Rainline Garden
When to plant celery in Oregon and Washington
In Portland: Start celery from seed indoors Mar 6–20, then plant the young plants in the garden May 15 – Jun 19. In Bend: Jun 9 – Jul 14. Find your city below.
- Difficulty
- Tricky here
- Sun
- Full sun; light afternoon shade east of the Cascades
- Spacing
- 10 to 12 inches apart
- Planting depth
- Plant starts at the depth they grew in the pot
- Frost
- Handles light frost
- First harvest
- About 100 days after planting
Wait until nights stay above about 50°F before planting out: a week or two of cold nights makes young celery bolt. Then it needs steady water all summer, which suits cool west-side gardens.
Celery planting dates
| City | Start seeds indoors | Plant in the garden |
|---|---|---|
| Portland, OR | Mar 6–20 | May 15 – Jun 19 |
| Seattle and Tacoma, WA | Mar 6–20 | May 15 – Jun 19 |
| Eugene, OR | Mar 6–20 | May 15 – Jun 19 |
| Spokane, WA | Mar 11–25 | May 20 – Jun 24 |
| Bend and Redmond, OR | Mar 31 – Apr 14 | Jun 9 – Jul 14 |
| Tri-Cities (Pasco, Kennewick, Richland), WA | Feb 20 – Mar 6 | May 1 – Jun 5 |
Find your town
Portland area, OR 6 towns
| City | Start seeds indoors | Plant in the garden |
|---|---|---|
| Gresham, OR | Mar 6–20 | May 15 – Jun 19 |
| Hillsboro and Beaverton, OR | Mar 6–20 | May 15 – Jun 19 |
| Oregon City and West Linn, OR | Mar 6–20 | May 15 – Jun 19 |
| Portland, OR | Mar 6–20 | May 15 – Jun 19 |
| St. Helens and Scappoose, OR | Mar 6–20 | May 15 – Jun 19 |
| Wilsonville and Canby, OR | Mar 6–20 | May 15 – Jun 19 |
Willamette Valley, OR 5 towns
| City | Start seeds indoors | Plant in the garden |
|---|---|---|
| Corvallis and Albany, OR | Mar 6–20 | May 15 – Jun 19 |
| Cottage Grove, OR | Mar 6–20 | May 15 – Jun 19 |
| Eugene, OR | Mar 6–20 | May 15 – Jun 19 |
| McMinnville and Newberg, OR | Mar 6–20 | May 15 – Jun 19 |
| Salem, OR | Mar 6–20 | May 15 – Jun 19 |
Southern Oregon, OR 4 towns
| City | Start seeds indoors | Plant in the garden |
|---|---|---|
| Ashland and Talent, OR | Mar 6–20 | May 15 – Jun 19 |
| Grants Pass, OR | Mar 6–20 | May 15 – Jun 19 |
| Medford, OR | Mar 6–20 | May 15 – Jun 19 |
| Roseburg, OR | Mar 6–20 | May 15 – Jun 19 |
Oregon Coast, OR 5 towns
| City | Start seeds indoors | Plant in the garden |
|---|---|---|
| Astoria, OR | Mar 11–25 | May 20 – Jun 24 |
| Brookings and Gold Beach, OR | Mar 11–25 | May 20 – Jun 24 |
| Coos Bay and North Bend, OR | Mar 11–25 | May 20 – Jun 24 |
| Newport and Lincoln City, OR | Mar 11–25 | May 20 – Jun 24 |
| Tillamook, OR | Mar 11–25 | May 20 – Jun 24 |
Central Oregon and the high desert, OR 6 towns
| City | Start seeds indoors | Plant in the garden |
|---|---|---|
| Bend and Redmond, OR | Mar 31 – Apr 14 | Jun 9 – Jul 14 |
| Burns, OR | Apr 2–16 | Jun 11 – Jul 16 |
| Klamath Falls, OR | Mar 31 – Apr 14 | Jun 9 – Jul 14 |
| Lakeview, OR | Mar 26 – Apr 9 | Jun 4 – Jul 9 |
| Madras, OR | Mar 16–30 | May 25 – Jun 29 |
| Prineville, OR | Mar 23 – Apr 6 | Jun 1 – Jul 6 |
Columbia Gorge and eastern Oregon, OR 9 towns
| City | Start seeds indoors | Plant in the garden |
|---|---|---|
| Baker City, OR | Mar 16–30 | May 25 – Jun 29 |
| Enterprise and Joseph, OR | Mar 16–30 | May 25 – Jun 29 |
