Celery lessons to learn

I came 2nd at Seagrave in the any other veg class with a couple of Redstar celery. These aren't great specimens and in fact I was beaten by my own courgettes, but they

did have clean foliage as I haven't succumbed to celery rust as I did last season. Celery is one crop I really need to learn to grow better.

In the past I've grown celery but not properly observed how it grows. You need to learn new things each year about your crops, especially ones you're not used to growing and I have certainly made a few useful notes about my celery this season. For one thing they are evidently gross feeders and I need to make sure I give them much more nutrients next year throughout the growing cycle. I read about one top grower who gives several regular dressings of cow slurry so I shall be soaking some well rotted muck in a bucket next season for this very purpose.

I also need to collar sooner in the early summer as the sticks haven't blanched very well. The plant seems to grow from the inside out so by picking off the weaker outer stalks as soon as possible it seems the stronger inner ones are encouraged to grow up quickly and are much wider for it.

And slug pellets are an absolute must. Not only do the snotty little bastards love munching on the sticks, but they like to live in the dark, damp atmosphere afforded by the damp proof collars. Once a slug or snail chews on your plant allsorts of problems can be introduced such as celery heart rot, not to mention the fact that the plant looks awful for all the tiny little teeth marks.

One final observation......Man U will absolutely stuff Liverpool on Sunday or else I will appear on this blog with a stick of celery protruding from my chuff.