Leaf celery is a fragrant herb that is in demand in cooking and is actively grown by gardeners and farmers. Next, we find out which one is better to choose a variety, how to plant and grow greens correctly. Knowing the important aspects of cultivation, you can get a rich and high-quality crop.
Celery Description
Celery is a herbaceous plant from the Umbrella family. There are about two dozen types of celery. The most famous of them is Odorous. This vegetable crop is easily recognizable by its specific smell. They grow it for leaves or fragrant roots - depending on the purpose, a variety is selected.
In addition to leaf, there is also petiole and root celery.
Among celery there are biennial and perennial plants. Cultured celery is used as an annual. They love moist soils and can grow up to 1 m in height. Botanical features:
- Root system. Thickened, rounded root of the rod type.
- Leaves. Cirrus dissected.
- Stem. Branched and furrowed.
- Flowers. Miniature flowers of greenish-white color are collected in an umbrella inflorescence.
- Reproduction. Seeds that form only in the second year of life. And the crop - leaves, petioles and roots, get in the first year of planting.
Leaf celery is grown for leaves, which are placed in soups, salads, sauces. This crop has a high yield - you can cut greens several times during the season.
Popular cultivars
Celery varieties offered by manufacturers differ in ripening time, yield, and taste nuances. Leaf varieties that are most popular with gardeners:
- Openwork. Early variety with large vertical rosettes. The leaves are dark green. The leaves are ready for cutting on the 75-80th day from the date of germination. One plant weighs 85 g. 2.6-2.8 kg of greenery is grown on one square meter. High palatability, excellent aroma. It grows quickly after cutting.
- Sail. Mid-season variety. The onset of technical ripeness is the 72-80th day. Leaves are green, collected in sockets. Valued for its exquisite taste and resistance to flowering. It is stored for a long time. Very productive grade - up to 4.7 kg per 1 sq. Km. m
- Athena. The average ripening time. Cut off the leaves already 78 days from the time of emergence. Castings are bright green, medium in size. High taste and aromatic qualities. Productivity - 1.8-2.1 kg of green mass.
- Zahar. Mid-season variety for fresh consumption and for any kind of processing. Cut greens - on the 150-160th day from the date of emergence of seedlings. Leaves have strongly dissected edges. The average size of outlets. Great taste and aroma. This is one of the most popular varieties of leaf celery.
- Samurai. Mid-season variety with high productivity. Harvesting - on the 75th day. For 1 square. m will grow to 4 kg of green mass. Very unpretentious variety - resistant to low temperatures and can survive a small water shortage.
- Eccentric. Mid-season celery. Ready for cutting on the 100-104th day after germination. In the socket - corrugated leaves on thin stalks. One plant weighs up to 120 g. Productivity - 2.5 kg per 1 sq. Km. m
- Kartuli. Mid-season variety of Georgian selection. Cutting the first leaves - on the 65th day after germination. The variety tolerates a shortage of heat and moisture.
Preparing and sowing seeds for seedlings
To accelerate the receipt of greenery, and to obtain uniform seedlings, gardeners use seedlings. They buy it in the market or grow it on their own. To grow strong and hardy seedlings, the seeds undergo special training. If all agrotechnical measures are carried out correctly, it will be possible to obtain a high crop of greenery.
Seed preparation procedure:
- When seed preparation begins, snow still lies on the street. Having collected a bucket of snow, they wait for it to melt - it will turn out to melt water.
- When the water warms to room temperature, celery seeds are soaked in it.
- Duration of soaking - 10-12 hours. The maximum period is 24 hours.
- Water is changed hourly. Seeds are alternately soaked in melt water, then in a weak solution of potassium permanganate.
- When the soaking ends, the seeds are transferred to a dense gauze substrate, previously wetted with water. Here the seeds will spend another 24 hours - to finally “wake up”.
Celery does not rise well due to the essential oils in its seeds - they inhibit germination. To increase seed germination, one has to resort to a special treatment aimed at increasing growth energy.
