"Apium graveolens var dulce: First grown as an herb and as a flavoring, celery is now eaten in 3 main forms: celery leaf, sometimes called soup celery; the swollen leaf petiol which is the familiar celery stick form; and the swollen rootstock we know as celeriac Apium graveolens var. rapaceum. Celery is 94% water, which makes it a great diet food. Some dieters claim that chewing celery uses more calories than the stalks contain.

CULTURE: The most successful crops are grown for fall harvest rather than mid-summer harvest. Weather fluctuations and cold nights cause celery to bolt. Sow 1/8 inch deep in sterile seedling mix indoors February through April. Keep soil moist. Days to emergence: 10-20. When raising transplants, you must keep soil temperatures above 55°F and below 70°F. This is vital to success. Transplant 12 inches apart in rows at least 18 inches apart when the weather is warm enough for peppers and melons. Celery is one of the heaviest feeding plants grown in the garden. Apply 1 1/2-2 cups of our complete fertilizer into the soil per 5 row feet to provide adequate nutrition. Also keep well watered; the small-diameter roots grow deeply, adapted to draw large amounts of water from wet, boggy places. Bolting is the result of young plants being exposed to nighttime air temperatures below 55°F for a week or more. Direct sowing is not recommended.
DISEASE: Good preventive measures include crop rotation, adequate water supply, and aphid control.
INSECTS/PESTS: The larva of the carrot fly is an occasional celery pest. Mature larva are 3/8 inch long, straw-colored, and wiry. Worms burrow into the heart and kill or stunt the plant. Crop row covers such as Reemay, Grow Guard 20, or Summer Insect Barrier are very effective deterrents.
HARVEST: In mild climates, celery and celeriac can be overwintered in the ground. Chopping off the entire head is not advisable. Instead, pick individual stalks as needed. In spring, the unopened flowers and the tender stalks below them are particularly good tasting. Where winters are severe, the plants must be dug and stored in a root cellar.
SEED SPECS: Minimum germination standard: 65%. Days to maturity calculated from date of transplant; add 60 days if direct seeding. Usual seed life: 3 years. Approximately 1000 seeds per 1/2 gram; 1/4 ounce is 7 grams.

Sampler: 1/2 gram
Packet: 1 1/2 grams
Unless otherwise noted."

   Open Pollinated