A step-by-step guide to growing stalked celery outdoors

Petiole celery has appeared on store shelves relatively recently, but has already won the love of the consumer. This plant has a rich taste and aroma, while being dietary product. Therefore, it is willingly grown by summer residents and gardeners.

Growing celery is easy. It is a cold-resistant and unpretentious crop that is suitable for cultivation in all corners of our country. The main thing is to follow the rules of care and cultivation of stalked celery in the open field.

What is stalked celery and what are its features

Celery is a biennial crop from the umbrella family. This is a relative dill and carrots.

There are three types of plants: petiole, sheet and root. They differ in that they give the greatest amount of nutrients to different parts of the plant.

Stalked celery has thick, juicy stems. Its roots do not form root crops, and with proper care, the leaves are underdeveloped. It is distinguished by its cold resistance, therefore it can be grown even in regions such as the Urals, Moscow region and Siberia.

A plant with a pronounced aroma and contains a natural flavor enhancer. This product is used to improve the taste of the first and second courses. They also consume it raw.

Celery is a healthy vegetable. 100 g of the product accounts for only 12 kcal, 0.91 g of fat, 0.12 g of fat and 2.4 g of carbohydrates. It contains a large amount of amino acids, minerals (phosphorus, potassium, calcium, sodium, magnesium), vitamins (A, B, PP, C, K), flavonoids.

Celery activates metabolism, has a positive effect on the condition of the liver and kidneys, and normalizes blood pressure and hormonal levels. Dried and chopped petioles are useful in place of salt.

This plant only has a drawback - it is difficult to cultivate. Until the plantings get stronger, they are extremely sensitive to negative environmental factors. Violation of the care technology leads to a decrease in the taste of the petioles.

Another disadvantage is that many varieties will have to be bleached to become edible. Breeders have developed hybrids that do not need bleaching, but they are highly sensitive to lower temperatures.

Bleaching is carried out so that the stems lose their bitterness, too spicy taste and bright green color. To do this, they are denied access to sunlight at the last stage of development, when the height of the stems reaches 30 cm.The procedure is as follows: celery leaves are collected in a bunch and wrapped with improvised material - cardboard, paper, scraps of plastic pipes, etc. It is important that the wrapper fits snugly against the bottom of the soil.

The best varieties for outdoor cultivation

There are several varieties of celery suitable for cultivation in our country. They are divided into two groups depending on whether they need to be bleached or not.

Self-bleaching varieties and hybrids:

Varieties needing bleaching:

Sowing and transplanting dates

Petiole celery develops slowly. It is important to sow the seeds in a timely manner, otherwise the stems will not have time to become sufficiently fleshy and juicy before the first frost.

It is advisable to choose the timing for sowing celery, focusing on the manufacturer's instructions. There are general recommendations regarding the timing of growing seedlings in different regions:

• cities with southern climates - the second half of February;
• regions with moderate climatic conditions - early March;
• cities with cold climates - end of March.

Seedlings are planted in open ground in early March or June, depending on the region. By this time, the soil at a depth of 15 cm should have reached 15 ° C.

How to grow seedlings

Petiole celery is grown only in seedlings. It has a long ripening period, so with the seed method, its stems simply will not be ready for harvest.

Growing celery seedlings is a long and complicated process. It is the young plants of this culture that are the most capricious in their care and do not tolerate any adverse effects poorly.

When deciding on the amount of planting material, it is important to consider that celery seeds have a low germination capacity. Seeds are taken 2-3 times the desired number of plants.

Preparatory work

For growing celery seedlings, light and nutritious soil with low acidity is used. A universal seedling soil is suitable. To prepare the soil mixture, take the following ingredients yourself:

• peat - 3 parts;
• ash - 1 part;
• humus - 1 part;
• sand - 1 part.

The soil is disinfected. To do this, it is calcined in the oven, poured with boiling water or sprayed with a dark pink solution of potassium permanganate. Additionally, it is recommended to treat the soil with "Fitosporin", which is considered an antifungal agent.

For celery, two types of containers are prepared:

1. Wide boxes or plastic trays.
2. Containers 15 cm high (cups, peat or plastic pots, cut bottles). Plants dive into such a container after two real leaves appear on them. The pots must have drainage holes.

