Celery seed packet - Shido Seeds non-GMO vacuum-sealed woodblock design
Celery crisp green stalks growing in moist garden bed
Celery seeds vacuum-sealed - Shido Seeds by Chive
Shido Seeds vacuum packed flower and vegetable seeds for maximum freshness
Celery seed packet - Shido Seeds non-GMO vacuum-sealed woodblock design
Celery crisp green stalks growing in moist garden bed
Celery seeds vacuum-sealed - Shido Seeds by Chive
Shido Seeds vacuum packed flower and vegetable seeds for maximum freshness

Vegetable Seeds

Celery Vegetable Seeds Packet

$4.95
Vacuum Sealed
NON-GMO
Seed Pack Guarantee

Build Your Garden With These Shido Seeds

Choose a seed packet as your starting point, then round out the bed with these for that thrown-together-but-somehow-perfect harvest.

Celery seeds for the kitchen garden that intends to actually produce celery this year. Celery is not a forgiving crop, which means growing it successfully is a genuine achievement and the gardener may say so.

Celery is a demanding but rewarding vegetable that produces best when given consistent moisture and genuine attention. Each packet is hermetically vacuum-sealed -- removing the oxygen that causes standard paper seed packets to lose germination viability within approximately one year. State law requires a 3-year viability label on sealed packaging. NASA research on hermetic seed storage indicates viability of up to 10 years under proper conditions. Every packet is non-GMO and germination-tested at independent third-party labs before it earns its Japanese woodblock print artwork.

Seed specifications
  • Material: Seed
  • Botanical name: Apium graveolens var. dulce
  • Genus: Apium
  • Plant family: Apiaceae
  • Species: Graveolens
  • Plant type: Biennial, grown as an annual
  • Pollination type: Vegetable
  • USDA Hardiness Zones: 6-7
  • Packet contents: ≈ 50 Seeds
  • Packaging: Hermetically vacuum-sealed
  • Non-GMO: Yes
  • Seed viability: Up to 10 years (sealed) / 4–5 years (unsealed, ideal conditions)
  • Difficulty: Expert - Advanced Grower
Sowing & growing guide

Quick Sowing Guide:

  • When to sow: 10-12 wks before last frost
  • Sowing depth: 1/8 in
  • Initial spacing: 6-8 in
  • Row spacing: 24-36 in
  • Days to germination: 14-21 days
  • Light: Full sun to partial shade
  • Water: High and very consistent
  • Soil: Moist, well-drained, (rich in organic matter)
  • Harvest: 100-30 days

Start Growing: Step-by-step sowing and growing guide
About vacuum sealing

Why Vacuum-Sealed Seeds Last Longer

Standard paper seed packets are permeable to oxygen and moisture -- the two primary causes of seed degradation. Most paper-packaged seeds begin losing germination viability after approximately one year, contributing to significant garden-industry waste: packets purchased, not planted, expired, discarded. Shido Seeds are hermetically vacuum-sealed. The packet does not expire quietly in a drawer. It waits.

About the Packaging

Every Shido seed packet is illustrated in the style of Japanese 1910s woodblock printing -- designed and drawn in-house by Chive, that has been exhibiting at the Chelsea Flower Show in London every year and does not, as a matter of principle, sell to big-box retailers. Customers collect the packets as a series. This was not the original plan.
Shipping & returns

Shipping

  • Free shipping: Orders $200+ within the US
  • Standard: 5–8 business days, Express 2–3 business days (at checkout)
  • International Ships: to 40 countries — rates at checkout
  • Packaging Ships: in outer box to protect gift box

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Returns

We accept returns within 30 days of delivery on unused items in original packaging. If your piece arrives damaged, contact us within 7 days with a photo and we will replace it at no charge.

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Satisfaction Guarantee

We stand by the quality of our flower seed packets! Every Shido seed packet is lab-tested for germination before it ships. If your seeds do not perform to the stated germination rate under correct growing conditions, contact us and we will replace or refund. Guaranteed!
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What people are saying

Radish Horticultural Specifications

Botanical

Apium graveolens var. dulce

Plant Type

Biennial, grown as an annual

Light

Full sun to partial shade

Water

High and very consistent

Soil

Moist, well-drained, (rich in organic matter)

