Celery: growing and caring for plants in open ground

Celery, along with dill, parsley and other greens grown in the garden, is actively used in the preparation of various dishes and is very popular among the inhabitants of our country. Brought from the Mediterranean plant has a unique taste and aroma, as well as special properties. If you have a cottage, then it is much more expedient to grow this crop on your own, but not everyone knows how to do it right. All features of this process will be described in detail in this article.

Before you start growing celery in the country, it is recommended to get acquainted in detail with the characteristics of this plant. To properly prepare for further procedures, you need to know the following information about celery:

• Celery belongs to the class of vegetables. The period of cultivation of the culture is two years.
• During the first year after planting, the formation of such parts of the plant as petioles, which are quite fleshy, leaves that have a dark green color, as well as a root or root crop. The last formation is determined by the variety of culture.
• A year later, the plant forms a stem, which reaches from 0.7 to 1 meter in height.
• The plant has an inflorescence umbrella type.
• The period of growth and development of culture falls on the period from early spring to early August.
• A feature of this plant is its resistance to temperature difference. The most optimal temperature for the seeds of this crop is 15 degrees Celsius, but the plant tolerates even a temperature of +3 degrees. Therefore, in spring, when the natural fluctuations of the thermometer occur, celery in most cases endures them. Therefore, celery can be grown in various regions of Russia, with the exception of very cold ones.
• Before planting, keep in mind that the seeds of this crop have a very small size and are able to germinate in case of overheating under the rays of the sun.

Celery is recommended to grow in accordance with its type.

• Celery Root - A variety of plants to grow which is more difficult than growing all other types. This variant is characterized by the longest growing season. Such celery is most successful in the southern regions of our country. A feature of the root type is the presence of a succulent root. The most popular varieties are "Diamond", "Apple", "Paris Giant", as well as "Cascade".

• Stalked or stem type it stands out among others by the fact that such plants have petioles that are able to have a different shape. Light color and curved shape characteristic of the variety "Golden." The stalks of the variety called “Tango” are cast in a bluish tinge, have a rich aroma and are distinguished by high yields. Long, fleshy leafy plates are characteristic of the Malachite variety. More than a kilogram of green can be collected from this variety, if properly care for him.

• Sheet type the most developed is the green part. Most often, this type is chosen when growing crops for sale. The varieties of this plant differ in the shape of the leaves, as well as yield indices. The most popular of them are “Parus”, “Samurai”, “Bodrost”, “Zakhar”.

Before cultivation of culture it will be useful to get acquainted with its positive and negative characteristics. About the benefits of the vegetable says its composition, which is a combination of the following elements:

• essential oils;
• phosphorus;
• boron;
• calcium;
• magnesium;
• iron;
• sulfur;
• manganese;
• zinc.

In addition, the vegetable contains important vitamins of group B, K, C, E, A and fiber. All these components have the following positive effects on the body:

• Thanks to fiber and some minerals, the vegetable helps to maintain youthful and elastic skin.
• Celery also has a beneficial effect on the state of the nerve cells. That is why it is especially recommended for heavy loads and overwork.
• The product significantly improves the process of metabolism, helps the development of gastric juice and the establishment of water-salt metabolism in the body. This vegetable is often recommended to include in the diet of people with diabetes.
• The healing properties of the product are its ability to relieve headaches, as well as discomfort in the joints during exacerbation of various diseases.
• No less valuable is the use of this vegetable for the treatment of external injuries, such as abrasions and ulcers.
• Celery helps the work of such important internal organs as the liver and kidneys, also eliminates gastrointestinal diseases.

As a rule, the time of cultivation of celery depends on how you decided to germinate it. Some are grown on the windowsill seedlings and only then transplanted to the garden bed. Otherwise, you can sow the seeds directly in open ground.

In the first case, the appropriate time is the end of winter or the beginning of spring. From the moment of planting the seedlings to its movement into the open soil should take a little more than two months. The root type is usually planted a couple of weeks before the leaf.

The seeds contain a large amount of essential oil, which slows down the process of germination of shoots. To accelerate further growth, it is necessary to carry out the treatment procedure - soak the seeds for a day in water with a high oxygen content, then place in a one percent solution of manganese for 45 minutes, then rinse in water and dry.

If you provide the planted seeds with the right conditions, then they germinate in 8 days, and if they do not initially prepare the seeds, they will germinate within 30 days. This way you save about three weeks of time.

Choosing a seedling method, you need to plant celery in the open ground in early May. Please note that the height of the seedling should be at least 12 cm, and 4 or 5 leaves should appear on it.

Celery growing is not limited to one way. It is necessary to carefully consider the planting of seeds directly into open ground, and planting seedlings. Each of these options has its own landing pattern, as well as the stages of this process.

If the stalked or leaf type of plant belongs to the species that ripen early, then they can be planted immediately in the ground, falling asleep seeds directly in the garden. Usually this procedure is carried out in the twentieth of April.

It is important to remember that the seeds have been trained in the form of pre-soaking in water. This will help make their growth faster. Water should be at room temperature.

