VegetableCelery
Celery
Celery (Apium graveolens) is a cool-season vegetable that thrives in zones 3 through 6, reaching 24 to 30 inches tall over 120 to 129 days. This organic cultivar demands full sun and moderate watering in well-draining soil with a pH between 6.0 and 7.0, rewarding patient gardeners with crisp, flavorful stalks by midsummer. The variety grows taller and produces longer ribs with deeper green color and sweeter flavor than earlier generations, and it skips the blanching step many traditional varieties require.
Photo © True Leaf Market
Growing Conditions
USDA Zone
3-6
Sunlight
Full Sun
Water
Moderate
Soil
Moist, Fertile, Well-drained Loam Rich In Organic Matter
Growth Stats
30 in
Height
18 in
Width
Spacing
6
Plant Profile
Sunlight
Full Sun
Water
Moderate
Zones
3-6
Size
30in H x 18in W
Growth
—
Care
Moderate
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Highlights
Ferry-Morse introduced this improved celery in 1953, breeding it specifically for height, rib length, and color intensity. You'll harvest stalks individually for salads or cut entire plants for market gardens, with mature plants developing a prized semi-blanched golden-pink heart that catches farmers' market shoppers' eyes. The intense red stalks contrasting against emerald green leaves create visual appeal while delivering the tender, sweet crunch home gardeners have chased for decades.
Common Uses
Fresh celery stalks work beautifully in salads, where their crisp texture and sweet flavor shine without cooking. Harvest individual stalks throughout the season for snacking or chopping into salads, or wait for full maturity and cut entire plants for storage, soups, stocks, and braised dishes. The tender inner leaves and heart add textural contrast to composed salads and garnishes.
Growing Timeline
No timeline data available yet for this variety.
Care Instructions
Start Indoors
Start seeds indoors 8 to 10 weeks before your last spring frost, maintaining soil temperatures between 60 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit. Celery germinates slowly, so provide steady moisture and gentle warmth until seedlings emerge. Transplant seedlings outdoors after the last frost date when nighttime temperatures remain above 50 degrees Fahrenheit.
Transplant Outdoors
Harden off seedlings over 7 to 10 days by gradually exposing them to outdoor conditions. Transplant into the garden after the last frost date, spacing plants 12 to 18 inches apart in full sun. Water well after transplanting to settle soil around roots.
Harvesting
Begin harvesting individual stalks once plants reach usable size, typically around 8 to 10 weeks after transplanting. Snap or cut outer stalks at the base, leaving the central stalks to continue growing. For full plant harvest at 120 to 129 days, cut the entire plant at soil level when the inner heart displays a semi-blanched golden-pink color. This variety's red stalks offset by emerald leaves and the golden-pink heart provide clear visual cues for harvest timing.
Growing Calendar
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Companion Planting
Pests & Diseases
Ecology & Traits
Edible
Bloom Time
Seasonal Bloomer
Scientific Classification
Apium graveolens
Family
Apiaceae
Genus
Apium
Native Status
L48 (I)CAN (N)
History & Origin
“Ferry-Morse Seed Company introduced this organic celery variety in 1953 as an improved celery strain. The breeding work focused on three clear goals: plants that grow taller than the original Utah variety, longer ribs, and deeper green color paired with sweeter flavor. This represented a significant step forward in celery breeding, as the variety eliminated the need for labor-intensive blanching while improving both appearance and taste.”