Seeds for seedlings are sown not in ordinary land from the garden, but in a special soil mixture, which is prepared in advance. It is desirable that the composition of the mixture includes such ingredients:
- humus;
- sand;
- garden land;
- peat.
All components are taken in equal parts, and mixed until the mixture becomes homogeneous. If there is no desire to mess with the preparation of the soil mixture, in specialized stores - buy a finished product.
To seedlings grew on time, sow the seeds no later than the beginning to mid-March. If you are late, the seedlings will not have time to gain the necessary strength by the time of planting.
Useful information about sowing seeds for seedlings:
- Seeds are not buried - they are only slightly pressed to the soil, since they need light to grow.
- The seeds create a "greenhouse effect". For this, the container with planted seeds is covered with glass or film.
- In a miniature greenhouse where the seeds are to be sprouted, the temperature should be between 19-24 degrees.
- After 12-14 days, seedlings appear. When this happens, the temperature is lowered, but the greenhouse conditions remain for another two weeks.
- When 2-3 leaves appear, the glass / film is removed.
- Plants dive and plant - between adjacent seedlings should be 5 cm.
The video below shows an example of soaking and sowing celery seeds for seedlings:
If desired, each plant is planted in a separate pot. Best of all - in a peat glass, which, when planted, remains in the ground. If you plant the seeds in portable peat boxes, picking is optional. It is enough to thin out emerging seedlings in time so that the seedlings have enough living space for growth and development.
Seedling Care
Principles of care for celery seedlings:
- So that the seedlings, growing up, do not stretch unnecessarily, the temperature of the medium is maintained at the level of 15-16 ° С.
- Regular watering and loosening.
- Celery loves light, therefore, seedlings are grown under artificial lighting.
- The first thinning is when two leaves appear.
For celery to be juicy and fragrant, it needs a lot of sun throughout the entire growing season.
What should be the soil?
Celery loves light, loose, fertile soils. The beds are located in a sunny area. Before planting seedlings, a plot is prepared in advance:
- In the fall, the earth is dug up, evenly distributing organic and mineral fertilizers. 4 kg of humus / compost and 20 g of double superphosphate are added per square meter.
- In spring, the earth under celery is loosened, introducing complex mineral fertilizers into it - 40 g per 1 sq. Km. m
- At the bottom of the holes, in which the infection will be planted, put a little mixture of clay and mullein. This substance will retain moisture in the basal region and simultaneously provide the plant with additional nutritional energy.
Crop rotation rules:
- Unwanted predecessors: umbrella "relatives" of celery. The culture grows poorly after dill, parsley, parsnip, carrots.
- Desired precursors: cabbage, tomatoes, cucumbers and beans.
In order for celery to grow well and give large yields, you need to take care even of your neighbors:
- Favorable Tomatoes, spinach, cucumbers, beets, lettuce, bush beans and chives.
- Unfavorable. Potatoes, parsley, carrots.
Celery planting in the ground
It is recommended to plant ready seedlings in open ground in the morning. Better in cloudy weather. This will save the plant from unnecessary stress. When landing, it is important to follow the scheme and principles of landing:
- The leaves of neighboring seedlings should not interfere with each other.
- There should be free space between plants - for normal ventilation and to prevent the appearance of parasites (aphids, caterpillars, spiders).
- The optimal interval between neighboring plants is 10-12 cm.
- Between the rows the distance is not less than 30-40 cm.
There is an opinion that celery grows well with a "square" planting pattern - 20x20 cm.
Features of transplanting seedlings in open ground:
- The holes should be so deep that not only the root system of the plant fits freely in them, but also a little space remains - about 3 cm.
- Having placed the seedling in the hole, it is sprinkled with earth and rammed.
- For several days after planting, the plants shade - if the weather is sunny.
Soil Care
Celery seedlings planted in the ground require care not only during the adaptation period. The plant needs care throughout the growing season.
Celery care is aimed at:
- Creating optimal conditions for growth.