The container is also disinfected. It is soaked in a dark pink solution of potassium permanganate or rubbed with alcohol.

To increase and accelerate the germination of seeds, they are prepared before planting. This will reduce the risk of infection of plants and increase their resistance to negative external influences:

1. Disinfection. The seeds are immersed in a light pink solution of potassium permanganate for 15-20 minutes. Fitosporin solution is also suitable. After that, the seeds are washed with water at room temperature.
2. Removing the oil shell. The seeds are soaked in water with a temperature of 60 ° C for 8 hours. During this time, the water is changed several times.The procedure will remove the essential oil from the shell of the planting material, which prevents it from germinating. Then the seeds are washed again under running water.
3. Germination... The first method: the planting material is wrapped in wet gauze, which is placed in a container and covered with a film. Until the planting material germinates, it is moistened as it dries and regularly ventilated. The second method: a layer of wet sawdust is poured on the bottom of the can, sand is distributed on top, mixed in equal proportions with seeds. The container is not covered. The substrate is moistened as it dries. In both cases, the seeds are germinated in a warm place.

Sowing seeds

The boxes are filled with soil so that 2-3 cm remain free to the edge. The soil is moistened with warm water or a solution of a growth stimulator from a spray bottle. In it, grooves are made in rows up to 1 cm deep.

Prepared, but not germinated seeds are densely poured into the grooves. If a large percentage of the planting material sprouts, then the seedlings will have to be thinned out.

If the seeds were germinated in advance, then the hatched specimens are planted in grooves at a distance of 3-4 cm from each other. In order not to damage the thin sprouts, they are not taken by hand, but glued to a match head soaked in water or gently lifted with tweezers.

The seeds are sprinkled with a thin layer of earth. They are covered with foil and removed to a warm place before the first shoots appear.

Seedling care

Seedlings are grown in a heated greenhouse or at home on a windowsill. In the second case, the plants are stronger and more resilient.

To grow strong and healthy plants, it is important to properly care for your seedlings.

The list contains the main nuances:

1. After the first shoots appear, the film is removed from the containers. The seedlings are rearranged in a well-lit place. If there is not enough natural light (the plants begin to wither), fluorescent lamps are additionally used.
2. Water the seedlings from a spray bottle as the soil dries out. Watering should not be too abundant. Otherwise, the water will stagnate and the plants will start to rot.
3. After the emergence of seedlings, if the plantings are thickened, they are thinned out so that 3-4 cm remain between the plants.
4. After the appearance of three true leaves, the seedlings dive. To do this, they are removed from the common container using a fork. A layer of sand is poured into the bottom of individual containers, and then soil. The stem is buried in half. After that, the plants are watered. The next watering is possible no earlier than a week later.
5. For the entire period of growing seedlings, two dressings are applied. The first time is two weeks after the first shoots appear, and the second is two weeks after the celery is picked into individual containers. Superphosphate 15 g, urea 5 g or potassium sulfide 10 g are used. These funds are added to a bucket of water.
6. Before planting in open ground, the seedlings are hardened. To do this, it is taken out on the street or on the balcony for 10 days, gradually increasing the time spent in the fresh air.

Open ground transplant

The soil for celery is prepared a month before planting the plants in open ground. To do this, it is dug up and cleaned of weeds. Then rotted manure or humus is introduced at the rate of 6 kg per 1 sq. m. 30 g of superphosphate and 15 g of urea are added to the soil. The soil is thoroughly mixed with fertilizers.

A week before picking the seedlings to a permanent place, the soil is watered with copper sulfate (2 tablespoons of the preparation are taken for 1 bucket of water). Additionally, it is treated with Fitosporin.

For celery, dig holes 10 cm deep. The distance between the rows should be 40-50 cm, and between the plants 25-30 cm. Celery is not deeply buried. Otherwise, it will start to rot.

After picking, the beds are watered abundantly with water at room temperature. The first two weeks at night they are covered with foil or white burlap.

Important! If celery is planted too early or too late, the stems will be tasteless.