Depth

1/8 in

Germination

14-21 days

USDA Zone

6-7

Mature Height

18-24 in

Harvest

100-30 days

Getting to know your Celery

Celery is a slow-growing, cool-season vegetable that asks for nutrient-rich, consistently moist soil to actually thrive, rewarding patience with long, fibrous stalks topped by green, feathery leaves. It prefers a genuinely long growing season and moderate, cool temperatures rather than any kind of summer heat, which makes timing more important here than with most quick-turnaround vegetables. Frequent watering matters enormously, since inconsistent moisture is the fastest route to tough, bitter stalks that fall well short of the crisp texture people actually want from celery. Blanching, where soil gets mounded around the base as the plant matures, produces the pale, tender stalks most associate with celery, softening a flavor that would otherwise run stronger and more assertive. Celery brings real nutritional value too, rich in fiber, vitamins, and antioxidants, and it shows up constantly in soups, salads, and as a simple snack on its own. Aphids and leaf miners are common visitors, which makes vigilant, early pest management considerably more effective than trying to correct an infestation after it's already spread. Growing celery well takes more attention than most vegetables ask for, but the payoff in flavor and texture is genuinely worth the extra effort. It's not a crop for gardeners in a hurry, but it's a rewarding one for those willing to wait.

Find More Vegetable Seeds to Grow

History & origin

Ancient Mediterranean

Celery (Apium graveolens) descends from wild celery native to Mediterranean marshlands, with early use documented in ancient Egypt, where celery leaves and stalks were found in the tomb of Tutankhamun.

Ancient Greece

Wild celery was used by the ancient Greeks primarily as a flavoring and medicinal herb, and celery leaves were used in wreaths for both funerals and, notably, for crowning victors of the Nemean Games.

Medieval Cultivation, Italy

The mild, thick-stalked celery grown for eating today was developed through selective breeding in Italy and France beginning in the medieval and Renaissance periods, distinct from the more bitter wild and herb forms used earlier.

Today

A foundational aromatic vegetable in countless global cuisines, particularly as part of the classic French "mirepoix" and similar aromatic bases.

Shido Vegetable and Flower Seeds Vacuum sealed for peak freshness

Step-by-Step Sowing & Growing Guide

Getting Started

Biennial grown as an annual, long season, water-demanding

Step 1: Timing - Start indoors 10-12 weeks before last frost -- the long season and slow germination both make an early start essential.

Step 2: Soil - Rich, moisture-retentive loam, high organic matter, pH 6.0-7.0.

Step 3: Sowing - ⅛ inch deep, surface sown -- needs light to germinate. Germination is slow and can be erratic, 14-21 days.

Step 4: Transplant - After frost danger passes, 8-10 inches apart. Mulch to help hold the constant moisture this crop needs.

Step 5: Ongoing care - Never let soil dry out, even briefly -- celery is far less forgiving of inconsistent watering than almost anything else in this project, and this is the main reason home-grown celery disappoints.

Step 6: Harvest - Cut the whole plant at the base, or take outer stalks individually and let the center continue.

Before you start

Materials needed to sow
  • Seed trays: For the 10-12 week indoor start -- essential given this crop's long season and slow, sometimes erratic germination.
  • Grow light: For strong, compact seedling growth over an extended indoor period.
  • Mulch, ready for after transplanting: Helps hold the constant soil moisture this crop needs more than almost any other in this project.

Materials for harvest and storage
  • A knife: For cutting the whole bunch at the base, or removing individual outer stalks.
  • Basket: For collecting the harvest.
  • Refrigerator, wrapped: Celery keeps notably well compared to more delicate vegetables in this catalog.

Tip: Take outer stalks individually and let the center continue growing for an extended harvest, rather than cutting the whole plant at once if a longer season of use is the goal.

Growth Requirements

Light:

  • Requires full sun to partial shade (6+ hours of sunlight per day).

Soil:

  • Prefers rich, well-draining soil with a pH of 6.0-6.8.
  • Add organic matter like compost or aged manure before planting.

Watering:

  • Needs constant moisture due to its shallow root system.
  • Water regularly and deeply, ensuring soil remains evenly moist.

Temperature & Climate:

  • Best growing temperatures: 55-75°F (13-24°C).
  • Can tolerate light frost, but extreme heat can cause bolting.

Fertilization:

  • Use a balanced fertilizer (10-10-10 or compost tea) every 2-3 weeks.
  • Side-dress with nitrogen fertilizer for strong stalk development.

Maintenance

Watering:

  • Celery requires constant moisture, so water consistently.
  • Mulch with straw or compost to retain moisture and prevent weeds.

Fertilization:

  • Apply a balanced liquid fertilizer every 2-3 weeks.
  • Use fish emulsion or compost tea for organic growth.

