The Complete Handbook of Celery

Chapter 1: Understanding Celery

Celery is the same plant that stands in a glass of water on a bar and the one that occupies acres of the most valuable farmland in California's Salinas Valley. That plant is Apium graveolens, a biennial in the family Apiaceae, a group that also includes carrots, fennel, and parsley. But unlike those relatives, celery is grown not for a root or a seed, but for its petioles—the thick, crunchy leaf stalks that we purchase as a single unit or a bunch. Understanding this plant and its specific commercial realities is the foundation for everything else in this handbook.

The first thing to understand is that celery is not a trivial crop. It is botanically a marsh plant, which tells you a lot about its requirements. It thrives in cool, moist conditions and has a surprisingly high salt tolerance, a holdover from its origins in the salt marshes of the Mediterranean. This means that in commercial production, it requires consistent irrigation—typically furrow or drip—and a soil that can hold moisture without waterlogging the roots. A field of celery is a thirsty investment. In major growing regions, a single crop may require 20 to 30 acre-inches of water per season, depending on the climate. You cannot treat it like a drought-hardy tomato and expect a marketable yield.

Botanically, celery is a biennial, meaning it flowers and sets seed in its second year. This is a crucial fact for the grower because the part you eat—the petiole—is