| Hermiston, OR | Feb 20 – Mar 6 | May 1 – Jun 5 |
| Hood River, OR | Feb 20 – Mar 6 | May 1 – Jun 5 |
| John Day, OR | Mar 19 – Apr 2 | May 28 – Jul 2 |
| La Grande, OR | Mar 11–25 | May 20 – Jun 24 |
| Ontario, OR | Feb 20 – Mar 6 | May 1 – Jun 5 |
| Pendleton, OR | Feb 20 – Mar 6 | May 1 – Jun 5 |
| The Dalles, OR | Feb 20 – Mar 6 | May 1 – Jun 5 |
Seattle and Puget Sound, WA 6 towns
| City | Start seeds indoors | Plant in the garden |
|---|---|---|
| Bremerton and Port Orchard, WA | Mar 6–20 | May 15 – Jun 19 |
| Everett, WA | Mar 6–20 | May 15 – Jun 19 |
| Kent, Renton and Auburn, WA | Mar 6–20 | May 15 – Jun 19 |
| Olympia, WA | Mar 6–20 | May 15 – Jun 19 |
| Seattle and Tacoma, WA | Mar 6–20 | May 15 – Jun 19 |
| Shelton, WA | Mar 6–20 | May 15 – Jun 19 |
North Sound and the islands, WA 5 towns
| City | Start seeds indoors | Plant in the garden |
|---|---|---|
| Anacortes, WA | Mar 6–20 | May 15 – Jun 19 |
| Bellingham, WA | Mar 6–20 | May 15 – Jun 19 |
| Friday Harbor and the San Juans, WA | Mar 6–20 | May 15 – Jun 19 |
| Mount Vernon and Burlington, WA | Mar 6–20 | May 15 – Jun 19 |
| Oak Harbor and Whidbey Island, WA | Mar 6–20 | May 15 – Jun 19 |
Olympic Peninsula and coast, WA 6 towns
| City | Start seeds indoors | Plant in the garden |
|---|---|---|
| Aberdeen and Hoquiam, WA | Mar 11–25 | May 20 – Jun 24 |
| Forks, WA | Mar 11–25 | May 20 – Jun 24 |
| Long Beach and Ilwaco, WA | Mar 11–25 | May 20 – Jun 24 |
| Port Angeles, WA | Mar 6–20 | May 15 – Jun 19 |
| Port Townsend, WA | Mar 6–20 | May 15 – Jun 19 |
| Sequim, WA | Mar 6–20 | May 15 – Jun 19 |
Southwest Washington, WA 3 towns
| City | Start seeds indoors | Plant in the garden |
|---|---|---|
| Centralia and Chehalis, WA | Mar 6–20 | May 15 – Jun 19 |
| Longview and Kelso, WA | Mar 6–20 | May 15 – Jun 19 |
| Vancouver, WA | Mar 6–20 | May 15 – Jun 19 |
Wenatchee and the Okanogan, WA 5 towns
| City | Start seeds indoors | Plant in the garden |
|---|---|---|
| Chelan, WA | Feb 20 – Mar 6 | May 1 – Jun 5 |
| Leavenworth, WA | Mar 11–25 | May 20 – Jun 24 |
| Omak and Okanogan, WA | Mar 11–25 | May 20 – Jun 24 |
| Wenatchee, WA | Feb 20 – Mar 6 | May 1 – Jun 5 |
| Winthrop and Twisp, WA | Mar 11–25 | May 20 – Jun 24 |
Yakima Valley and Columbia Basin, WA 8 towns
| City | Start seeds indoors | Plant in the garden |
|---|---|---|
| Ellensburg, WA | Mar 11–25 | May 20 – Jun 24 |
| Ephrata and Quincy, WA | Feb 20 – Mar 6 | May 1 – Jun 5 |
| Goldendale, WA | Mar 11–25 | May 20 – Jun 24 |
| Moses Lake, WA | Feb 20 – Mar 6 | May 1 – Jun 5 |
| Sunnyside, Grandview and Prosser, WA | Feb 20 – Mar 6 | May 1 – Jun 5 |
| Tri-Cities (Pasco, Kennewick, Richland), WA | Feb 20 – Mar 6 | May 1 – Jun 5 |
| Walla Walla, WA | Feb 20 – Mar 6 | May 1 – Jun 5 |
| Yakima, WA | Feb 27 – Mar 13 | May 8 – Jun 12 |
Spokane and eastern Washington, WA 3 towns
| City | Start seeds indoors | Plant in the garden |
|---|---|---|
| Colville, WA | Mar 11–25 | May 20 – Jun 24 |
| Pullman, WA | Mar 11–25 | May 20 – Jun 24 |
| Spokane, WA | Mar 11–25 | May 20 – Jun 24 |
How to grow celery
- Start seeds indoors on your city's dates in trays or small pots under a grow light or in your sunniest window. Or skip this step and buy young plants (starts) at a garden center.