Blanching (For Mild Flavor):

  • To reduce bitterness, tie outer leaves around the stalks or pile soil around the base.

Harvesting and Seed Collection

  1. When to Harvest:
    Celery is ready 80-140 days after planting.
    Harvest when stalks are 8-12 inches tall and firm.
    Cut the stalks at the base with a sharp knife.
  2. Storing Celery:
    Store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
    Can be frozen or dried for long-term storage.
  3. Saving Seeds:
    Allow plants to flower and set seed in their second year.
    Collect dried seed heads and store in a cool, dry place.

Troubleshooting and common mistakes
  • Letting soil dry out even briefly — celery is far less forgiving of inconsistent watering than most vegetables in this project -- even short dry spells produce stringy, bitter, hollow stalks, the single most common reason home-grown celery disappoints
  • Underestimating the season length — 85-120 days is one of the longest timelines in this project -- start indoors early, 10-12 weeks before last frost

Culinary uses & nutritional information

What it's used for

1. Culinary Uses:

  • Stalks are eaten raw, cooked, or juiced.
  • Leaves can be used as herbs in soups and salads.
  • Celery seeds are used as spices and in herbal remedies.

2. Nutritional Benefits:

  • Low in calories and high in fiber, vitamin K, and antioxidants.
  • Supports digestion, hydration, and heart health.

3. Companion Planting:

  • Grows well with tomatoes, onions, beans, and cabbage.
  • Avoid planting near corn or potatoes, which compete for nutrients.

What parts are edible
  • Stalks: The primary harvest.
  • Leaves: Edible, more strongly flavored than the stalk -- often used as an herb/garnish rather than eaten in quantity.
  • Seeds: If the plant bolts and flowers, the resulting seeds are the same celery seed used as a spice.

Nutritional data

Raw celery, per 100g

Calories: 16 kcal -- very low, though not scientifically "negative calorie" as sometimes claimed

  • Carbohydrates: 3 g
  • Protein: 0.7 g
  • Total fat: 0.2 g
  • Dietary fiber: 1.6 g
  • Vitamin C: 3.1 mg (3% RDA)
  • Folates: 36 µg (9% RDA)
  • Potassium: 260 mg
  • Cholesterol: 0 mg
  • Vitamin K: 29.3 µg -- moderate, though celery is mostly notable for its very high water content and low calorie density rather than any single standout nutrient

Companion plants, pests & diseases

Companion planting

Good companions

  • Onions, leeks, tomatoes — compatible growing needs
  • Beans, cabbage family — general companion pairing

Poor companions / avoid

  • Carrots, parsnips — competing umbellifer relatives, shared pest pressure

Pests
  • Aphids — cluster on new growth
  • Celery leaftier — webs leaves together and feeds inside, a celery-specific pest
  • Carrot rust fly — shared with other umbellifers
  • Slugs — damage at soil level

Diseases
  • Fusarium yellows — soil-borne wilting disease
  • Early blight (Cercospora) — brown spots on leaves
  • Damping off — affects seedlings from overwatering
  • Bacterial leaf spot — water-soaked spots, avoid overhead watering

Pro Tip

Celery needs consistently moist soil—dry spells can make the stalks tough and bitter. For the best flavor and texture, blanch the stalks by wrapping them with newspaper or piling soil around them as they grow.

Bonus: Harvest stalks from the outside first to keep the plant producing!

Vegetable sprouting in rich dark soil - Shido Seeds
Seeds worth keeping

What makes Shido Seeds different

Shido Seeds are designed by Chive Studio, a ceramic design company. We are not a seed conglomerate. We do not sell through big-box retailers. Each variety in the catalog was selected because it is worth growing — not because it ships well in bulk or photographs well in marketing materials.

Every packet is germination-tested at an independent third-party lab before it earns its woodblock illustration. The vacuum seal removes the oxygen that causes standard paper packets to degrade. The stated germination rate is a floor, not a marketing figure.

If something goes wrong, contact us. We will make it right.

Plants that Grow together look good together...even if they are ceramic

Shido Seeds packets styled in soil with sunlight — Chive Studio

A Faster Cool-Season Alternative

For a quicker cool-season crop with less blanching effort, Carrot shares celery's preference for consistent moisture with a shorter time to harvest.

Vegetable Shido Seeds packets — by Chive Studio Toronto

The Rest of the Vegetable Lineup

Find this among Shido's vegetable seed lineup, where patient, slow-growing crops sit next to quicker ones.

