Growing Celery In East Texas...Successfully

[Meadowlark]

Celery has long eluded me as a successful garden veggie here in East Texas. It is very unforgiving on the temperatures it demands 50 deg F to 75 deg F, requires a long growing season up to about 150 days in the preferred temp range, and just in general a very environmentally sensitive plant.

Here in Texas, growing temps shoot above 75 deg F in early March sometimes late February and continue through October. It is very difficult/next to impossible to find a 150-day window that meets the criteria here.

After several failures, I finally came up with what looks like a solution to the stringent requirements of celery....Hügelkultur (HK) containers.

I started plants from seed last year mid-Sept indoors in AC...still many days above 75 deg F.

Transplanted the strongest seedlings into HK containers outside about mid- Oct. Still some days above 75 deg F but not as many. By mid-Nov. the seedlings were thriving in the HK containers.

Now the game became one of protecting against low temps, instead of temps > 75 deg. F. Most nights that temps fell near or below 32 deg. F, I covered the celery plants with N-sulate...however, when the polar vortex hit and sent temps into the teens, N-sulate alone was not good enough.

Here is where the real utility of the HK containers comes into play. They are portable.

I moved them into an adjoining shed and provided heat lamp(s) for protection.

They survived and now are thriving again with stalks going 8-10 inches. These would be harvestable, but I'm going to let them grow more before cutting.

Barring another polar vortex event, they should thrive now until about March 1 when temps will climb above the 75 deg F threshold. However, they will be members of a prime salad before that happens...and that is going to be one enjoyable salad.

 

[oneeye]

That looks so cool friend. Growing celery in Texas is a challenge for sure. I have a 400-watt high-pressure sodium light I keep in a small barn. It keeps the plants growing and warm at the same time during Winter. When the temps drop in the 30s, I just put the outdoor plants under my light and the light keeps the whole barn warm, plus the plants grow like crazy. When the daily temps warm back up, I just return the plants to the Sunshine. The plants get the best of both worlds. I may try growing some celery next year.

 

[Meadowlark]

I have a 400-watt high-pressure sodium light I keep in a small barn. It keeps the plants growing and warm at the same time during Winter. When the temps drop I just put the outdoor plants under my light and the light keeps the whole barn warm, plus the plants grow like crazy. When the daily temps warm I just return the plants to the Sunshine. The plants get the best of both worlds.

Yes, pretty much the same here @oneeye .

Celery has a fairly limited root system and my HK containers more than accommodate them with up to 6-8 heads in each container. I do move them in and out of small shed however in when temps are extreme and out when moderate.


In this particular case, thus far only one move in and one move out...but maybe more required.