Growing Celeriac

Apium sp. : Apiaceae / the umbelliferae family

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

(Best months for growing Celeriac in USA - Zone 5a regions)

  • S = Plant undercover in seed trays
  • T = Plant out (transplant) seedlings
  • P = Sow seed
  • 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 46°F and 70°F. (Show °C/cm)
  • Space plants: 18 - 31 inches apart
  • Harvest in 14-28 weeks.
  • Compatible with (can grow beside): Beans, brassicas, carrots, leeks, lettuce, peas, sage, tomatoes, onions

Your comments and tips

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06 Apr 15, Gary Rios (Australia - tropical climate)
I'm in Melbourne now but moving to Philipnes soon and it's mostly hot and humid there. I'd like to know can I grow celeriac when I get get there. The soil is mostly well draining sandy
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17 Sep 14, Melisse Clark (Australia - cool/mountain climate)
I thought I planted celeriac at the right time - May, but now Sept & no bulbs. It's been nice & damp, good drainage with compost pre-dug in, planted in full sun, but cool thru winter. They look like they've had to much nitrogen though I haven't used it. If I added potassium now, how long could I/should I leave them?
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11 Sep 16, Taleya (Australia - temperate climate)
If the plants have survived, then leave them as is - they should hopefully start to swell up into bulbs and give you harvestable produce by december/january
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29 Aug 14, Bobbie (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
I brought my seeds on ebay
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23 Apr 14, Drago (Australia - temperate climate)
Masters, at least in Dandenong South Cnr St Gippsland Freeway & Princes Hwy, VIC we bought seedlings. It is funy that when I went now to search on line I could not find it
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24 Sep 13, Amanda (Australia - temperate climate)
generally, lots of leaf but no bulb would mean too much nitrogen and not enough potassium. Nitrogen is used for leaf and stem growth, K is essential for fruit and flower formation. grow in soil that has had hungry plants like leafy greens of broccoli grown in it previously, and avoid high nitrogen manures, use well matured compost instead. The parent crops of modern cultivars of celery and celeriac grew in marshes, so make sure soil is deep and moisture holding. All through summer, it will be just leaves but the bulb will swell suddenly in a burst of metabolic resource direction in autumn/ early winter, in order to give itself food stores for the cold season. If temperatures are cool in your winter, you can leave in the ground unitl you need to harvest them.
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23 Sep 13, Aaron (Australia - temperate climate)
I have been growing celery in my garden for the last 8 months, I decided to pull a few of them out and the bulbs on them were huge!! Is this also celeriac ?
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19 Aug 13, Bob (Australia - temperate climate)
Can you eat celeriac leafy stems
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04 Sep 13, Ruth (Australia - cool/mountain climate)
Hi Bob, yes you can, chopped up in soup gives a great flavour, but not so nice, too strong, for salads....cheers
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11 Sep 16, sue brown (Australia - temperate climate)
I found Celeriac great to eat when grated into a green salad and also coldslaw. with a French or Italian dressing.
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Showing 31 - 40 of 79 comments
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We live near Bendigo. For years i have tried to grow Celeriac but unsuccessfully, first in Scotland and subsequently in Australia. The plants always ran to seed before forming a good root base. Last year i bought beautiful seedlings in June, planted them, they grew fantastically then bolted, I pulled them out. I tried growing from seed but direct sowing has never worked. Growing in a good seed mix did work but then the seedlings struggled and many failed in the ground. However my third attempt last year has resulted in some good sized celeriac which we are eating now. They are just showing signs of bolting though so are all getting lifted this week. They are very sensitive to drought so keep the plants well watered. Watch your plants for any signs of bolting and if they show them, rip them out and start again! I think now is a good time to start some in trays. I cannot find any seed yet this year but there are plants in the garden centres that i would not bother with - they are root bound and sure to bolt. Good luck. Celeriac is such a beautiful vegetable.

- Richard MacEwan

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