Pale Stalks That Never Need Blanching

Getting celery's stalks pale takes real technique; Ivory Monch Aster holds its pale color on a shelf without any extra effort.

Chive Shido seed packets with botanical illustrations on a peg rack, showing cherry blossom, tomato, and eggplant designs.

The credentials behind the packet

Celery takes longer to reach harvest than almost anything else in the lineup, which turns a weak packet into a much bigger setback than it would be for a faster crop. The studio's fix is simple: pull the oxygen out before the packet ever ships, since that's what actually degrades a seed's germination rate over time rather than age alone. A slow, demanding crop like this deserves a seed that doesn't add impatience to an already long wait. Getting the timing right matters enough here that the seed itself shouldn't be one more variable to worry about. Nobody wants to reach the end of a long season and trace the disappointment back to the packet itself.

About our studio

Plant Care, Simplified with Chive

Keep it alive, keep it thriving. Let's make plant parenthood look easy.

Do Seeds Expire? How Long Do Seeds Last

— Todd Newgren
Seeds don't expire — they lose viability as oxygen depletes stored energy, and vacuum sealing is the fix. Chive's Shido Seeds are vacuum-sealed, germination-tested, and stocked ...
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Are Seed Packets GMO? The Honest Answer

— Todd Newgren
Are seed packets GMO? No—home garden seed packets, Shido included, are never genetically modified, since GMO seed is only made for large-scale commercial crops. The non-GMO badg...
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T
Thomas Beal
Slow but steady

Celery seeds took their time sproutin but once up they looked strong. Still waitin on good thick stalks. Need patience for this one

Frequently asked questions

What is the best way to grow celery from seed?

Celery needs nutrient-rich, consistently moist soil and a genuinely long, cool growing season to develop properly, rewarding that patience with long, fibrous stalks topped by feathery green leaves. Raised beds can help maintain that consistency better than open ground in areas with variable rainfall. Mulching around the base helps retain that moisture more evenly across the growing season.

Why does celery need so much water?

Inconsistent moisture is the fastest route to tough, bitter stalks, since celery's growth depends on steady hydration to keep its texture crisp rather than fibrous and unpleasant. Skipping bitterness-causing stress early in the season matters more than trying to correct it later. A raised bed with amended soil can also help maintain the moisture level celery depends on.

What is blanching and why does celery need it?

Blanching involves mounding soil around the base of the plant as it matures, blocking light to produce the pale, tender stalks most people associate with celery rather than the stronger, more bitter flavor of unblanched stalks. Some gardeners skip blanching entirely and simply accept the stronger flavor of unblanched stalks instead.

Why is celery considered difficult to grow?

Its slow growth rate and demanding moisture needs make it less forgiving than many vegetables, requiring more consistent attention over a longer season than a quicker, more adaptable crop would ask for. That demanding nature is really the tradeoff for the crisp, mild stalks most people actually want from celery.

What pests commonly affect celery?

Aphids and leaf miners are the most frequent issues, and catching either early through regular inspection makes treatment considerably more manageable than addressing a full infestation later. Consistent moisture also makes plants naturally more resistant to stress-related pest problems overall. Row covers early in the season can help prevent both pests from establishing in the first place.

How long do celery seeds last?

Vacuum-sealed Shido Seeds packets remain viable for up to 10 years under proper storage, compared to roughly one year for a standard paper seed packet exposed to normal air and humidity. That extended shelf life matters given how long celery itself takes to reach harvest. Storing packets somewhere cool and dry helps preserve that extended shelf life even further.

Can celery be grown in a container?

Yes, though it needs a deep container to accommodate its root system and consistent watering that can be harder to maintain in a container than in garden soil, which dries out more slowly. A container at least a foot deep gives celery's root system enough room to develop properly. A container at least a foot deep gives the root system enough room to develop properly over a long season.

Is this seed lab-tested for germination?

Yes — every Shido Seeds packet, celery included, is germination-tested at independent third-party labs before it ever reaches a shelf. That extra scrutiny matters given how long a full celery season already takes from seed to harvest. That extra scrutiny matters given how long a full celery season already takes to reach harvest.
Verte Rx Shiny Leaves for Plants - Chive Ceramics Studio - Chive Ceramics Studio

The seed is the start. Verte RX handles the rest.

Most seedlings fail not from bad seed but from soil that runs out of what the plant needs before the plant can find it. Verte RX is a liquid plant vitamin formulated for exactly that window — the weeks after germination when the root system is establishing and the margin between thriving and stalling is narrowest.

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