Celery not germinating

[monkeyboy]

Seeds were from moreveg. Celebrity celery. I sowed all of my seeds about two and a half weeks ago. The tomatoes are coming up lovely. The jalapenos and padron peppers are okay. Even the aubergines are growing.

But no show from celery. The propagator is maintained at 20*C, and the growlights are on for ten hours a day.

Any thoughts?

[Baldy]

Celery is a b*gg*r

IMHO

celeriac on the other hand...

[bario1]

Celery is sloooow. Have patience, it'll show up eventually.

[Baldy]

Here's a few quotes
"Growing celery (Apium graveolens) is generally considered to be the ultimate vegetable gardening challenge. It has a very long growing season but a very low tolerance for both heat and cold. There isn’t much flavor difference between the home grown variety and the store bought variety so most gardeners grow a celery plant purely for the challenge"

"Although plants can be grown from seed sown in early spring, it's far easier to buy ready-grown seedlings, which can be planted out in May or June. "

This link would appear to show how to do it - if you believe 'em
https://www.green-talk.com/germinate-celery-seeds/

I've got enough hassles in my life I do sometimes take a supermarket bought stick and plant the bottom end just to see what happens (usually not much)

[Baldy]

Some smart alec will be along in a moment to say its very easy... I do that with celeraiac threads

[bario1]

I like to do that with Spring onion and radish threads.

[bario1]

I'm trying celery this year because I'm building a bog garden on my plot and I heard celery liked wet ground.

[veggiechicken]

Monkeyboy - have a look at the link in https://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gr...ml#post1537029
Are you certain your prop is at 70F?
Your propagator may be too hot for them - and seeds don't need lights until they've germinated.

[Thelma Sanders]

Celery seeds like to be very near the surface, so they get a bit of light and they don't like to dry out, so spray regularly with water to keep the compost damp (but not sodden!)

[bario1]

Oh, and mine has been in the prop for yonks as well.... nothing.

[veggiechicken]

Some smart alec will be along in a moment to say its very easy... I do that with celeraiac threads

Who in their right minds grows celeriac - they're like shrunken heads.?

Aahhh yes, Bladders.

I'm going to scatter all my celery seed outdoors, next month, to grow (or not) a freerange celery bed. I don't really like the stuff so don't mind if its a flop.

[Kirk]

I grew the same ones last year from Moreveg.
Will say I sowed them outside in a pot then transplanted them to the garden.
I would half guess the heated propagator is too much for them. They are not tropical and do not need heat. They sow by falling on the ground and growing where they fall and all outside in north european weather.

Maybe a heated indoor propogator with extra lights is just too much. They could need to get started off by the steady lengthening of daylight hours and at a trigger point they take off. You are destroying this natural lengthening of daylight.

My advice is in April fill an 8" pot with compost (half height one is good), scatter the seeds on top and put outside and leave them to it. Just keep the surface moist. That is what my Celebrity Celary will be getting in a few weeks.

[Baldy]

^^^

yep - as foretold

pot - compost - moist - outside - boom !!!

Kirk may be right of course

[Thelma Sanders]

Who in their right minds grows celeriac - they're like shrunken heads.?

Aahhh yes, Bladders.

and me

My celeriac seedlings are growing very slowly, but they are growing

[Aberdeenplotter]

I sowed mine in a heated seedtray on the 10th of March and they were through in 10 days. Method : fill half sized seed tray with mp compost. Firm well and then stand in water to wet the compost . Sprinkle the seed (which is very very fine) over the top and then press lightly on to the compost. Cover with fine vemiculite and spray to moisten the vermic. Cover base of heated tray with compost and water that and then place half tray within. Cover with plastic lid. Spray daily to keep moist.

Worked for me.