Celery microgreens are delicious in soups, casseroles, stuffing, salads, and much more. They provide you with an intense celery flavor and colorful addition to your favorite dishes. Often referred to as micro celery, celery microgreens offer a host of benefits.
Celery microgreens are loaded with vitamins A, B, C, and E. They also contain large amounts of amino acids, antioxidants, calcium, chlorophyll, fiber iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, and zinc. Each serving of celery microgreens also contains an abundance of protein.
Typically, celery microgreens are not recommended for novice microgreen gardeners. The germination rate for celery microgreen seeds is very slow, taking approximately 2 weeks. Furthermore, it can take up to a month for your celery microgreens to be ready for harvest. Growing these microgreens can be challenging.
They require persistence, patience, and dedication. The celery seeds must be kept damp by misting the growing trays twice daily.
Here is a brief glimpse of the attributes of celery microgreens.
| Attribute | Profile |
| Flavor | Celery microgreens taste similar to their mature counterpart with a sharp, yet delicious aftertaste. |
| Pre-Soak (Yes/No) | No presoaking is necessary for celery microgreen seeds. |
| Color | The leaves and stems of celery microgreens are bright green. |
| Germination Time | Celery microgreens have a long germination time of approximately 14 days. |
| Harvest Time | The estimated time from planting to harvest is 21 to 28 days. |
| Green Thumb Level (1-5) | 4-5 – Celery microgreens are one of the more difficult microgreens to grow. |
Celery microgreens are slow to germinate and grow, which means you will need to dedicate some time to your microgreen gardening.
When it comes to growing microgreens, most people have questions. Here are the most frequently asked questions.
Celery microgreens are one of the few microgreens that can regrow after harvest as long as they are not harvested too short.
Celery microgreens are slow growing. It will take approximately one month from the time of planting to begin harvesting your celery microgreens.
Celery microgreens taste similar to mature celery stalks; however, the flavor is more vibrant. Furthermore, the texture of celery microgreens is described as soft.
There are many different methods that can be used to grow celery microgreens. These tasty microgreens are typically not for beginner microgreen gardeners; however, if you follow our easy to understand directions, you can successfully grow celery microgreens. When it comes to microgreen gardening, there are certain pieces of equipment that are needed. In the beginning, it will cost about a couple of hundred dollars to purchase all of your equipment and supplies; however, once you make the initial investment, growing microgreens is inexpensive.
There are many starter kits on the market, including this deluxe starter kit by True Leaf Market.
If you prefer to purchase individual pieces of equipment for growing microgreens, you will need the following equipment:
Although celery microgreens can be grown in a variety of growing mediums, we recommend using coconut coir.
Coconut coir is a soilless growing medium that is excellent for microgreens, is environmentally friendly, and can hold up to ten times its weight in water.
If you prefer, you can choose a seed starting potting soil mixture. Seed starting growing mediums are fine textured, easy to find, and ensures your microgreens receive the nutrients they need to grow.
In order to grow celery microgreens, you will need a total of three growing trays – one with drainage holes and two with no drainage holes. When it comes to shopping for growing trays, you should opt for the 10 inch by 20 inch trays. These will provide you with plenty of growing space for a large harvest.
You will need one growing tray with drainage holes so you can water your microgreens from the bottom up.
You will need two growing trays without drainage holes. You will place your tray with drainage holes in one of these trays and use the other tray to cover your seeds during the germination process.
Because you will need to water your celery seeds throughout the germination process, you will need a misting bottle like this one.
Once your celery seeds have germinated, you will need to place them under a grow light. A grow light will ensure your germinated microgreens receive the light necessary for optimal growth and development.
A heating mat helps ensure your soil temperature is at the perfect temp for germination. We recommend this one.
A wire rack can be transformed into a vertical microgreen rack. This one will help you grow numerous microgreens in a small area.
Circulation fans help improve airflow to reduce the risk of mold and other diseases that commonly plague microgreens.
Nan Ling Cutting – This non-GMO Asian celery variety is loved for its sweet, delicate flavor and beautiful green leaves.
Utah 52-70 – This delicious microgreen adds a nice crunch and intense celery flavor to your savory and side dishes.
Before you plant your micro celery seeds, you will need to prepare your trays. Take one tray with drainage holes and place it inside a tray with no drainage holes. Then, take your growing medium and fill your tray up to the top of the tray.
Invert your second tray with no drainage holes and press it down against your grow tray filled with your growing medium. This helps to remove air pockets and ensure the soil is level. Add more growing medium until your soil level is within one half of an inch from the top of your growing tray.
Next, you will want to water your soil three times to ensure that it is adequately moist. Begin by misting the entire surface of your tray with water. Allow the water to soak into the soil for a couple of minutes before misting the surface again. Once you have watered the soil three times and allowed the soil to soak up the water, remove the bottom tray and pour out any excess water.
