Step-by-step instructions: how to grow celery from seeds at home for seedlings

The way you grow celery depends on the type of crop. It is permissible to plant leaf and petiole directly into heated soil, and the root one needs mandatory germination of seeds. However, given the long growing season of the culture, and in the leafy variety it takes about 50 days from the moment of germination to the appearance of foliage, it is possible to achieve the expected result only by preliminary cultivation of seedlings.

In this material, we have collected information on the timing of sowing seeds, their pre-sowing preparation, the features of care and transfer of seedlings to open ground.

Features of growing celery seedlings at home

Celery is one of the healthiest vegetables with a unique set of vitamins and minerals.

There are three types of culture: root, petiolate and stem celery. Each of them is grown through seedlings. This rule is especially applicable to the root species due to the long growing season and low seed germination. With direct sowing in the ground, there is a risk of not waiting for the harvest in a short summer.

Maturation of culture from the moment of emergence:

• root - 140-190 days;
• petiolate - 80–180 days, depending on varietal characteristics;
• leaf - 50 days.

Adult plants can withstand frosts down to -5 ° С, but young seedlings die at this temperature. Therefore, for the transfer of seedlings to open ground, the timing is selected, focusing on the weather conditions of each individual area.

Important! For cultivation, it is better to choose early varieties and start sowing seedlings in February.

Landing dates

When to sow celery seedlings? Sowing seeds begins 60-80 days before the transfer of seedlings to a permanent place... Optimum dates are chosen according to the lunar calendar.

Sowing dates for root celery in 2020:

• in January: 1, 5-9, 11, 27-29;
• in February: 10-15,17-20, 24 and 25;
• in March: 3-6, 17, 18, 22, 27-30;
• in April: 5-7, 10-14, 18, 19, 23, 25-29;
• in May: 2-6, 15-17, 24-26, 30 and 31;
• in June: 1-4, 6-8, 12, 13, 22, 23, 26-30;
• in July: 1-5, 9, 10, 14, 15, 23-31;
• in August: 1, 2, 5-7, 10-16, 21-26, 28 and 29;
• in September: 3, 6-13, 18-25, 30-31;
• in October: 4-10, 13, 14, 17-23, 26, 27 and 31;
• in November: 1-6, 10-13, 16-19, 22-24, 27-30;
• in December: 2-4, 15-21, 25-31.

Sowing dates for petiole and leaf celery in 2020:

• in January: 1, 5-9, 11, 27-29;
• in February: 10-15, 17-20, 24 and 25;
• in March: 3-6, 17, 18, 22, 27-30;
• in April: 5-7, 10-14, 18, 19, 23, 25-29;
• in May: 2-6, 15-17, 24-26, 30 and 31;
• in June: 1-4, 6-8, 12, 13, 22, 23,26-30;
• in July: 1-5, 9, 10, 14, 15, 23-31;
• in August: 1, 2, 5-7, 10-16, 21-26, 28 and 29;
• in September: 3, 6-13, 18-25, 30-31;
• in October: 4-10, 13, 14, 17-23, 26, 27 and 31;
• in November: 1-6, 10-13, 16-19, 22-24, 27-30;
• in December: 2-4, 15-21, 25-31.

Moon phases affect plant growth: greens are actively developing on a growing moon, roots - on a waning one.

Given the variety of climatic zones of our country, in the matter of sowing celery for seedlings, it is better to focus on the weather conditions in the regions.

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Root celery has a long ripening period, therefore, sowing seeds is carried out 60–80 days before transplanting. In the north of the country, sowing work begins at the end of January and ends in mid-February.

In regions of the middle lane, sowing is carried out throughout February. In the south, the optimal period for sowing is the second decade of February - the first decade of March.

Sowing dates for stalked celery:

• in the south - the last decade of March - the first decade of April;
• in the regions of the middle lane - all March;
• in the north, sowing work is completed by 10 March.

Sowing leaf celery for seedlings in the northern regions rationally produce in the second decade of March. Residents of the middle lane do not need to be afraid of frost in early summer, so sowing of seeds begins in early April.

How to grow celery seedlings from seeds at home

To get healthy and strong celery seedlings it is important to follow the rules selection of seeds, their pre-sowing preparation, optimal watering and top dressing.

Seed preparation

The final result depends on the quality of the seeds. - plant health, caliber of roots, taste and aroma. To get the expected result, pay due attention to the choice of planting material:

1. Buy fresh seeds that are due to expire next year.
2. Give preference to high-yielding Dutch seeds.
3. Choose large root celery seeds if you want a vegetable weighing up to 500g.
4. Take early ripening varieties, otherwise the roots will not have time to ripen.

Seeds are stratified before sowing.: wrapped in damp gauze and left at room temperature for a week, then placed in the refrigerator for 12-14 days. This is how natural conditions are created, when the seeds winter in the ground, and in the spring they give amicable shoots.

Growing containers

For sowing seeds with subsequent picking any plastic container, tetrapacks, pots or special cassettes for seedlings are suitable.

