Growing and caring for leafy celery outdoors from planting to harvest

Leaf celery takes pride of place among the spicy and healthy herbs grown in our beds. Its openwork shiny leaves are not only tasty and aromatic, but also a real green pharmacy. It is difficult to list all the useful properties of celery, but they are worth finding a place for this culture in the garden. The plant is also universal in use: it is added to various hot dishes, salads and used as a seasoning. While growing leaf celery through seedlings takes time and effort, it will pay off in full.

What is leafy celery and what are its features

Leaf celery is a herbaceous plant in the Umbellifera family. Leafy - the most unpretentious among all types of celery, as it can grow in various conditions.

Among the main features of this culture are small bright green leaves and a well-noticeable spicy aroma, thanks to which the greens are used to create seasonings. Leafy celery does not have a developed root crop and fleshy petioles, but ripens faster.

The plant has a high yield - the leaves are cut several times during the season.

Interesting! In ancient Greece, celery was highly prized. He was depicted on coins, on holidays, temples and houses were decorated with plants, and the heroes were presented with woven wreaths of leaves.

Advantages and disadvantages

Experienced summer residents note the following advantages of leaf celery:

• the plant is unpretentious, unlike root and petiole varieties;
• the culture tolerates short-term frosts relatively easily;
• celery gives high germination (losses of planting material are minimal);
• high yield even in soil of average fertility (greens rarely grow weak, they are almost always juicy and of high quality, suitable for eating).

Among the shortcomings, it can be noted that this culture has to be grown in seedlings, so inexperienced gardeners need to learn how to properly prepare seeds, containers and soil. Also, plants are often affected by diseases and attacked by pests.

The best varieties for outdoor cultivation

Celery varieties differ in terms of ripening, yield and taste. Many gardeners prefer leafy varieties:

1. Athena. Greens ripen in medium terms - the leaves are cut 78 days after germination. The foliage is bright green, medium in size. The variety has a high taste and aroma. From 1 sq. m harvested 1.8-2.1 kg of the crop.
2. Sail. Mid-season variety. Technical ripeness occurs on 72-80 days. The leaves are green, collected in rosettes. The plant is appreciated for its excellent taste and high yield - up to 4.7 kg per 1 sq. m. Greens are stored for a long time.
3. Freak. Mid-season celery. The crop is harvested 100 days after germination. The rosette contains corrugated leaves on thin petioles. One bush weighs up to 120 g. From 1 sq. m cut off 2.5 kg of greens.
4. Zakhar. The plant is medium late. The greens are cut 150-160 days after germination. Celery is consumed fresh and used for any kind of processing. The foliage has strongly split edges. The size of the sockets is average. The taste and aroma are excellent.This leafy celery is highly sought after by gardeners.
5. Openwork. Greens ripen early. Large dark green leaves are cut 75-80 days after germination. One plant weighs about 85 g. Per 1 sq. m grows up to 3 kg of harvest. New leaves grow quickly after cutting.
6. Samurai. An early high-yielding variety. The crop is harvested after 75 days. From 1 sq. m cut up to 4 kg of greens. The culture is resistant to low temperatures and water scarcity.
7. Cartouli. An early Georgian variety. The first leaves are cut 65 days after germination. The culture grows normally with a lack of heat and moisture.

Don't ignore the new varieties that appear frequently in gardening stores. The selection is carried out continuously, as the demand for celery is very high.

Sowing and transplanting dates

Leaf celery is characterized by a relatively slow growth, and it is almost impossible to get friendly shoots, therefore, the culture is grown mainly in seedlings.

At home, sowing is carried out in early March, and in the first decade of May, the plants are transferred to a permanent place.

It is interesting:

The best varieties of dill for greens without umbrellas for growing in greenhouses.

When to harvest carrot seeds and how to do it right.

How to grow seedlings

Cultivation of leaf celery is practically no different from the cultivation of other varieties of this plant, although some gardeners note that it is easiest to grow it.

Training

Seedlings are grown in various containers, for example:

• plastic containers;
• wooden or plastic boxes;
• cut along the milk or juice cartons.

