Conquistador

Family: Apiaceae Vegetable

Planting Schedule

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Unfurl Conquistador’s crisp, cool snap in the garden—its stalks mature to a refined, deep green with a dense, tender texture that stays satisfyingly firm.

Expect a clean, bright celery flavor with a gentle sweetness and an aromatic lift, ideal for fresh bunches and for stirring into robust culinary preparations where its crunch holds its own. Grow this 85-day standout for dependable, market-ready performance and a beautifully uniform stand of upright stalks.

Light: Part SunMaturity: 85 DaysHabit: Upright

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Conquistador Planting Dates by USDA Zone

Estimated US hardiness-zone windows for sow, transplant, and harvest. Enter a US ZIP above for exact local dates, or open a zone below.

Zone	Start Indoors	Sow / Transplant	Harvest
Zone 1a	Protected Environment Only
Zone 1b	Protected Environment Only
Zone 2a	Mar 16th	May 18th	Aug 11th – Aug 29th
Zone 2b	Mar 6th	May 8th	Aug 1st – Aug 25th
Zone 3a	Mar 6th	May 8th	Aug 1st – Sep 1st
Zone 3b	Mar 10th	May 12th	Aug 5th – Sep 21st
Zone 4a	Mar 6th	May 8th	Aug 1st – Sep 24th
Zone 4b	Mar 4th	May 6th	Jul 30th – Sep 27th
Zone 5a	Feb 27th	May 1st	Jul 25th – Sep 30th
Zone 5b	Feb 23rd	Apr 27th	Jul 21st – Oct 5th
Zone 6a	Feb 20th	Apr 24th	Jul 18th – Oct 10th
Zone 6b	Feb 14th	Apr 18th	Jul 12th – Oct 16th
Zone 7a	Feb 9th	Apr 13th	Jul 7th – Oct 20th
Zone 7b	Jan 30th	Apr 3rd	Jun 27th – Oct 28th
Zone 8a	Jan 21st	Mar 25th	Jun 18th – Nov 5th
Zone 8b	Jan 12th	Mar 16th	Jun 9th – Nov 12th
Zone 9a	Dec 26th	Feb 27th	May 23rd – Nov 26th
Zone 9b	Dec 1st	Feb 2nd	Apr 28th – Dec 9th
Zone 10a	—	Oct 1st	Dec 25th – Feb 28th
Zone 10b	—	Oct 1st	Dec 25th – Feb 28th
Zone 11a	—	Oct 1st	Dec 25th – Feb 28th
Zone 11b	—	Oct 1st	Dec 25th – Feb 28th
Zone 12a	—	Oct 1st	Dec 25th – Feb 28th
Zone 12b	—	Oct 1st	Dec 25th – Feb 28th
Zone 13a	—	Oct 1st	Dec 25th – Feb 28th
Zone 13b	—	Oct 1st	Dec 25th – Feb 28th

Crop Details

Trait	Value
Days to Maturity	85
Sun Requirements	Part Sun
Growth Habit	Upright
Support Needed	None
Planting Depth	Normal
Germination Temp (°F)	70
Min Soil Temp (°F)	40
Min Night Temp (°F)	32
Harden Off (days)	7

Culinary Notes

Chef's Note

Conquistador celery is built for that tight, water-and-fiber snap—so slice it when you want crunch to survive the bowl. Its bright, aromatic sweetness plays especially well with lemony fats and salty cheeses, and it holds shape nicely when simmered long enough to perfume a pot.

Best Uses

raw crudités and snappy celery sticks for cold, crisp contrast
thin shaving into salads where it won’t collapse under dressing
hot stocks and braises where you want it to stay structured for stirring
quick sauté or roast as a flavor base—let it caramelize at the edges without going stringy

Flavor Profile

cool, bright celery aromatics gentle sweetness high-crunch, dense-tender stalk texture clean finish with a light peppery edge

Kitchen Pairings

lemon parmesan black pepper butter or olive oil chicken tomato

Frequently Asked Questions

Why are my celery (Apium graveolens var. dulce) leaves yellowing and getting slimy, and what should I do?

Yellowing with limp, water-soaked or slimy patches is often caused by fungal rot and leaf spot in cool, wet conditions. Remove and discard infected plants or leaves, then improve airflow by thinning and watering at the soil line (not on the foliage). If rot keeps spreading, apply a labeled fungicide that includes celery/leaf spot/rot in its directions and stop any overhead watering until conditions dry out.

How often should I water sweet celery during its main growing phase to keep it crisp?

During the main growth phase (roughly weeks after emergence until harvest), keep the soil consistently evenly moist—about 1 to 1.5 inches (2.5–4 cm) of water per week, adjusting for heat and container vs. ground. Water deeply, then let the top 1 inch (2–3 cm) dry slightly before watering again to avoid waterlogging, which encourages rot. Mulch lightly to reduce moisture swings, because irregular watering can lead to tough stalks and poor crunch.

How can I tell when sweet celery is ready to harvest at about 85 days?

Harvest when stalks are firm, fully developed, and reach their expected thickness for your variety, with leaves held upright and bright green. You should be able to pull or cut outer stalks cleanly without them collapsing or feeling hollow at the base. For best flavor, harvest before prolonged hot weather and when the plant has built a solid, dense crown.