Once your grow trays are prepared and the soil is moist, it is time to plant your celery microgreen seeds. You will need approximately 1 gram of celery seeds for each 10 inch by 20 inch tray. Spread the seeds evenly over your growing medium.
Once the seeds have been evenly dispersed, you will want to gently press your seed into the soil using an inverted growing tray with no holes. Then, using your misting bottle wet the seeds and place the inverted tray back on top of the soil.
You will need to weigh down the tray with weights, bricks, or stones. The total weight used on the lid should be between 2.5 pounds and 5 pounds. This will help ensure your celery roots grow downward and properly develop.
The germination process for celery microgreens takes longer than most other microgreens – 14 or more days. Do not be tempted to try and speed up the germination process by cranking the heat up on your heat mat. Celery does not like temperatures above 70 degrees.
After about a week, remove the weights and the inverted tray and check the moisture level of your growing medium. If your growing medium becomes dry, use your misting bottle to wet the soil and seeds, being careful to avoid disturbing your celery seeds for microgreens.
You want to ensure that the majority of your microgreen seeds have germinated. We recommend waiting until 90 to 95 percent of the seeds have germinated. Lift your inverted tray on day 14 and look closely at your seeds. Have the majority of the seeds sprouted? If not, cover the seeds again and leave for 2 to 3 more days. When most or all of your seeds have sprouted, it is time to remove the inverted tray.
Use your misting bottle and gently mist your seeds. You also want to add about an inch of water to the bottom tray and allow the roots time to absorb the water. After 30 minutes, dump out any remaining water from the bottom of the tray.
It is now time to place your microgreens under a full spectrum grow light. Attach your grow lights to your metal shelving unit so they are facing downward toward your shelves. Attaching your lights in this manner will ensure that your microgreens receive the amount of light they need for photosynthesis.
Your celery microgreens will begin to grow faster once they are placed under your grow lights. After they have been under your lights for 3 to 5 days, your microgreens will begin to stand up straight and turn a vibrant green.
You will want to turn on your circulation fans now. The fans we recommended can easily be attached to your planting rack and will ensure your microgreens are receiving an ample amount of airflow to reduce the risk of mold and disease.
From now on, the only care your micro celery greens will require is ensuring they have an ample amount of water. You want to ensure the growing medium is moist, but not saturated. Water from the bottom only, allowing the roots and soil to soak up moisture for about 30 minutes before pouring off any excess water.
Because you will be using circulation fans, you will not be able to ascertain how moist or dry the growing medium is. Instead, you will need to lift the tray with the drainage holes to determine its weight. If the tray feels extremely light, you will need to add a bit more water. If the tray feels heavy, it still has ample moisture.
Approximately 28 to 30 days after planting your celery microgreen seeds, it will be time to harvest. True leaves will begin to sprout, and your growing tray will become full. Keep the soil moist for a few more days (2-4 days) and taste your microgreens daily until they have developed a delicious celery-like flavor.
Unlike other types of microgreens, you can continue harvesting celery microgreens as long as you do not cut them too close to the soil line. You will need to keep an eye out for the celery microgreens at the center of the tray growing too thickly, which can prevent the leaves from receiving enough light. If this occurs, you can experience a die off in the center of your tray. To prevent this, you must carefully consider how you harvest your celery microgreens.
Most people tend to cut from the outside of their growing trays towards the inside. When you want to continue harvesting and allowing your microgreens to regrow, you must change how you harvest your greens. Instead, you want to cut from the inside out.
Approximately 12 hours before you plan on harvesting your microgreens withhold watering. You want your microgreens dry to the touch when you are harvesting them. Using very sharp scissors or a sharp knife, cut your microgreens, leaving at least the lowest set of leaves so your microgreens will regrow.
Once you have harvested your microgreens, you should place them on a paper towel until they are dry to the touch. After they have dried, can place them between two clean, dry paper towels and store them in an airtight container or plastic bag. If you will be shipping your microgreens, we recommend placing your celery greens between two paper towels and an airtight container to minimize bruising during transport.
Your microgreens should be kept in the refrigerator until ready to eat. When you are ready to use your microgreens, fill a bowl with fresh, cool water. Submerge your celery microgreens in the water and swirl to remove any traces of dirt. Place them on a paper towel and allow them to air dry before using.
Celery microgreens are the perfect addition to dressing for the holidays. You can also use them in soups like vegetable soup or chicken noodle soup. Use these tasty microgreens anywhere you want a burst of celery flavor, including meatballs, casseroles, and salads.
Growing celery microgreens takes time, patience, and watchfulness. Unlike most microgreens that are ready within 7 to 10 days, celery microgreens take approximately 30 days from planting to harvest. Once you taste these delightful microgreens, you will agree that they are worth the wait.
