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Commercial Celery Production in Eastern North Carolina

William McCarthy and, Douglas Sanders (January, 2001)

Summary

Celery (Apium graveolens L. var. dulce) could be a very profitable crop in North Carolina. A harvest period in late June or early July, and one in October, would fill market voids when other major celeryproducing areas are not harvesting. Celery, however, is not an easy crop to grow. Although it is a cool-season crop, exposure of juvenile plants to Temperatures below 40 to 500F for more than 5 to 10 days can cause premature bolting, making the crop unsalable. Special attention must be given to maintaining a steady water supply and providing the proper amount of nutrients to allow for constant growth.