Utah Tall Celery, also known as Utah Tall 52/70, stands as one of the most reliable heirloom celery varieties, introduced in 1953 and cherished for producing sturdy, stringless stalks that reach an impressive 24 inches tall. This robust cultivar delivers thick, crisp, medium-dark green stems with compact tender hearts that transform homegrown celery from a mere soup ingredient into something worth braising, sautéing, or grilling. Maturing in 100 days, it thrives in full sun and offers exceptional disease resistance while maintaining the superior flavor that makes gardeners question why they ever settled for store-bought celery.
Full Sun
High
3-11
24in H x 6in W
—
High
Hover over chart points for details
What sets Utah Tall apart is its remarkable combination of height, crispness, and stringless texture that eliminates the fibrous disappointment of many celery varieties. The stalks grow thick and sturdy while maintaining tenderness, and the variety's disease resistance paired with temperature tolerance makes it far more forgiving than typical celery. Its compact hearts develop beautifully alongside the tall outer stalks, giving you options for both immediate harvest and continuous cutting. This is celery bred for flavor and reliability, not just appearance.
This celery excels far beyond the traditional soup stock role, with its exceptional crispness and flavor making it ideal for braising, sautéing, grilling, and fresh eating. The thick, stringless stalks juice beautifully while the tender hearts add complexity to raw preparations. Its robust texture holds up well to cooking methods that would render lesser varieties mushy, making it particularly valuable for dishes where celery plays a starring rather than supporting role.
No timeline data available yet for this variety.
Start seeds indoors 8-12 weeks before the last frost date, soaking seeds overnight to speed germination. Sow seeds 1/8 inch deep in flats or trays, gently pressing into moist soil. Keep soil consistently moist as seedlings are slow to start.
Transplant seedlings when they reach about 6 inches tall and have 1-2 sets of true leaves, after hardening them off and when soil temperature stays consistently above 50°F. Space transplants 10 inches apart in rows 18 inches apart.
Harvest when stalks reach about 12 inches tall or when the plant achieves desired size, typically around 100 days from transplant. Cut in the morning to avoid heat stress, and choose between harvesting the entire plant at once or cutting outer stalks while leaving young inner ones to continue growing. The stalks should feel firm and crisp with good color development before cutting.
Enter your ZIP code to see a personalized growing calendar for this plant.
“Utah Tall 52/70 emerged in 1953 as an improved variety that quickly established itself as a benchmark for quality celery production. The variety name reflects both its Utah origins and its designation numbers, representing decades of selection for the ideal combination of height, crispness, and disease resistance that modern gardeners have come to depend upon.”