In the soil it is necessary to make furrows, the depth of which varies on average from 5 to 10 mm. The distance between the furrows should be from 20 to 25 centimeters. It is also advised to place the seeds themselves in the wells not very close to each other, because otherwise there may be difficulties with the thinning of such a plant. The last process should consist of three stages. After the first, from 5 to 7 cm is left, after the second - from 10 to 15 cm, and after the third - from 20 to 25 cm.

This method is most popular among summer residents. Choosing a container for future seedlings, it is necessary to fill it with soil with nutrient composition and compact its top layer. Then you need to pour the soil and put in her seeds. In no case it is recommended to press them into the ground; it is enough just to evenly spread them on its surface.

For at least 10 days it is necessary that the container be kept at a temperature of from 25 to 28 degrees.Be sure to ensure that the soil does not dry out, it is recommended to moisturize with a spray gun. When shoots appear, you need to move the vessels from the ground to a place where the temperature will not be above +18 degrees.

After sprouting the first pair of leaves, it is best to dive, because small shoots become crowded in one container. 250 ml plastic glasses are suitable as a new container. Then using a pencil to create grooves in the ground. Plants are planted in the hollows, and it is important not to sprinkle them with soil.

Celery can be planted in the garden when there is a stable positive temperature outside. To do this, you first need to break through the soil in the future garden bed to a depth of 5 cm. The holes themselves should be 150 mm deep, and the distance between two seedlings is usually 20 cm, and between the rows of celery should be 30 to 35 cm. at the bottom of each of the holes made. If you prefer to grow this type of plant, which actively grow leaves and petioles, the distance between the seedlings should be 30 cm, and between the rows - 30 cm.

Next, you need to remove the soil from the glasses and divide the sprouts themselves. Young plants need to lay on the edge of the hole, moisten the root with water, and then plant in the hole. In this case, the root must be mixed with the earth, which is in the hole. After the liquid is absorbed, it is necessary to sprinkle the hole with earth, while leaving a rosette for further germination of celery.

The ground near the seedling needs to be trampled down a bit, then the plant is again watered with a small amount of water.

Celery care is a combination of irrigation and the timely introduction of nutrients.

During the entire growth period, make sure that the soil is hydrated. In late June, superphosphate must be added to the kidney. After seven days boric acid is added.

The condition of the soil should be loose. At the same time several times it is necessary to carry out the procedure of moving the soil away from the location of the root. In carrying out this process, it is important to trim the root branches located on the sides. If this is not done, the size of the roots will be much smaller.

To root formed correctly, do not cut ahead of time lateral leaves of the plant. Remove them will be possible during the period of active growth of the root, which usually falls on the beginning of September. In this case, it is recommended to cut only the foliage, which is located on the edge, and not in the middle part of the plant.

If the first time nutrients contribute a couple of weeks after planting, the second feeding is carried out when the seedlings begin to increase, being in the ground. The third time, add nutrients when the root crop begins to form. With each procedure, urea should be added in an amount of 10 grams.

Do not forget about such procedures as hilling and loosening the space between the beds. It is especially important to pile up the culture of the petiole type, since this ensures a pleasant taste of the vegetable in the future.

Such substances as chicken dung, as well as fermented manure or grass will become the best feeding for leaf celery.

When harvesting it is also worth remembering a number of nuances:

• If you grow a leaf-type culture, then after each collection of leaves it is recommended to water the plant.
• The stalked plants must go through a special procedure before harvesting. Their leaves are usually tied up at the top, while the stalks are wrapped in paper to make them whiter.
• Remember that the collection process is recommended to finish before the first frost begins.

Like any garden crop, celery is subject to a number of diseases. These include the black leg, rot of various types, the mosaic virus. To prevent such problems, watch carefully the condition of the beds. Weed it regularly, and avoid excessive moisture in the soil. If any of the diseases still manifest themselves, then the universal remedy is a fungicide.

Another problem may be the impact of insect parasites, which not only destroy the greens, but can also be carriers of certain diseases. Snails and slugs often damage celery roots, so they must be removed from plants in a timely manner.

No less often celery is damaged by such parasites as carrot and borsch fly, as well as bean aphids. Prevention from the appearance of all these insects will be timely weeding of the beds. From folk remedies against carrot flies, a mixture of tobacco dust, sand and dry mustard will be effective. And effective to combat aphids will be citrus infusion, which is prepared from the peel of fruit.

When planting celery in the garden, you need to remember that an important factor is the proximity of the plant to other crops. Some vegetables tend to have a positive effect on each other, but other cultures cannot be planted next to each other.

White cabbage on the same bed with celery helps to increase the growth rate. At the same time celery itself frightens off insects from cabbage leaves.

Also favorable neighbors for this crop are the following vegetables: tomatoes, spinach, lettuce, cucumbers, beets, beans. At the same time it is necessary to avoid the location of the celery beds near the sites with carrots, potatoes, corn or parsley.

When the harvest is already gathered, it is necessary to ensure that the vegetable does not lose its beneficial properties. To do this, you must comply with the conditions of its storage at home.

Leaf celery is usually harvested and eaten as needed. You can also dry the leaves or put them in storage in the freezer. The petiole can be stored together with other vegetables in a cellar or basement in a plastic bag. In this case, before the onset of frost, it is advisable to have time to eat a vegetable. Stalked vegetables can be stored no more than two months.

On the cultivation of celery and planting celery seedlings in the ground, see the following video.