How To Grow Celery From Shop-Bought

Growing celery is a fantastic way to utilise those celery bases bought from a store or a grocer, and it is so easy if you have some outside space not in direct sunshine, some soil and a little dish. As a side note for those who don’t know, make sure the celery you buy is not G.M.O. because you will not be able to grow it – take a look at the label to check or ask the seller if you need to.

Start by saving the base of your celery with all stalks cut off (as they probably will be anyway). Get a shallow dish or container, and put the celery into it with some water. You just want the roots to be covered, so not too much water – cold will do but warm water is preferable.

Keep your base water somewhere that is not too dark but not in direct sunlight either. I like to keep mine inside until they are ready to be planted but you can put it outside. Just remember, celery is perfect for those tricky shaded areas in your growing area – making it a great choice of plant if you have such a spot and are trying to find something to thrive there.

After three to four days, you should see some new leaves and tiny stalks sprouting up from the centre. This is the re-growth that needed to be encouraged and you can go ahead and plant it. Make sure that you have moist soil and place the base somewhere that gives it room to expand underneath and on top. Again, make sure it is not in direct, beaming sunlight.

Once planted, your celery should grow quite quickly if in the right conditions. Check every few days, and if necessary keep topping with soil until you see new stalks growing up. Remember to keep the soil moist – when it begins to dry out, give it plenty of water. In my experience, celery should take a handful of months to grow big enough to harvest but it varies depending on location and season. I planted mine in Winter and harvested in Spring, but a great way to learn yourself is just to keep a watch over it until you deem the stalks big and wide enough for your liking. At that point, you can pull the celery out gently and begin the whole process again as long as the base still looks healthy. If you are a celery lover, it is a really easy way to be self-sustainable and enjoy the vegetable freshly grown. Remember that the leaves can be eaten too!

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