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Vegetable

Celery

Apium graveolens var. dulce

A slow, thirsty crop grown for its crisp stalks. In Adelaide, raise seedlings in spring or late summer and keep them well watered through the heat, or the stalks turn stringy. Most of the growth comes in the last few weeks, so be patient.

When to plant where you live

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Planting times for other areas

Varieties (3)

  • Green CrunchCrisp green stalks; widely sold as seed in Australia
  • Peppermint StickRed-striped stalks; less inclined to bolt in hot weather
  • Tall UtahStandard green celery with long, thick stalks

Neighbours

Grows well with

From seed to plate

  1. Plant

    30 cm apart, rows 40 cm, seed 2 mm deep. Full sun or part shade.

  2. Water

    Keep constantly moist.

  3. Feed

    Rich compost, then liquid feed fortnightly.

  4. Pick, from about 12 weeks

    Cut whole plants or pick outer stalks.

Good to know

  • Seed is tiny and slow; sow on the surface of seed raising mix and keep it moist for 2 to 3 weeks
  • Plant in a block rather than a single row; neighbours shade each other and stalks grow longer
  • Wrap stalks in newspaper for 3 to 4 weeks before harvest for paler, milder stalks
  • Give afternoon shade in an Adelaide summer

Common problems

  • Stringy, bitter stalkscaused by dry spells; water deeply and mulch well
  • Bolting to seedlong cold spells can trigger it; avoid planting out tiny seedlings in mid winter
  • Leaf spot (septoria)remove spotted leaves, water at the base
  • Slugs, snails and aphidshand pick snails at night, hose off aphids

If you use a garden chemical, follow the label exactly. Try organic options first, and ask the community or Plant Doctor if you're unsure.

Ask the garden helper about celeryAny question, answered from the plant libraryHow others are growing celeryQuestions, tips and harvests from the community
Where this information comes from

Reviewed by AI cross-check (Claude), not a horticulturist on 29 Oct 2026. Version 1.