What pests attack celery?

Carrot fly, Black Bean Aphid (Blackfly), Leaf Miner

What diseases affect celery?

Bacterial soft rot, White mould (Sclerotinia), Septoria leaf spot

Celery pests and diseases: how to recognise them

Q: Which celery problems need quick action?

Carrot fly: Rusty-brown scars and tunnels ringing the tap roots, making them inedible. Bacterial soft rot: Slimy ooze and a strong, foul smell from the rotting tissue. White mould (Sclerotinia): Masses of fluffy white, cotton-like mould on the affected parts, especially in cool, damp weather.

Apium graveolens

The pests, diseases and disorders recorded for celery in our library, each with a photo and its first symptom. Every page has the full list of symptoms, organic and chemical treatment and prevention.

At a glance

Problems in total	7
Pests	3
Diseases	3
Nutrient deficiencies	1
Need quick action	3

How to grow celery · All pests and diseases

Pests

Carrot flyRusty-brown scars and tunnels ringing the tap roots, making them inedible.Photo: Rasbak, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Black Bean Aphid (Blackfly)Ants running over the colonies, sticky honeydew on the leaves, often with black sooty mould, and whitish cast skins.Also called: blackfly, bean aphidPhoto: Sascha Kohlmann from Berlin, Deutschland, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Leaf MinerSmall pale dots on the upper leaf surface where adult female flies have punctured the leaf to feed.Photo: Flowersabc, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

Diseases

Nutrient deficiencies

Boron deficiencyBrown cracks on the upper side of celery stalks, with reddish-brown tissue inside.Photo: Jan Hinrichs-Berger, LTZ Augustenberg, CC BY 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

Which celery problems need quick action?

These spread or do lasting harm fast; check the plants and start treatment the day you see them.

Carrot fly: Damaged roots are prone to secondary rots, in the ground and in store.
Bacterial soft rot: Whole roots, tubers, bulbs, heads or fruit can collapse within a few days, often leaving only the skin — in the garden and in storage.
White mould (Sclerotinia): Later, hard black seed-like bodies (sclerotia) 0.5–1 cm across in the mould and inside hollow stems.

Plants with many of the same problems

Which plants each problem affects: sources

The links between these problems and the plant were checked against these pages.