Celery, Stalk celery
It is a warm temperate plant. It is mainly grown in the highlands in the tropics. It grows up to about 2100 m altitude. It is damaged by frost. It often grows naturally in swampy conditions. In the tropical lowlands it grows as a small leafy plant but can be used for flavouring. Seed germination is best at 14-21°C. It requires a rich sandy loam soil. Because celery has shallow roots it needs plenty of moisture and does best in humus rich soils. It does best with temperatures below 26°C. It needs a pH between 5.8-7.0. It suits plant hardiness zones 5-10.
Also known as:
Hon k'an, Seledri
Synonyms
- Apium dulce Mill.
Edible Portion
- Leaves, Stalks, Herb, Root, Spice, Seeds, Vegetable, Caution
Where does Celery grow?
Found in: Africa, Algeria, Asia, Australia, Cambodia, Cameroon, Caucasus, Central Africa, Chad, China, Cook Islands, Côte d'Ivoire, East Africa, East Timor, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Fiji, Hawaii, Himalayas, India, Indochina, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ivory Coast, Japan, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Macedonia, Malawi, Malaysia, Mediterranean, Mozambique, Nepal, New Zealand, Niger, Nigeria, North Africa, Pacific, Papua New Guinea, PNG, Philippines, Scandinavia, SE Asia, Serbia, Singapore, Slovenia, South Africa, Southern Africa, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Switzerland, Tanzania, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Tonga, Turkey, Tuvalu, United States, West Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe
Notes: There are about 20 Apium species.
Status: It is a commercially cultivated vegetable. Plants are fairly commonly seen in highland markets in Papua New Guinea.
Growing Celery, Stalk celery
Cultivation: Plants are mostly grown from seed and transplanted. Seedlings are spaced at 10-25 cm apart. To produce white stalks, the plant is wrapped up or soil is mounded up around the plant. Newer varieties will naturally form whiter stalks. Plants should be grown close together to keep sunlight off the stalks. This applies especially for the naturally whitening (blanching) varieties. The stalks are cut before the plant flowers.
Edible Uses: The leaf stalks are eaten raw or used to flavour foods. The leaves can also be used for flavouring. The dry ripe fruit can be used for flavouring. e.g. in salt. The juice is blended with other vegetable juices. Caution: It is not recommended in large amounts during pregnancy.
Production: Leaf stalks take about 9 months from seed until harvest.
Nutrition Info
per 100g edible portion| Edible Part | Energy (kcal) | Protein (g) | Iron (mg) | Vitamin A (ug) | Vitamin c (mg) | Zinc (mg) | % Water |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
Celery, Stalk celery Photos
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