Monarch celeriac plants - Apium graveolens

The 'Monarch' Celeriac is a semi-early variety, well-suited for storage. It produces large round roots with highly fragrant white flesh. Celeriac is appreciated for its pungent taste. It is ideal for raw consumption in remoulade or for cooking in winter dishes. The young plants of this variety are planted from April to June, after the last frost, for a harvest in autumn.

Celeriac is a vegetable from the Apiaceae family (formerly Umbelliferae) and comes in various forms. The most common are celeriac, celery, and cutting celery. These three types of celery originate from the same plant, marsh parsley. The latter is a hardy perennial plant, native to Mediterranean countries, and is also known as perpetual celery.

In terms of cooking, celeriac is cultivated for its large round root with a pungent flavour. It can be consumed raw (grated, in remoulade...) or cooked (in puree, gratin, or sauté). Celery is cultivated for its stalks, which are the main veins of its leaves. These can be eaten raw with salt, for example, or cooked to flavour soups or sauces. The leaves of cutting celery are similar to parsley and perfectly enhance soups or slow-cooked dishes. Celery is rich in vitamins, minerals, and low in calories.

In the vegetable garden, plant celery in a sunny or semi-shaded spot. It is a hardy plant that can reach 50 to 70 cm (20 to 28in) in height for celeriac and celery branches. Only cutting celery is shorter and can be grown in a pot.

Harvesting: For celery and cutting celery, pick the leaves at the base as needed, in autumn. Before winter frosts, you can completely remove the clump and store it in a cellar for several weeks. As for celeriac, it is harvested in autumn and before the first frosts. Dig up the roots, let them dry for a day on the ground, and cut the leaves above the collar as well as the rootlets.

Storage: The leaves of celery branch and cutting celery are best consumed fresh to fully enjoy their aroma. However, they can be dried and used as an aromatic plant or frozen. Celeriac bulbs should be stored in a cool, humid place, protected from light, and can be kept for several months.

Gardener's tip: To limit watering, we recommend, from late May, mulching the soil with thin successive layers of grass clippings, if possible mixed with dead leaves. This protection, which keeps the soil moist, also reduces weed growth.