HOME VEGETABLE GARDENING 
CELERY 
G OOD celery can be grown anywhere by choosing the 
proper sort and giving plenty of water artificially 
if the natural supply fails. Two distinct types of 
celery claim the home gardener’s attention, namely, the 
early or self-blanching sorts and the later, green-stalked 
kinds. All sorts prefer a rich, deep loam or muck. 
For an extra early supply, seeds of sorts as described 
on page 268 may be sown in a hotbed or seed flat by mid- 
dle of February. Sow very thinly in furrows, about three 
inches apart, cover lightly and press soil in firm contact 
with seeds with the flat side of a board or ruler. Cover 
surface of bed or flat with muslin or paper and water 
until the soil has become thoroughly saturated. 
Celery seed germinates slowly and, for best results, 
the bed or flat should remain in a uniform temperature 
around seventy degrees (like the average living room or 
kitchen). As soon as the seedlings appear, they should 
be kept cooler to prevent a spindly growth. 
264 
