Chinese Celery (Nan Ling/Leaf Celery)

DESCRIPTION

Nan ling looks like a miniature western celery, with round hollow stems that resemble parsley. It has a pungent celery flavour, which is somewhat bitter and peppery. Nan Ling has applications in Chinese medicine, as well as being a wonderfully aromatic vegetable.

POT CARE AND PLANTING

Nan ling is great for growing in pots - transplant into a larger pot or a garden bed within 7 days. Soil level should be up to 5mm above the start of the lowest leaves.

WATERING

Celery is a light water consumer once it gets going - you can water it less than other things in your garden, once per day (early morning or late afternoon is best in summer). It will become more pungent and want to flower during hot weather, so increase your watering for best results during summer.

SUN EXPOSURE

Celery needs as much sun as possible to flourish, but nan ling is very flexible. As long as it receives a few hours of sunlight each day, it will persist.

COMPANION PLANTING

These plants don't get very big - maybe 15cm wide, and 25m tall. Members of the carrot family grow well next to pretty much everything - the only plants that don't appreciate the company of celeries are others in the same family, like parsley, dill, and carrots. Produces some of the best flowers for attracting and feeding beneficial insects.

HARVESTING AND EATING

It's up to you how you harvest your nan ling - you can trim one or two leaves at a time; cut the whole bunch off just above the ground; or pull it out roots and all if the recipe calls for the root section. If you don’t do this, however, it will remain a cut and come again vegetable until next summer, when it will eventually flower. The greens of plants in this family are very nutritious - nan ling is a source of iron, potassium, magnesium, and zinc - as well as vitamins A, Bs, C and D. It has a very pungent flavour when raw, but some people juice the leaves and stems and include them in smoothies. Generally, you will want to cook it to bring out the sweetness and mellow the flavour - blanch or steam it before including it in salads, sauté it to serve as a side, or use it as a flavouring in stocks, soups, rice dishes, meat and seafood marinades, dumpling stuffing, lettuce wraps and vegetable dishes - goes well with aromatics that include ginger, garlic, lemongrass, onion, cumin, coriander, star anise, and cloves.

SEED SAVING AND PROPAGATION

If you leave a plant in the ground over the whole of next winter, it will produce flowers in summer next year. The celery flower is a distinctive shape called an umbel - the large flat discs of tiny flowers are loved by insects. Some of the most beautiful and beneficial flowers in the garden, it's highly recommended to leave a few in to help feed the bees and butterflies and encourage them to stick around and pollinate next season's vegetables. They'll take a while to finish their life cycle, but when you see that the umbels are starting to get brown, cut them off and dry them whole in a paper bag. Shake and crunch the umbels to break up the dried seed clusters and discard the larger pieces of material - these seeds will be good for 3-4 years. You can re-sow your own crop right away, or save your nan ling seeds over the winter in something airtight. It's best not to sow them during winter, but any other season is ok - nan ling can be a year-round crop if you sow them in stages.