This is the journal of my endeavours to grow a range of fruit, veg and flowers from seed, grow organically, and my attempts to create a personal paradise with 1/2 acre of maintained gardens and 1/2 acre wild meadows. Northern Ireland's average daily high temperatures are 18 °C (64 °F) in July and 6 °C (43 °F) in January. Soil type: Clay

Monday 30 April 2012

Veg (Celeriac, Celery, Leek, Potato)

Walking around the garden...  I'm kind of embarrassed....  I'm finding last year's celeriac dotted around the garden (quite a bit of it). I grew celeriac for the first time last Spring from seed, planted it outside in June, and much of it is still in the ground almost a year later!

I harvested some in late Summer but:
- it was very small,
- it took me ages to clean and prep it,
- by the time I peeled it I had nothing left to eat.

So, I just left it in the ground (all year) wondering if it would ever get to a decent size. It didn't die down over Winter so it's still there. I suppose its not edible now and I should pull it up (I keep procrastinating!).
Better view of celeriac - a year later - it has finally reached a bigger size!
Left: celery that never died over the Winter. Right: celeriac. Behind: chives.
Leeks are now starting to grow flower stalks. They're actually really pretty in flower. 
I noticed a strange looking plant with a thick red stem  in my flower bed  - a radish.
Below tiny radish seedlings more recently sown in a tub with parsley.
Many veg and flower seeds sown - its just a waiting game now!
Above kale and below celery, sown at the the same time.
Celery is so tiny!

Potatoes, Maris Peer, earthed up earlier today. This year I'm growing Maris Peer and Pentland Javelin. Pentland Javelin are 1st earlies and were a random purchase so looking forward to seeing how they do. Maris Peer do well every year!

11 comments:

  1. All good winter warmers Kelli, perfect for my plot here with winter approaching. I've never actually grown celeriac before so maybe I should?
    I love to see all the little seedlings raring to go.
    Gardening always throws up surprises especially when something appears where it wasn't planted...Have fun ;D

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  2. I wish my vegetables were as persistent as yours! I love those little surprises that pop up where you don't expect them. Your seedlings are looking great.

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  3. Potatoes and Leeks..... Sounds to me as if you garden for the very same reasons I do. ;) Namely for the potato leek soup or the colcanon.

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  4. I've grown Pentland Javelin before and they were really good. Give the celeriac a try, you won't know if it's any good still unless you do.

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  5. Like JO I'd be tempted to test the celeriac. It certainly is a waiting game - waiting for the rain to stop!

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  6. I've never grown celeriac successfully - at least you have something to show for your endeavours. I don't have any more room for sowing seed at the moment - not until I get the greenhouse emptied a bit - if it would only stop raining for five minutes.

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  7. The potatoes are looking good. I don't know anything about celeriac...never heard of it until I started following your blog! It looks like more trouble than it is worth to me. After being in the ground so long, it is probably kind of like radishes and turnips that get bitter if in the ground too long. Hope your seedlings keep growing nicely and you will soon be putting them in the ground. Happy gardening!

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  8. I love celeriac and tried to grow it once. The weather was dry and the crop was disappointing - I had all the same issues with it as you. Could you make celeriac soup using the leaves instead of the root?

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  9. Probably the celeriac is still edible? As it has not sent out any flower stalk. I never tried growing them yet. Not enough water here to meet the demand.

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  10. Hi Kelli, look at all those lovely seedlings! My goodness you're going to have a great veg garden this year! I have to laugh at your description of the summer harvest of celeriac last year. Your potatoes are looking great :)I hope you have a bumper crop! Cheers, Jenni

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  11. I just got Maris peer....if I am low to earth up does that affect them growing tubers underneath? Thx!

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