taste, these differ largely in the aspects of bolt strength, tuber size, disease resistance and resistance to blackening. These varieties are recommended for growing in your garden:

• 'Athos': Strong, aromatic taste; bulletproof; suitable for early planting dates; easy to harvest due to a small root base.
• ‘Ibis’: Nutty taste; fast growing, large and smooth tuber; bulletproof; resistant to leaf spot disease (Septoria apiicola).
• 'Mars': Intense, slightly nutty taste; good storage stability; thick, green-white and fleshy tubers; resistant to celery rust (Puccinia apii).
• 'Monarch': Mild, nutty taste; extremely large, light-colored tuber; resistant to celery rust.
• 'Prince': Mildly spicy taste; bulletproof; suitable for greenhouses; white, firm flesh; very productive; resistant to celery rust.

Growing celeriac: when, where and how?

Celeriac thrives best in a sunny spot in the vegetable patch, raised bed or cold frame. The vegetables require deep, nutrient-rich and moist soil. Since celeriac is a heavy feeder, one should ensure in the crop rotation that there is no celery or other umbelliferous plants (Apiaceae) such as in the 3 to 4 following years Carrots (Daucus carota subsp. sativus) or Parsley (Petroselinum crispum ssp. crispum) can be grown in the same place. In addition, a break in cultivation helps prevent the appearance of the carrot fly (Psila rosae) and to avoid root nematodes. However, they are good follow-up plants Kohlrabi (Brassica oleracea var. gongylodes), cauliflower (Brassica oleracea var. botrytis), Leek (Allium porrum), Brussels sprouts (Brassica oleracea var. gemmifera), Sweetcorn (Zea mays) and Beetroot (Beta vulgaris subsp. vulgaris var. condition).

Planting celeriac: Here's how to do it

Due to its long vegetation period, root celery should definitely be preferred. The seeds are sown in seed pots filled with potting soil between mid-January and early March. A special sowing soil, such as ours, is suitable for this Plantura organic herb & seed soil particularly good with its loose, airy structure. Because the plant grows to the light germination heard, you don't cover the seeds with soil, but just press them lightly. To ensure good moisture supply, you should water well and cover the pots with foil until germination. They should be placed in a bright place at around 20 °C and begin to germinate after around 14 days. To avoid frost damage, the small plants are kept indoors until mid-May and are not cultivated any cooler than 16 to 18 °C. You shouldn't water too much to avoid waterlogging. At the time of planting, the vegetables should have reached a height of 5 to 10 cm. You can start planting at the beginning of May at the earliest. It is often recommended to only plant the plants outside after the Ice Saints to avoid frost. However, they should be planted by the end of June at the latest.

In order to create the best starting opportunities for the celery plants, the soil should be loosened and cleared of weeds beforehand. It is best to plant celery with a row and plant spacing of 40 cm. The vegetation point should not be covered with soil.

Mixed culture with celeriac

The following are considered good neighbors of celeriac in the mixed culture in the vegetable patch:

• Leek
• Beans (Phaseolus vulgaris)
• spinach (Spinacia oleracea)
• tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum)
• Cucumbers (Cucumis sativus)
• cauliflower
• Kohlrabi
• Other types of cabbage

Should be avoided:

• potatoes (Solanum tuberosum)
• Corn
• Lettuce (Lactuca sativa var. capitata)
• paprika (Capsicum)
• Carrots

The right care

Adequate watering of the plants is important. However, waterlogging must be avoided at all costs because it strongly encourages infestation with root fungi. Since the young specimens tend to shoot, they should be covered with fleece at temperatures below 10 °C. This is particularly important for older varieties - newer ones are usually more bolt-resistant. To combat weeds, you should occasionally hoe between plants throughout the entire cultivation period.

Due to the high nutrient requirements of celeriac, a significant increase in yield can be achieved by fertilizing during growth. Heavy eaters have an increased need for potassium and nitrogen in particular. For example, our potassium-rich one is suitable Plantura organic tomato fertilizer terrific. This has a long-term effect of 3 months. In addition, from June onwards, occasional watering with plant manure is recommended, as this contains nitrogen and potassium and thus promotes tuber formation. A sufficient supply of boron is also important, as celeriac is prone to heart rot if there is a boron deficiency. Boron is mainly found in stable manure and compost made from manure. These fertilizers should be incorporated into the soil in the fall before planting or at planting time.

When the celery bulb has reached the size of a walnut, the soil in the upper part of the bulb should be removed slightly. This leads to the upper roots drying out and supports tuber formation.

If there is an infestation with pests such as the celery fly (Euleia heraclei) occurs, the bed should be covered with culture protection nets. Voles are other pests of celery. If these are a known problem in your home garden, it is recommended to set up box traps in winter. Since they find less food in the cold season, bait is more effective here.

In order to produce celeriac seeds for propagation or consumption, the celery must be overwintered. In mild winters you can leave it in the ground and cover it with brushwood, straw or fleece. At temperatures below -5 °C, the vegetables must be dug up and buried in sand in a place protected from frost. This involves shortening the herb above the root neck.

Harvest celeriac

Harvesting celeriac is possible from the end of August to the beginning of October and should definitely be done before the first frost. To do this, pull the plant out of the ground by the leaves. The longest possible shelf life of the harvested vegetables can be achieved by storing them in moist sand in a frost-free cellar. To do this, shorten the roots and twist off the outer leaves. Basically, you should only wash the root celery immediately before consumption to ensure the best possible storage conditions.

Storage: Freeze celeriac

The vegetables will keep in the vegetable compartment of the refrigerator - wrapped in cling film or a damp cloth - for up to 14 days. However, celeriac can also be frozen and preserved:

1. Cut off any remaining roots and leaves
2. Peel the celeriac with a sharp knife
3. Cut depending on later use: For example, into small cubes for soups or into slices as a basis for a celery schnitzel
4. Fill into freezer bags or cans with enough space (do not include too much air in freezer bags)
5. Seal the container airtight
6. Store the celery in the refrigerator until ready to use

preparation

The spicy celery root can be prepared in a variety of ways. For example, it is suitable as a soup addition, for oven-baked vegetables, celery salad or as the main ingredient in a vegetarian celery schnitzel. The leaves of the vegetable can also be eaten, for example fresh or dried as a soup seasoning.

Do you have to peel celeriac?

The root vegetables should be peeled because the outer skin is quite hard and rather less tasty.

Can you eat celeriac raw?

You can also use celeriac Celery (Apium graveolens var. dulce) eat raw. This means that all valuable nutrients are retained. However, the vegetable in this form can have a very flatulent effect.

How healthy is celeriac?

Celeriac is considered extremely healthy because, despite its low calorie content of only around 19 kcal per 100 g, it contains a variety of minerals and vitamins. It provides the body with zinc, iron, potassium, sodium, phosphorus, vitamin C, various B group vitamins and carotenoids. It is also said to have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and digestive effects.

Would you also like to find out more about the other growth forms of the aromatic vegetable? Here we explain them to you Differences between celeriac, cut celery and celery.