Celeriac

Growing Guide

Celeriac is one of the most under-rated winter vegetables, combining a faint celery and aniseed flavour with a versatile creamy texture. Simply put, celeriac is the root of a type of celery plant. IThe texture is close to a turnip or potato.

Start seeds off from February, sowing thinly in a small pot or seed tray. Place the pot or tray in a propagator or cover with a clear plastic bag and keep in a warm location. Alternatively, place in a coldframe in milder areas. As celeriac seeds are very fine, sow the seed onto the surface of moist seed sowing compost and lightly cover to its own depth, for the first few weeks water from below or finely mist the surface.

Germination of celeriac is know to be erratic and so it it is worth sowing more seeds than you expect to harvest as mature plants. Once seedlings appear, grow on in a frost-free greenhouse or coldframe. Harden off before planting out 30cm apart, once any danger of frost has passed.

Outdoor sowings in April and May, should be made in shallow drills 20cm apart and thinned after germination, if being moved to a final planting place, do so in June.

TOP TIPS

Celeriac is a moisture-loving plant, so keep the soil constantly damp – it should never be allowed to dry out. Cover the ground with a thick layer of mulch, such as garden compost, to hold in moisture, and keep the area weed free.

As the plants mature, remove the outer leaves when they fall horizontal, to expose the crown and allow the root to develop. Remove any side-shoots if they appear.