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Germination of celery seed is characteristically slow and variable. A series of experiments involving osmotic pretreatment of seeds (cv. Tall Utah 52-70^R) with polyethylene glycol was carried out. The optimal treatment conditions were 300 g/litre polyethylene glycol (6000 MW) for 21 days at 10°C, which increased the average germination rate from 17.54 (control) to 87.9, and the total percentage germination at 21 days from 76 (control) to 81%. Dry storage of pretreated seeds (at 10°, 30% RH) for 4 or 6 days resulted in some loss of the enhanced germination effect, but germination was still faster than that of untreated controls. However, germination rates for pretreated seeds stored for 2 days were equal to or less than controls and it is suggested that the timing of a critical physiological process may be involved. Osmotic pretreatment predisposed the seed to colonization by non-pathogenic fungi.