The reclamation of the celery plant is a satisfying one! Have you ever noticed the occasional celery in your fridge, that has its tender green center seeming to be trying to escape the prison of its older surrounding stalks? Almost like that recalcitrant teenager wrestling free from the bondage of its parental units! It wants to keep on growing! To be free! Well, that's a little far fetched...but, bear with me!
This guy will grow in the water glass on the window sill for a while...they grow at their own rate...just like kids! Let me show you the ones from Reclamation Garden 2017, and the process going from edible to growing again.
These are some of the celery butts from last season. I leave about an inch and a half at the bottoms for sturdiness and to keep the delicate new growth from soaking or sitting in water, which will cause it to rot. There's a hard callus at the base of the celery, from its being exposed to the drying air. Shave enough off to just expose new flesh.
Peel back a couple layers of the outer leaves, to form a sort of rim at the base. This will allow the celery to more easily generate roots. We're going to help these guys out! These four will go to the water cups until they have new growth sprouting and a sufficient root system.
I change the water every couple of days, when it's cool outside; daily once the temperatures get warmer, to avoid stagnation. Just fill it up past the ridges by about a half inch.
After a week to 10 days, you should have some new growth sprouting from the center. It's okay to transplant it now, into your good quality organic potting soil. I planted ours deep enough to almost cover the old celery, leaving the new growth well above the surface. As it matures, you can add a bit more soil.
It'll take a bit, and if you're in a hot climate like I am, you'll want to water your container celery daily, but make sure the pot is well drained. In a few weeks, you, too, can have renegade politicians hiding in your celery patch!
The second generation celery won't be as tender as the mother plant. However, for any slow cooked process, soups, stews or gumbo, it's ideal! I don't recommend it for the crudite platter! I try to only cut off what I need, from the outer growth of the celery plant, allowing the centers to continue on their merry way. Some of my reclaimed celery fell to our first frost this year, but I've still got some growing, that made it to the greenhouse. After it warms back up, I'll take some pictures of those...granting that they made it through the week!
I love having these reclaimed veggies at the ready! As you already may have noticed, I make a lot of soups...and it's a rarity that the soup doesn't call for celery!
I hope you're enjoying my posts, as we traipse our way back to the gardens, in search of Spring!
All my Steemian friends, have an awesome day! The sun is shining again, and I've got goats to treat!
Steem on!
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