Self- blanching celery does not need earthing up, but non-self- blanching celery is grown in a trench because it needs earthing up to make the stalks go white.

To grow the non-self-blanching celery:

• dig a trench one spade blade depth & 18inches wide

• place well rotted farm yard manure or compost in the trench & fork into the bottom soil

• replace all the topsoil, except the last 3 inches

In late May, plant celery seedlings into the trench, 12inches between plants in the row & 10 inches between rows

When plants are 8 inches high:

• loosely lie the stems up with string

• remove all straggly stems coming from base of the stem

• surround the tied stems with a collar of corrugated paper

• earth up with about 3inches of soil

Keep earthing up every 3 weeks until the soil is up to the base of the leaves

Keep celery moist at all times, and water well when ever the soil dries out

The celery is lifted from the ground as required through autumn and winter.

Self blanching celery does not require growing in a trench.

celery