- Protection against negative factors:
- extreme and adverse weather conditions;
- pests and diseases.
Features of celery care in the open ground:
- Weeding. Regular destruction of weeds - they should not interfere with the growth of greenery.
- Watering. The earth should never be covered with hard, dry crust. Watering is performed based on: per 1 sq. Km. m - 20 liters of water per week. Water is poured strictly under the root. Water often, but little by little.
- Mulching. The soil is mulched - this prevents the rapid evaporation of moisture. As mulch, sawdust, peat or mowed grass is usually used. Mulch is scattered right after planting in the ground.
- Top dressing. The frequency of fertilizer application depends on the characteristics of a particular soil. Usually, two top dressings per season are enough. The first is done 2 weeks after transplanting, the second one month after the first feeding. As part of the feed mixture (per 10 l of water):
- ammonium nitrate - 15 g;
- superphosphate - 40 g;
- potassium salt - 20 g.
For a season, celery is fed once with bird droppings - chicken or pigeon will do. But he must be bred with water 1:50. Do not add undiluted litter - the plant simply “burns”.
- Protection. Plants are treated with special formulations - from slugs. They are sold in any agricultural store.
Some more useful tips:
- To protect plants and prevent leaves from tilting to the ground, they are wrapped with foil or paper. This is especially useful if the plant is distinguished by its splendor and density. Winding helps the plant grow vertically without breaking apart. Before cutting leaves - for 1-2 days, the winding is removed.
- After each feeding, celery is doused with water on top - from a hose or watering can - not a grain of fertilizer should remain on it.
- If celery grows without a protective “winding”, excess leaves are regularly cut.
- Leaf celery, unlike root, can not be loosened often - in the soil, a favorable ratio of moisture and density is established.
Windowsill cultivation
Celery is easy to grow at home - without planting in open ground. Agrotechnics growing crops on the windowsill is similar to growing seedlings for open ground. But there is a nuance - at home leaf celery is grown not only from seeds, but also from petioles or root crops. Moreover, in the latter case, the crop is harvested faster than when sowing seeds.
Plants grown from seeds have an advantage over the petiole and root counterparts - it supplies the host with greens longer throughout the year. Root crops and petioles are planted every 2-3 months to ensure a continuous supply of greenery.
Options for planting celery for home growing:
- The seeds. If you want to grow celery from seeds on the windowsill, it is better to take early ripe varieties. Seeds are treated as well as for sowing seedlings. After processing, they are placed in a moistened substrate of 0.5 cm, and covered with a film. The first greens will be received in 45 days.
- Root vegetable. The root crop is deepened in a pot with a substrate. Its top should look out of the soil. Rammed and watered. After 3 weeks, you can try the first greens.
- Petioles. The easiest way. Petioles are first germinated in water - 4-6 days, and then planted in a substrate. The first crop is received in 20-25 days.
Greenhouse cultivation
Celery is a two-year plant, so with the onset of winter its life does not end. It is grown in the winter in a heated greenhouse in two ways:
- Growing. Plant life is extended by transplanting it from open ground to the greenhouse. Get fresh herbs until December - 45-60 days.
- Forcing. Plants grown in the soil are cleaned and stored until April - in the dark, at a temperature of 3 ° C. Planted in the greenhouse in winter, providing a temperature of 12-18 ° C and a humidity of 60-80%. Harvest can be removed after 20 days.
Diseases, Pests and Prevention
Celery, like any garden crop, is attacked by pests and is affected by dangerous diseases that can destroy the entire crop. Common diseases and pests, as well as control measures, are listed in the table.
