April 27 column: Growing celery

Here is a link to my column in today’s edition of The Spokesman-Review: Tango celery excels in short seasons. (or you can read my column lower in this post.) The headline makes it sound like it’s only about growing celery (I don’t write the headlines). But it’s also about growing tomatillos, both of which warm-season crops.

What? You’ve never grown them, or perhaps have no intention of growing them? Well, I can certainly understand but I think it’s great fun trying new things. Last year, I grew ‘Tango’ celery and it did great. You can’t beat picking your own homegrown celery for a tuna sandwich, let me tell you!

This year’s celery and tomatillo plans

I’m growing ‘Tango’ again this year and another new crop I’m trying is ‘Toma Verde’ tomatillos. Up until this spring, I’d never given much thought to growing them, maybe because I figured they were difficult to grow or needed a longer growing season than we have. I’ve since learned that I was wrong on both counts, so I have 3 seedlings in my kitchen that are just waiting to go out into the garden once it’s warm enough… which hopefully will be in 2-3 weeks.

I hope you’ll enjoy today’s column. Even if you don’t grow celery or tomatillos this year, perhaps it will encourage you to try new crops or varieties as well.

Growing Celery and Tomatillos column:

by Susan Mulvihill

When it comes to growing veggies and flowers, I love trying new things. Last year, celery was a new crop that performed well for me. I’m growing it again this year and have added tomatillos to the list as well.

Why grow celery?

Most folks would rather head for the grocery store to purchase their celery but after reading about Tango — a variety that is supposed to grow particularly well in northern climates — I just had to try it last year.

Tango also tolerates hot, dry conditions which is perfect for Spokane. The seeds are widely available. I should also mention that the seeds are very small. When I planted them on Mar. 15, I had to get out my reading glasses to confirm I was actually dropping a seed into each cell of the planting flat.

They germinated in about a week and the seedlings are just as tiny. It’s hard to believe something so small will turn into 18-inch-tall celery plants, but from last year’s experience, I know they will.

Celery might seem like it should be a cool-season crop — after all, it’s a member of the carrot family — but it can’t be planted outside until the danger of frost has passed. That’s usually around mid-May in the Inland Northwest. Prior to transplanting them outdoors, I’ll add organic matter like compost or shredded leaves to their bed.

I space the plants 8 inches apart. They require about 80 days to reach maturity but it’s possible to start harvesting before that. To prolong their productivity, I pick individual stalks rather than the whole plant.

Late in the season, the stalks on my plants started getting a bit pithy so I intend to harvest everything earlier this year and freeze what we don’t eat fresh. To freeze for later use in soups or casseroles, we chop them into small chunks and put them into freezer bags.

Growing tomatillos:

I’ve never grown tomatillos before but after learning they are the prime ingredient for salsa verde, or green sauce, I decided to experiment with them this summer. I was surprised to learn that most varieties mature in 60 to 70 days.

Tomatillos are a warm-season crop with cherry-like fruits that are wrapped in a papery husk. The fruits are used in Mexican cooking and should be interesting to grow.

I selected the variety called Toma Verde but there’s also De Milpa and [variety name] Purple which, surprise, has purple skin. I started them indoors from seed on Mar. 15. They don’t look like much yet but will eventually grow up to 4 feet tall.

I’ve read you should plant them 2 weeks after you would normally set out your tomato plants — which means sometime between the first and 15th of June in this region — and letting them sprawl on the ground rather than supporting them with a stake or cage.

I intend to add organic matter and bone meal to their bed and cover the soil with red plastic mulch to increase the temperature. I’ll cut “x’s” into the plastic to plant the seedlings, which will need to be spaced 2 1/2 feet apart. My resources tell me to plant them deeply, just like you would tomato seedlings.

Once they’re up and growing, they won’t require any fertilization. You can tell the tomatillos are ripe when their husk is dry and splits. This fall, I’ll let you know how the experiment went and if the plants earned a spot in next year’s garden.