I have been trying for some years now to grow these crops. The problem is that to get celery for Thanksgiving we have to plant it now, when it is hot and windy. The young plants keel over too quickly. Last year I did not even try planting them. This year we are using a technique suggested by Farmer friend in Fresno. We have hoops over the beds onto which we attach 50% shade cloth. The shade does not reach to the ground which allows the wind to go under the cloth. The shade protects the plants from the intense heat of the sun. So far so good the plants look well and it does seem that there is a cooler/kinder climate under the shade.
More of these plants will arrive in July and August when we will also plant leeks. The plants are grown organically for us in Watsonville where the coastal climes are kinder to the germinating seeds and young plants… Nigel