Further care

Agrotechnics of celery in the open field is simple... The main thing is to follow the basic rules of caring for him:

1. Celery is watered with warm, settled water 2-3 times a week. Watering should be plentiful, but infrequent.
2. After each watering and precipitation, the soil is loosened and at the same time cleared of weeds.
3. It is recommended to mulch the celery beds with rotted straw, burlap or dry grass. This will protect plants from frost and pests, slow down the growth of weeds.
4. Feeding celery every two weeks. Mineral fertilizers (20 g of nitrophoska for 1 bucket of water) and organic fertilizers are alternated (manure is diluted with water in a ratio of 1:10). Before feeding, plants must be watered with plenty of clean water.
5. Self-bleaching celery must be earthed. They begin to do this when the stems reach a height of 15 cm.
6. When growing varieties that require bleaching, their petioles, when they reach a height of 30 cm, are wrapped in a damp cloth.

Attention! With rare watering, the stems become bitter.

Diseases and pests

Celery is not as susceptible to disease as other crops. But sometimes it is also affected by fungal, bacterial and viral diseases.

The list contains the most common ones:

• tobacco mosaic virus;
• bacterial spotting;
• late burn;
• blackleg;
• rot (white or heart-shaped);
• scab.

If you follow the rules of prevention, the risk of developing pathologies will be minimal:

1. Compliance with the principles of crop rotation. Celery is not planted after other greens and carrots.
2. Removal of plant residues. Pathogens may remain on them.
3. Temperature. Celery is planted only after the night frosts have passed.
4. Disinfection. Disinfecting solutions are used to treat all tools and materials with which plants come into contact.
5. Compliance with watering rules. Water stagnation or soil drying should not be allowed.

During epidemics, it is recommended to spray plantings with a solution of copper sulfate, potassium permanganate or "Fitosporin". Diseased plants are removed so that they do not infect healthy specimens.

Celery is often attacked by pests. They not only spoil plants, but also carry pathogens throughout the garden:

• snails and slugs;
• aphid;
• scoop;
• carrot fly larva.

To protect celery from pests, it is sprayed with a decoction of bitter herbs (wormwood, dandelion). The beds and aisles are sprinkled with ash.

Important! A rotten core indicates that bacteria have entered the stems.

Harvesting and storage

Celery is harvested when its stems are thick and at least 30-35 cm tall. Most varieties are ready for harvest in August or September.

The varieties that need bleaching are stored throughout the winter. They are removed to the basement without removing the material in which they were wrapped during bleaching and covered with sand. Celery can stay in the refrigerator for more than a month. To do this, it is wrapped in film.

Features of cultivation depending on the region

In regions with different climatic conditions - their own subtleties of growing celery:

1. In northern regions, it is recommended to cover the beds with foil or each plant with a plastic bottle separately every night. With cold snaps, such a measure is taken during the day.
2. In areas with a warm climate, the beds are watered every other day.
3. After heavy rains and cold snaps, the risks of plant infection increase. In this case, it is recommended to spray them with "Fitosporin" for prevention. This is especially true for the central regions.

Reviews of summer residents

Experienced summer residents say that, observing the basic rules of agricultural technology, it is not difficult to grow celery. Some of them provide helpful advice.

Irina, Izhevsk: “I have been growing stalked celery for the third year.Very tasty and healthy greens that can improve the taste of absolutely any dish. The first year there were difficulties with germinating seeds. They germinate for a very long time. Now I got used to it and before landing I soak them in the "Epin". The rest of the difficulties in growing did not notice. "

Elena, Sochi: “I love celery. This year, for the first time, it grew its petiolate variety. I chose varieties that do not require bleaching. Fertilized with silage, with the addition of ash and chicken droppings. The harvest was good, the stems are juicy and fragrant. The only negative is that no more than half of all the seeds I purchased have sprouted. "

Conclusion

Petiole celery is a delicious and healthy plant that suits a wide variety of dishes. It is recommended to be included in the diet of nutritionists and adherents of proper nutrition.

It is quite possible to grow celery on your site. The main thing is to follow all the rules of care and adhere to the planting dates specified by the manufacturer.