Root celery seeds are recommended to be sealed immediately in individual glasses with drainage holes at the bottom. This is due to the fact that the seedlings do not tolerate picking well, and it is advisable not to disturb the root system again. There is a risk of damaging the main root, and as a result, not a large root crop will grow, but a scrubber from many roots.

Soil preparation

Celery seedling soil prepared from garden soil, river sand, peat, sawdust, crushed eggshell... The components are mixed in equal proportions and disinfected in the oven or spilled with a strong infusion of potassium permanganate. For every 10 kg of substrate, take 20 g of urea and 200 g of wood ash.

Landing

Before sowing, the soil is abundantly moistened with clean water at room temperature and the grains are embedded to a depth of 5 mm. It is important to keep the soil moist, so watering is done as the top layer dries. After 14 days, prophylactic spraying with "Trichodermin" (10 mg per 1 m²) is carried out.

Seedling care

Until sprouts appear, the boxes are kept under a film cover. in a dark room at a temperature of + 20 ... + 22 ° C, then transferred to a lighted place.

After the appearance of the first leaves, the temperature is reduced to + 12 ... + 16 ° С, and after 10 days it is increased to + 20 ... + 25 ° С. Fortified seedlings of leaf and petiole celery with 3-5 leaves are dived - transplanted into separate containers, choosing the strongest specimens and shortening the central root. This promotes the growth of green mass due to the supply of nutrients to the ground part.

For transplant, use separate cups with a diameter of at least 6 cm, in the bottom of which holes are made for the outflow of excess water. The container is filled with the same substrate as when planting, a 2-2.5 cm depression is made, and watered with a syringe. Seedlings are carefully dripped in with a teaspoon and placed in the hole. Sprinkle with earth on top, leaving cotyledon leaves on the surface. Then the plants are watered with clean, settled water and fed with "Gumi" (6 drops per 1 liter).

After picking, the seedlings are left in a dark place for 2-3 daysto reduce stress, then take out into sunlight. If necessary, the sprouts are supplemented with a phytolamp. The norm of daylight hours for celery is 12-14 hours. The optimum air temperature is + 18 ... + 22 ° С.

Reference. Seedlings are watered carefully, through a sieve, 1-2 times a week, mixing "Fitosporin-M". The soil is loosened with a peg, trying not to touch the roots.

Seedling feeding scheme:

• 14 days after sowing, chicken droppings are introduced (1 tsp for 3 liters of water);
• subsequent feeding is carried out every 10 days - "Nitrofoska" and chicken droppings in turn (1 tsp for 3 liters of water).

3 weeks before planting in the ground, the seedlings are taken out into the open air in partial shade for hardening.

Outdoor transplant and further care

When to plant mature seedlings? Seedlings are transplanted into open ground in the third decade of May... In this case, it is desirable that the sprouts reach a height of 20-25 cm.

Light sandy loam soil rich in humus and open sunny areas are suitable for growing crops. Any vegetables can be the predecessors. In the fall, the site is dug up and fertilized with humus (10 liters per 1 m²).

In the spring, the beds are dug to a depth of 30 cm, the soil is sprayed with a solution of potassium permanganate or copper sulfate.

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Seedlings are planted to a depth of 10 cm according to the scheme 20 × 20 cm or 30 × 40 cm... Root celery seedlings try not to deeply deepen and not cover the growth point with earth, otherwise the root crops will not form. After transplanting, the soil is watered abundantly.

Reference. To obtain large, bleached petioles, it is important to maintain optimum soil moisture and huddle the stems high. The higher the embankments, the higher and larger the petioles.

Planting care:

1. The beds are kept constantly moist. Watering frequency depends on weather conditions. It is important not to overflow the plants, otherwise the roots will start to rot and the plant will die.
2. The plot is mulched with sawdust, hay or straw. Mulch retains moisture and prevents weed growth.
3. Loosening and weeding is carried out 1 time in 2 weeks. After increasing the size of the root crop, the soil is raked off, the root part is released, and the lateral roots are cut. This helps the root crop grow large and round.
4. Celery is fed with chicken manure infusion in a ratio of 1:15 14 days after transfer to the ground and superphosphate (25 g per 10 l) at the end of July. If the leaves turn pale, prepare a solution of urea (10 g per 2 L of water).
5. Root celery leaves are not removed, otherwise the root crop will not receive sufficient nutrition and will grow small-caliber.

Conclusion

The rules for planting leaf celery for seedlings are no different from sowing root and leaf species. Seeds are pre-sowing treatment to increase the percentage of germination. The soil is prepared from fertile soil, adding river sand, peat and sawdust for greater looseness. To find out when to sow seeds for seedlings, the lunar calendar and knowledge of the climate of the growing region will help.

In general, sowing takes place from early February to late March. The transfer of grown seedlings to a permanent place begins no earlier than mid-May. Caring for celery involves moderate watering, weeding, loosening the earth crust, mulching the soil and applying top dressing.