100-110 days. Famous celeriac of Çanakkale, Turkey. 3-4 in, 200-300 gr, oblate/round roots have white flesh and firm texture. Foliage is dark green and can be eaten like celery. Amazing sweet flavor with parsley overtones. Sturdy branches produce plenty of seeds in the second year. Very cold hardy. A must-grow for heirloom gardeners.
Celeriac is native to the Mediterranean region and of my mom’s most favorite vegetables to cook with. Celeriac plant culture is same as celery’s but in Turkey, traditionally root version is celebrated. Although celeriac was one of the very few vegetables I refused to eat when I was a child, later in life I became a big fan of this very nutritious and flavorful vegetable. My mom traditionally cooks sliced celeriac roots with carrots (sometimes potatoes as well) for a vegetarian, olive-oil based recipe. She also makes another version with lamb.
Celeriac is a biennial crop, and for a small seed company like ours, it is extremely challenging to maintain and multiply its stock seed just like any other biennial seeds. These seeds require infrastructure such as a greenhouse in very cold climate regions to minimize cold damage if the farmer’s intention is to leave plants in ground over winter. If the plants are grown in the field and need to be dug for storage, then the farmer needs to have winter storage space. In West Virginia, in our hardiness zone 6, we were able to leave the roots in ground over winter and covered them with frost cover only on very cold days when temperatures dropped below 0F.
Our current seed stock was grown by Hank Keogh and Jo Erikson of Avoca Seed in Corvallis, OR. Avoca Seed is certified organic by Oregon Tilth. Photos by Hank Keogh. We greatly appreciate both Hank’s and Jo’s help to propagate seeds for this amazing biennial crop.
Packet has 0.25 gr (~600) seeds
Commercially introduced by us in the U.S.
Phonetically pronounced:
- Apium graveolens
- Needs full sun
- Planting depth: Surface seed and lightly cover with soil as light is necessary for germination
- Sprouts in 15-20 days
- Ideal growing temperature: 60-75F
- Plant spacing: 6-8″
- Frost hardy: Yes for light frost
- Growth habit: Compact plants branch out from the main stem
- Growing tips: Start celeriac seeds indoors in seedling trays or small seedling pots with seed starting soil that has essential nutrients in it, 8-10 weeks prior to last frost. Surface seed (don’t bury the seeds) and lightly cover with soil as celeriac seed needs light to germinate. Keep the soil moist for improved germination. Once the plants have two sets of true leaves, transplant seedlings to trays with larger holes. Celeriac is a heavy feeder and thrives in rich, well-drained soil with plenty of organic matter. Once the leaves are 4-5 in long, apply organic liquid fertilizer on leaves once every 10 days. Mulch to suppress weeds, retain soil moisture and blanch the roots.
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