- Harden off the young plants: about a week before planting, set them outside for a few hours a day, a little longer each day.
- Plant them in the garden on your city's dates, 10 to 12 inches apart. Plant starts at the depth they grew in the pot.
- Water deeply once or twice a week rather than a little every day, and mulch once the soil is warm.
- Harvest: Cut outer stalks as you need them, or cut the whole plant at soil level once the stalks are full-sized, usually from late summer into fall.
Popular celery varieties
Widely sold picks that do well somewhere in Oregon or Washington. The tag says which side of the mountains suits each one best.
Tango
Tender, smooth, light-green stalks with little stringiness and good bolt resistance. One of the easiest celeries for home gardens.
Both sides
Utah 52-70
The standard dark-green celery with thick, crisp stalks. It needs steady water all summer but rewards you with full-sized heads.
Both sides
Ventura
Tall, upright plants with smooth, crisp stalks and good tolerance of cool weather, which suits west-side gardens.
Both sides
Golden Self-Blanching
Naturally pale, mild stalks with no wrapping needed. Plants are shorter and earlier than green types, which helps in shorter seasons.
West side
Key numbers
- 10–12 weeks beforeStart indoors
- Above 50°FNights before planting
- 1–2 inches a weekWater
- BoltingBiggest risk
Growing notes
What makes the difference in Northwest gardens, in plain language.
Starting celery from seed
Celery seed is tiny and slow. Sow it indoors 10 to 12 weeks before planting time, pressing it onto the surface of the mix without covering it, since it needs light to sprout. Keep it at about 70°F; it can take two to three weeks to come up. Seedlings grow slowly at first, so be patient. Buying starts is a good shortcut.
Why timing matters
Celery is a biennial: it normally makes leaves one year and flowers the next. A week or more of nights below about 50°F convinces a young plant it has been through winter, and it bolts to seed in summer instead of making stalks. That's why the planting dates here wait for warmer nights than other cool-season crops.
Harden seedlings off gradually, and if a cold snap comes after planting, cover them with row cover.
Water, food and blanching
Celery has shallow roots and comes from marshy ground, so it needs water every week of summer. Dry soil gives you stringy, bitter, hollow stalks. Mulch the bed and use a soaker hose. Feed with compost at planting and a balanced fertilizer once a month.
Blanching (wrapping stalks in paper or cardboard for the last two weeks) makes them paler and milder, but it's optional. Many gardeners prefer the darker, stronger-flavored green stalks for cooking.
Common questions about growing celery
Why is my celery bitter and stringy?
Usually not enough water or heat stress. Celery needs steady moisture all season; mulch and water deeply every week.
Why did my celery flower in its first summer?
It got too many cold nights while young. Wait until nights stay above about 50°F before planting out.
Can I regrow celery from the base?
A store-bought base will sprout leaves in water or soil, but it rarely makes full stalks. It's a fun project, not a crop.
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