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How to grow celery

Takes light frost · Carrot family

When to sow and plant

  • Start indoors 25 January – 8 February
  • Plant out around 5 April

Based on: average for Germany, last frost 19 April, safe from 6 May

Planting calendar for your area
Where the dates come from

The weeks come from our sources; the dates use the average frost in Germany. Enter a German postcode to get dates for your area.

  • Start indoors: 10–12 weeks before the last frost (Cornell Home Gardening: Growing Guide Celery)
  • Plant out: 2 weeks before the last frost (Cornell Home Gardening: Growing Guide Celery)

Good and bad neighbours

Disputed · 1

  • Butterhead lettuceDisputed· X

    BUND lists lettuce as a good celery neighbour; the Rhineland-Palatinate garden academy advises against it for celery.

    X: Sources disagree

    Butterhead lettuce

Gardeners’ lore, not proven · 3

  • White cabbage, Red cabbage, Savoy cabbage, Cauliflower, Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, Kale, Chinese cabbageLore: good· D

    Considered a good pair (often said to deter cabbage whites); no study found.

    D: Tradition, named by at least two sources

    White cabbageRed cabbageSavoy cabbageCauliflowerBroccoliBrussels sproutsKaleChinese cabbage

  • LeekLore: good· D

    Traditional advice, not tested.

    D: Tradition, named by at least two sources

    Leek

  • PotatoLore: bad· D

    Traditionally seen as bad neighbours; no proven reason.

    D: Tradition, named by at least two sources

    Potato

Crop rotation

After the carrot family, leave the bed free of it for at least 4 years (sources: 4–5 years).

  • The same species should go back to the same spot after a break of 3 years at the earliest.
  • Example: grown here in 2026, again from 2031.
  • Heavy feeders two years in a row on the same bed are not a mistake, but they take more out of the soil.

At a glance

Family
Carrot family (Apiaceae)
Nutrient needs
Heavy feeder
Frost
Half-hardy, tolerates light frost
Spacing (row × plant)
23 × 23 cm (9 × 9 in)
Plants per m²
18.9
Life cycle
Annual
Harvest
After 60–70 days from planting

Spacing according to RHS Grow your own: Celery. Other sources: 61 × 30 cm (24 × 12 in) (USU Extension: Celery in the Garden).

Questions and answers

When can I plant out celery?

Plant out, average for Germany: around 5 April. Enter a German postcode above for your area, or your own frost date in the planting calendar.

How far apart should I plant celery?

23 × 23 cm (9 × 9 in) (row × plant), according to RHS Grow your own: Celery.

What grows well next to celery?

Butterhead lettuce: Disputed (X), White cabbage, Red cabbage, Savoy cabbage, Cauliflower, Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, Kale, Chinese cabbage: Gardeners’ lore, not proven (D), Leek: Gardeners’ lore, not proven (D) and Potato: Gardeners’ lore, not proven (D).

How long a break do celery need in the same bed?

After the carrot family, leave the bed free of it for at least 4 years (sources: 4–5 years). The same species should go back to the same spot after a break of 3 years at the earliest.

More from the carrot family

Sources

Show 11 sources
  1. Südtiroler Bauernbund: Merkblatt Fruchtfolgen im Gemüsebau (Oktober 2022)
  2. UMD Extension: Vegetables for Spring and Fall Planting
  3. Cornell Home Gardening: Growing Guide Celery
  4. RHS Grow your own: Celery
  5. USU Extension: Celery in the Garden
  6. NC State Extension Gardener Handbook, Ch. 16, Table 16–4
  7. Landwirtschaftskammer Schleswig-Holstein: Fruchtfolge im Garten (Gartenmerkblatt, 2020)
  8. GBIF Backbone Taxonomy (über die GBIF-API, species/match)
  9. BUND: Mischkultur – Gute und schlechte Nachbarn (August 2026)
  10. Gartenakademie Rheinland-Pfalz (DLR): Übersicht – Kultur verschiedener Gemüsearten im Hausgarten (o. J.)
  11. Gartenakademie Rheinland-Pfalz (DLR): Anbauplanung im Gemüsegarten (o. J.)

Retrieved on 23 October 2026. Facts in our own words, one source per value.