Not something I’ve ever thought about trying to grow before, until I was given a packet of celery seed. I’ve seen this grown on the Fens, the dark soil earthed up against the rows of celery stalks and leaves, looking all rather impressive and clever. Trying to replicate that seemed like it would be rather hard to do, so I’ve never done it. Until now.
This was self blanching celery so no need to bank it up, although I did anyway. I sowed them in pots and, without thinning out, I planted them out earlier on in the year in the garden, grouped together. They like a lot of water and so I gave them a lot of water. They never grew too large as they were all competing a bit between themselves where I didn’t thin them out but when I looked the other day they did look like little mini celery stalks, so I picked my first lot.
They were small, but they looked like celery and they tasked like celery. All a success on a miniature scale. Minimal effort and fuss (not what the books suggested) I just kept them well watered. Just like our surprise sweetcorn success last year, celery will be sown again next year in the garden.
Sweetcorn is growing well and cobs have formed, mostly at least two to a plant. Tomatoes I continue to cut prune and tidy up, lots of green fruit that hopefully over the coming weeks will start to turn red. Always late in the session in the garden, normally around September time we find ourselves eating as many tomatoes as we can.
We have been picking beans, french and runner, and pulling up beetroot. Just the other day I spotted a tiny cucumber and by the end of the week it was ready for picking, which is what we did. Since then there are quite a number of cucumbers which we will pick every so often as needed.
The potatoes have been dug up, although more pulled up as no digging was really needed. These have done very well with over 3kg from just three plants. Much better than on the plot but then the soil is a lot more controlled in the raised bed in the garden and so it is expected (but not always achieved).