In the containers, drainage holes must be made to drain excess water.

High-quality soil is one of the important conditions for the proper cultivation of seedlings. Seeds of leaf celery are germinated in a substrate that consists of equal parts of humus and sod land, and one fifth of the sand is also added to the mixture. Next, the finished soil is disinfected with 1% potassium permanganate solution and loosened well for better air permeability. Celery grows poorly on acidic soils, so lime is added to such soil (0.3-0.5 kg of substance is used per 1 sq. M) and slightly mixed with the soil.

Seeds of leaf celery are disinfected for 30 minutes in a weak solution of potassium permanganate, then soaked for 3-4 hours in a growth stimulator, for example, "Epine", and finally kept in water at room temperature for 24 hours.

It is not necessary to completely immerse the seeds in water to moisturize, you can simply wrap them in a damp cloth and keep them in that state for 24 hours.

Important! To prevent excessive moisture from causing rotting, do not keep seeds in a humid environment for longer than the specified time. Remove as soon as the grains swell.

Landing

Sowing seeds in containers is carried out according to the 2 × 2 cm scheme. The planting material is not deeply buried, it is simply laid out on the surface of the soil and lightly pressed with your fingers. Sprinkle on top with a small layer of substrate. Next, the container with seeds is covered with transparent glass or foil to create a greenhouse effect.

Seedlings are kept at a temperature of + 20 ... + 24 ° C. Seedlings appear in 10-14 days, and then the temperature is reduced to + 15 ... + 16 ° C.

Seedling care

After the emergence of seedlings, the shelter is left for another two weeks until 2-3 leaves appear, but the seedlings are periodically ventilated so that mold does not appear... Having removed the film, the grown seedlings dive in separate containers or transplanted into a large container at a distance of at least 5 cm from each other. Such actions will strengthen young plants.

The culture needs lighting for 10-12 hours, therefore lamps are additionally installed (preferably diffused light). The room temperature is maintained at + 16 ... + 18 ° C. Water the culture sparingly using a spray bottle. Regular moistening - every two days or as the top layer of the soil dries up.

Seedlings are fertilized 14 days before the expected planting of plants in a permanent place. For this, mineral fertilizers are used: 5-10 g of superphosphate and 10-15 g of ammonium nitrate are diluted in 5 liters of water.

Important! Top dressing is applied under the celery root so that fertilizers do not fall on the delicate leaves and stems of young plants. Otherwise, the culture will burn or stop growing.

Open ground transplant

It is better to plant seedlings at a distance of 15-20 cm between plants, and about 30 cm between rows. If desired, celery can be planted in the aisles of potatoes, garlic or onions.

A handful of wood ash and humus are poured into the planting holes, while fertilizers are mixed with the soil. The plants are deepened to the cotyledonous knee. Further, the soil around the seedlings is tamped and watered. For the first few days, the celery is protected from direct sunlight with sheets of paper.

Further care

Celery roots are short, so they pick up moisture that is on the soil surface. The soil is moistened moderately so that puddles do not form, as they block the access of oxygen to the roots, wash out the soil, exposing the root system, and can lead to decay.

Celery is watered when the weather is calm, morning or evening. Humidification of the culture at noon or in strong sun is not carried out. For watering, use a spray bottle, drip irrigation or special sprinklers.

15 days after transplanting to a permanent place, the plants are fed with complex fertilizers, which include sodium, phosphorus and potassium. Thus, celery receives the full range of essential mineral components for growth and development.

The aisles are weeded to get rid of weeds and open up oxygen to the roots. Leafy celery is a fragile plant that has a small root system.

Some summer residents mulch a bed of celery to control weeds. To do this, use sawdust, leaves or agrofibre. Mulch reduces the amount of watering.

Did you know? Celery was considered a plant that brings happiness and was hung in rooms along with onions and garlic.

Potential problems, diseases and pests

Plants are wrapped in foil or paper to protect the celery and prevent the leaves from tilting towards the ground. This is especially useful for varieties with lush and dense foliage. The wrapping helps the crop grow vertically without splitting apart. Before cutting greens, in 1-2 days, remove the wrapper. If the celery grows without protective wrapping, the leaves are pruned regularly.