Table
Name of disease / pest | Features | Fighting and Prevention |
Celery (borsch) fly | Appears at the end of May. Lays larvae directly in the leaves. Soon “pimples” appear there - larvae develop there. Growing up, they eat leaves, leaving moves in them. |
|
Carrot fly | In the spring, lays eggs as soon as the first true leaf appears. Larvae eat up roots, petioles, leaves. |
|
Carrot leaf | Flies from conifers. Sucking the juice from celery leaves, the leaf-sheath destroys the plant - it is deformed, looks oppressed. | Similar to carrot fly control measures. |
Bean aphid | The largest aphid. Generation development takes place in one week. | Spraying a decoction of the tops of potato tomatoes, dandelion. |
Cercosporosis | The appearance of spots on the leaves. Spots are rounded with a red border. |
|
Septoria | The appearance of yellow spots on the entire plant. | Similar to cercosporosis. It is recommended to plant a savory or nasturtium next to celery. |
Powdery mildew | White or gray coating. The disease worsens with high humidity. |
|
Cucumber mosaic | Viral disease, vector - aphid. | Spray with a decoction of tomato tops (10 l - 2 kg). |
Rust | The plant is covered with red-brown, powdery spots. | Spraying with phytosporin-M. |
Boron deficiency | The growth point dies along with the leaves | Spraying 0.04% brown. |
Harvesting and storage
Harvesting leaf celery is carried out as the growth of greens. The first time the leaves are cut 2 months after transplanting. In total for the season it is possible to harvest 4 times. If cultivation by seeds, not seedlings, is used, 2-3 crops. The leaves are cut, reaching a length of 30-40 cm. Cutting height - 5-7 cm from the ground. If you cut the leaves below, then you can damage the central leaves and create favorable conditions for the development of rot. For sale or at the last harvest, you can cut celery under the root.
You can store and harvest celery for the following ways:
- In a refrigerator. So they store greens, which will be used in the near future. In the refrigerator, celery wrapped in foil is stored for up to 10 days. In cling film, celery retains freshness for no more than 4 days.
- Drying. Dried greens are reduced in volume, it does not have to be stored in the refrigerator. The leaves are dried, spread out in one layer, under a canopy - so that direct sunlight does not fall. It is important that the greens are blown during drying; they are periodically turned over. When the leaves change color, they begin to crumble - they stop drying. If the greens are dried at home, this process takes a whole month.
- Freezing A frozen plant loses some vitamins and minerals, but retains its beauty - thawed celery is used to decorate dishes. Green leaves are finely cut, poured with water and put in the freezer.
- Salting. For 0.5 kg of leaves - 100 g of salt. The leaves, sprinkled with salt, are placed in a glass container and insisted for 2 weeks. It is not necessary to put salting in the refrigerator - salt is a wonderful preservative, it will not let celery go bad.
Common mistakes
The bulk of errors occur during the growing of seedlings. The most common misses when growing celery:
- Violation of the thermal regime. The plant will not rise on time, if you do not provide a comfortable temperature of 18-20 ° C.
- Wrong watering. You can not pour water on top of seedlings - it will beat to the ground and will no longer rise. Water is poured under the root or through a sieve.
- Dry soil. If the soil is allowed to dry, the plant will not develop.
- Large penetration of seedlings during a dive or landing in the ground. If you fill the central bud with soil, it will not germinate - the plant will slow down or even stop growing.
- Lack of light. Because of it, the plants stretch, turn pale. Seeds are sown in March, when daylight is still short. The problem is solved by the organization of artificial lighting.
- Neglect of quenching. Even the strongest seedlings need to be hardened before planting in the ground. It is taken out into the open air before being transplanted into the ground.
Reviews
Kononenko Elena, 45 years old, Murom. Many people don’t like celery, and I really appreciate it as a seasoning, it enhances the taste and adds interesting flavor notes to the dish. I plant it only with seedlings - to get greens as soon as possible. The most difficult thing is to get good seedlings, it will stretch excessively, then it withers for unknown reasons.
Maria Shorokhova, 37 years old, Tver region I grow celery right in the apartment. It helps me to stay young - I use it as a vitamin supplement and a cosmetic. To always have fresh celery leaves on hand, I grow it in pots - I plant fresh roots bought on the market there.
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By planting celery leaf in open or covered ground, you can add the leaves of this useful plant to ready meals at any time. Using different cultivation technologies, you will be provided with celery greens all year round.
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