Celery Patch Pests
Celery patch pests are trouble. I highly recommend growing celery in raised beds, so you don’t have to get down on all fours to inspect your celery. I did that today. I went out to harvest some spears for juicing, and ran across a cabbage worm. I ran in for my camera and had to return a phone call and when I got back, couldn’t find it for a few minutes. Searching on hands and elbows, I found this.
Cabbage Worm Cocoon on Celery Leaf
Let’s just say this cabbage worm will not reach the moth stage. Next, I found this cocoon.
Monarch Cocoon Hanging from Celery Leaf
It looked a lot like the shape of the Monarch cocoon, but, it was whitish green, so I wasn’t sure what it was. I cut the spear and propped it against the fence, and went in to the computer to look for cocoon images. When I got back out there, it was smashed. I’m not sure how it happened. If it was a Monarch, I’m sorry, but I will have more. And can’t Monarch butterflies communicate to their eggs not to attach their cocoon to edible plants that might be harvested? It took some searching, but, I found the cabbage worm, exactly the same color as the celery stem.
Cabbage Looper on Celery Stem
I removed all the celery leaves from around the six plants and had enough for a small batch of green vegetable juice.
Fresh Picked Celery Leaves
Next, I juiced them along with organic zucchini and carrots (from the market) and my own parsley.
Celery Leaves Going into Juicer
However much juice I make, the proportions are always about 50% celery, 25% zucchini, 15% carrot, and 10% parsley. I blend in a tablespoon of raw (unheated) honey per quart, to make it drinkable, ha!
Green Vegetable Juice
And down that one went. If I could only get my carrots, zucchini, celery and parsley to grow all year, all at the same time, I’d be in business! Thanks for stopping by.
If you enjoyed this post, please let me know and share with a friend. Thanks for your support! ~ Kaye
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Category: Cool Season, Grow Veggies, Pests
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Worms! I really worry about that aspect of gardening next season. I have a ridiculous phobia of worms…like it takes the breath out of me when I see one kind of ridiculous. But the juice sounds good 🙂
Amy, I guarantee you will get over that, and quick! In no time, you will be stomping on snails and slugs. The first time I touched a slug by accident, I jumped. Now, no big deal! And, yes, you will have to deal with it! Hope to see you in December. – Kaye
The photography and information is just outstanding.
Thank you, Pat! I really appreciate that! Have a great weekend, and thanks for writing! – Kaye
Oh, my gosh; that looks delicious! I’ve not met anyone in my zone (4-5) growing celery, but I’d love to try, if it’s possible. I’m kind of a celery nut and buy organic every week…Just love your blog, Kaye! Thank you.
Catherine, thanks so much! When I read in “Golden Gate Gardening” (highly recommended for coastal climates), that celery was a demanding vegetable to grow, I just jumped in anyway, because to keep my juice habit going, I need the equivalent of four heads a week. Sometimes, even the organic looks a bit anemic in the market. Growing your own is power-packed with nutrition, especially if you cut it and immediately juice. Nothing can be better. However, I MUST find a way to filter the hose water, so I’m not spraying them daily with chlorine and a hundred other chemicals. You have to water daily and keep them wet if you don’t have rain. It hasn’t rained here since last April! – Kaye
I may have to give it the old college try…
Catherine, if you can afford a raised bed, even as small as 4×4, you can grow four plants, and it will be easier to get down and inspect them for cabbage worms. Don’t be fooled by the name, cabbage moths lay their eggs everywhere, and they love celery leaves. Best to water the ground around them and not water from above. Good luck! – Kaye
Haven’t heard from you in a long time Catherine. I’m wondering if you made the leap to my new website! I hope you will subscribe. Please let me know. Thanks! – Kaye
Fab shots Kaye
Thanks, Dallas! Big plans for “Late Bloomer!” New blog design, Pinterest board, and more! Hope your dad approves. 🙂 ! – Kaye
It’s a shame you don’t have a donate button! I’d without a doubt donate to this brilliant blog!
I guess for now i’ll settle for bookmarking and adding your RSS feed to my Google account.
I look forward to fresh updates and will share this site with my Facebook
group. Chat soon!
Aurelia, what is your Facebook group? I appreciate you sharing! Are you watching “Late Bloomer” on YouTube? Are you growing celery? Thanks again! – Kaye
I have been growing more with the LED Grow Lights, but they price is doubling after I find cheaper ones.
I learned the what the best grow lights look like, and they are not purple light, but have yellow and white LED lights with 2 rows of red light, and have a power box on top. You can grow plants all year without a green house. My recent snack was a radish I grew with a grown light in about 2 weeks, 24 hour grow light.
You can grow a lot of small things inside but as they grow taller, they grow closer to the light and can burn within 10 inches of the light. So, tall tomatoes might need the light higher, and has more coverage.
To be honest, I am sure from the heat on my skin the grow lights mimic the sun enough to get a sun tan. I have not tried that yet, but it feels like the real sun on my skin. The only thing I see wrong with this is, the green covered ground. I am not sure it is a mold, but it is not turning to moss, just looks and smears like green paint. I think it is growing on the dirt because of the 24 hours of sunlight, and it stinks. I have been turning the potting soil so it can die away from the sun. I have no idea if it is good for the plants, but I am sure it messes with the PH.