Now becoming more popular in the kitchen, celeriac is grown for its celery-tasting knobbly roots, which are grated and added to salads. It can be used as a celery substitute and is easier to grow. The leaves can also be used as a garnish on salads or soups and the roots cooked as a hot vegetable or made into soup.
Sow from mid-February to April at 15C (60F) in pots or trays of compost. When large enough to handle transplant the seedlings singly into 7.5cm (3in) pots or module trays. Or sow two seeds in a pot/tray and remove the weakest seedling.
Grow on the young plants at a minimum temperature of 10C (60F) and harden off the plants by acclimatising them to outdoor conditions before planting out.
The young plants are planted out at the end of May/early June. They are very sensitive to cold weather at this stage, so planting out should be delayed if the weather is cold. Plant out 30cm (12in) apart in rows 40-45cm (16-18in) apart making sure not to bury the crown - the stem base should be at soil level.
Water in dry weather and mulch around the plants.
Remove any sideshoots as they form and from mid-summer onwards remove a few lower leaves to expose the crown.
In late September draw a little soil around the swollen stem base to keep it white.
Start lifting from late September/early October. In most areas, where the soil is well drained, the roots can be left in the soil until required. If overwintering them in the ground, cover with straw or compost to protect against frost.
