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Celery is grown commonly as a biennial crop , for it’s tasty stalks and fragrant leaves . It is a mainstay in the kitchens and culinary schools across the world.
It is mostly known for it’s crunchy taste and as a versatile veggie in parts of Europe and the Mediterranean regions.
It’s one of those plants that you can grow easily in raised beds or directly in the garden outside.
Celery has a lengthy process of maturation and will benefit greatly from certain companion plants in the garden.
This article guides you on plants that can serve purposefully as companion plants to this vegetable.
As there are good companion plants there also exist bad companion plants and this article helps you know them.
As for those who ask if celery can be planted alongside onions you get your answers as well.
Celery companion plants
1# Cabbage
This is a well favoured celery companion plant. Is is grown alongside celery because celery’s scent protects the cabbage from the attacks of the cabbage butterfly . On the other hand, the cabbage help shade the young celery shoots from scorching sun.
2# Basil
Basil repels many harmful insects and pest that commonly prey on celery.
3# Broccoli
Planting broccoli in close proximity with celery will be hugely beneficial as celery will naturally repel the white cabbage moth that damage broccoli plants.
4# Cucumber
Interplanting celery with cucumber plants will help fight off white flies which might attack the cucumber plants.
The large vines of the cucumber plants will help in shading the celery away from the intense summer sunlight.
The straggling leaves of the cucumber can serve as a natural mulch to stop weeds from growing around the celery.
5# Bush Beans
Bush beans are mainly vulnerable to attacks from whiteflies and the aroma emitted from celery helps fend off those whiteflies.
The bush Beans adds a large amount of nitrogen to the soil which celery benefit from , being heavy feeding plants.
The tall frame of the beans plant serves as protective shade to the delicate frame of the celery plants below it.
6# Thyme
As companion plants, thyme serves as a natural insect repellent and also fends off animals like deer and rabbits.
As a partner in the garden , it is also a partner in delicious meals as well . Thyme also functions as a weeding agent choking out weeds that may grow around celery.
7# Turnips
Celery is a good partner to turnips as it saves the root vegetable from the white cabbage moths that Battle against it’s growth.
It is advisable to space the celery and turnips plants so that the root of the celery are nor affected when the turnips are due for harvest.
8# Chamomile
Though not used often enough , chamomile can improve the taste of celery plants when interspersed. Chamomile spread quite widely , you should limit to one chamomile plant every 45 meters of the celery.
9# Sage
Sage puts off harmful insects and deers from attacking the celery where it is planted . They choke out weeds and suppress them out of the Celerys vicinity.
10# Nasturtiums
The aroma of nasturtiums fends off worms , cabbage loopers , beetles and fleas that can cause damage to celery plants.
The flowers can also serve as trap plants for aphids , saving the celery plants from it’s attacks.
11# Snapdragons
Advantageous insect including pollinators are attracted to the blooming of the snapdragons.
One to note is , the presence of a healthy pollinator is a good defense against pest and insects.
12# Tansy
Many gardeners favor tansy and use it to effectively fight against certain harmful insects such as the celery leaf miners.
13# Marigolds
The Powerful scent of marigold plants help repel pest from celery . They are also trap crops for slugs and snail that infest on celery .
What should celery not be planted with ?
Carrots and Celery
The fact that they are from the same family makes them non companion plants . Being from the same family they are suceptible to similar diseases , pest issues.
Celery has shallow roots and planting it next to carrots and parsnips will likely disturb the celery during harvest .
Parsley and cilantro
These plants also share the same family with celery . Their scents attracts similar pest that feed on the celery plants in your garden.
While planting celery make sure to keep it apart and far away from parsley as they will hinder each other’s growth and are problematic together .
Corn
As said earlier celery are heavy feeder , so is the corn plant . When planted in close proximity the corn will most likely zap the nutrients vital for the celery’s growth.
Many argue that they provide shade to the celery plant , but too much shade could hinder the growth of celery thereby producing stunted and small vegetables.
Potatoes
The incompatibility of the celery plant and potatoes have been long decided by nature . As at the time your potatoes will be due for harvest,
it will around the same time your celery is in full growth , as such you will have to dig up the celery when you want to harvest the potatoes causing damage to the celery plant.
Can you plant celery next to onions?
Onions like garlic , shallots and leaky belong to the allium crop family . Onions is known to enhance the sweetness of the celery plant , they possess antifungal elements which can serve as a natural insect repellent inside the soil.
They help drive away insects and pest that could harm your celery plants with the use of their flowers . Then they will attract advantageous predators like parasitic wasp that feed on harmful celery insects.
Another major reason why onions grows well around celery is that they offer defence to your celery plant on different levels.
Onions release a particular substance into the soil that stops pest from attacking the root and destroying the root of the celery plant .
They are also know to repel pest that attack celery above the soil . For example onions are strong repellent of aphids . With this your celery plant is safe.
As identified earlier onions tend to improve the taste of celery plants by making it more flavorful at the time they are due for harvest.
Conclusion
For those interested in growing this amazing crop , you can help it flourish and bloom gracefully through companion planting.
This century old method had serve many well in terms of having a bountiful harvest and celery is not an exception . Used in dishes across the globe, celery is that veggie you won’t regret planting.
Reference
- Companion Planting For Celery, retrieved from here
- Companion Planting With Celery: What Are Some Good Celery Companion Plants, retrieved from here
- 12+ Celery Companion Plants for Better Growth, retrieved from here