Celery is often attacked by pests and diseases that can ruin the entire crop... The most common diseases and pests and methods of dealing with them:

1. Carrot fly. The winged insect lays eggs on plants in the spring, then the larvae eat the celery leaves. For prevention, timely weeding, feeding and loosening are carried out. Garlic is planted next to the crop. The pungent smell repels the pest. They fight the fly with a mustard-tobacco mixture, which is sprinkled between the rows of plants. Tobacco dust and dry mustard are mixed in equal parts. For 1 sq. m spend a tablespoon of funds. The procedure is carried out every week.
2. Carrot leaf flea. The insect flies from coniferous trees and drinks juice from celery leaves. The pest gradually destroys the plant - it deforms and withers. They fight the flea like a carrot fly.
3. Bean aphid. The largest pest of its kind. A whole generation develops in a week. Aphids are destroyed by spraying greens with a decoction of potato, tomato or dandelion tops.
4. Celery (borscht) fly. The insect appears at the end of May, often flies from the hogweed. The pest lays eggs under the skin of the leaves. Soon small lumpy spots appear on the greenery - larvae develop there. When they grow up, they start eating the leaves, leaving passages in them.For prophylaxis, the rules of crop rotation are observed, acidic soils are limed, seedlings are thinned, onions or garlic are planted next to the plants. They also destroy the hogweed plantation - mainly the borsch fly arrives from there.
5. Powdery mildew... The disease manifests itself as a white or gray bloom on plants. With high humidity, the disease intensifies. Powdery mildew is disposed of by spraying plantings with sow thistle infusion - 0.6 kg per 10 liters. The remedy is insisted for 8 hours.
6. Rust. Celery is covered with reddish-brown powdery spots. The disease is treated by spraying the plantings with Fitosporin-M.

Growing features

Leaf celery is a cold-resistant plant. The culture even tolerates return frosts, so greens are grown in the vast majority of regions of the country.

The growing season of leaf celery lasts a long time, so the culture is grown through seedlings, so that by the time of planting in open ground, young plants have time to get stronger.

Collection, storage and use of the crop

Leaf celery is cut several times per season. The first stage is carried out 14 days after transplanting to a permanent place. The greens are cut when they reach a length of 30-40 cm, at a height of 5-7 cm from the ground.

After harvesting, celery is stored in several ways:

• salted;
• freeze;
• dried;
• in the refrigerator without freezing.

The plant is actively used in cooking, it finds its place in a wide variety of dishes. Chopped celery is added to soups a few minutes before cooking to add flavor and beauty. There are many recipes for salads with these herbs, it is added to omelets and even to baked goods and desserts.

For your information... Hippocrates considered celery to be a cure for all diseases.

Reviews of summer residents

Leaf celery is grown by many gardeners for its beneficial properties and aroma. Reviews of some summer residents further.

Ekaterina, Odintsovo: «The first time they tried to plant leafy celery was in 2010. It's easy to look after him. This greens are very useful, so my husband and children use it mainly fresh, add it to salads. The leaves have an unusual taste. We also make various seasonings from celery. The whole family likes it. I even make face masks from this plant. Now we grow this crop annually. "

Vladimir, Bryansk: “In our village, many people have leafy celery. Not all newbies like this green, but judicious use will correct it. In dishes I use the leaves to enhance the taste. Celery is a great weight loss product. It helps you lose extra pounds and has a medicinal effect due to the vitamins in the greens. I love leaf celery, growing and caring outdoors doesn't take much effort. I advise everyone!"

Read also:

Celery for weight loss: how much you can eat per day.

The health benefits of celery for women.

Beware, onion fly: how to fight and win.

Conclusion

Leafy celery is unpretentious, it grows on almost any soil, withstands cold weather and tolerates moisture deficit. The only difficulty is to grow and plant seedlings; otherwise, caring for a plant requires minimal effort and time.

A lot of vitamins and useful properties, several harvests per season and a special aroma make the culture valuable in every sense of the word.