Celery - Ask Extension
I am brand new and gardening. We planted celery in my garden last year nothing happened.
But now we have a very tall plant about 2 feet tall and a l...
Knowledgebase
Celery #869543
Asked May 21, 2024, 9:02 PM EDT
I am brand new and gardening. We planted celery in my garden last year nothing happened.
But now we have a very tall plant about 2 feet tall and a little plant.
See pictures. None of my neighbors know what to do.
It looks like they are trying to flower. Is it time to harvest or is it too late, what do I do?
Thank you so much. ( I lived in a town house for years so had no yard and trying to learn everything I can now)
So grateful for having experts like you available.
St. Mary's County Maryland
Expert Response
Lucky you to have some fresh celery to enjoy!
Celery is a biennial vegetable plant, so it's normal for overwintered celery to be developing flowers now. The stalks and leaves can be harvested and used now. When it's beginning to flower, the stalks are more fibrous and somewhat bitter but can still be used (cooking will soften the stalks).
The leaves can be used anytime (like parsley). If some of the flowers are left to develop seeds, the plants will re-seed pretty easily, and they will have new leafy growth and stalks on the new first-year plants by late summer/fall.
After seed dispersal, the second-year plants die down.
Christine
Celery is a biennial vegetable plant, so it's normal for overwintered celery to be developing flowers now. The stalks and leaves can be harvested and used now. When it's beginning to flower, the stalks are more fibrous and somewhat bitter but can still be used (cooking will soften the stalks).
The leaves can be used anytime (like parsley). If some of the flowers are left to develop seeds, the plants will re-seed pretty easily, and they will have new leafy growth and stalks on the new first-year plants by late summer/fall.
After seed dispersal, the second-year plants die down.
Christine
