How to grow celery in the garden

Celery is a well-known plant that is used as a seasoning for salads, various meat or fish dishes. There are no particular difficulties in the independent cultivation of this crop, but it is worth knowing some nuances of agricultural technology.

Celery - what is this fruit

Celery for many is associated with parsley. Indeed, both in appearance of leaves and in taste, foreign celery is very similar to our parsley. Only the first culture has a much pronounced spicy flavor, which gives the dish a special piquancy. In celery food is widely used not only the top sheet, but also the root crop, as well as seeds.

Celery, first used as food in ancient Greece, was not a foodstuff, but a medicine. Celery was used in Asia and Europe to decorate the table,only in the 17th century it began to be used in cooking. Today, celery has several types of varieties, which can be divided into three types:

• Sheet
• Stalked
• Root

As the name implies, celery leaf varieties are grown for the harvest of tops, very similar to parsley. In stalked celery, both leaves and rhizome are suitable for food. Root celery is grown exclusively for juicy, tasty fruit, which can reach 600-800 grams.

Celery is a biennial plant. In the first year it gives a big harvest of tops, in the second year the arrows with seeds grow. This should be taken into account when planting celery at a permanent place.

Some varieties differ in maturity - late or early, so when choosing a variety, you should pay particular attention to this characteristic.

What is useful celery

Celery is widely used in folk medicine as a tonic and salt-free remedy. The special composition of the plant has a beneficial effect on the nervous system, improves sleep quality, increases appetite and also helps with obesity. Celery leaves contain a large amount of essential oils - they have a powerful antimicrobial effect in various diseases of internal organs.Celery is used to make tinctures for urogenital diseases, used to treat gout, dermatitis and urticaria.

Features agricultural celery

1. Celery is a cold-resistant plant. Seedlings easily withstand small frosts, and the adult plant winter well, even in the harsh Siberian climate.
2. Culture does not like acidic soil. The ideal place for growing celery are cucumber, potato or onion beds. It is not advisable to plant in the place where the same umbrella crops (beets, carrots) used to grow, this is due to common pests that can spoil the appearance of fragile, succulent leaves.
3. In order for celery, used for growing leaves, to have a more tender tops without bitterness, it is necessary to apply the bleaching technique. For this, a bunch of leaves is gathered together and from the ground itself is tied up with a thread, and then covered up with a white sheet of paper, straw, sacking. It is forbidden to use newspapers or magazines for this, as they contain a large amount of lead harmful to the human body.
4. Unlike some plants, celery leaves can be dried - from this culture will not lose any useful properties. Root crops can be stored in cool rooms, such as a subfield, and eaten throughout the winter.
5. Celery responds well to organic and mineral fertilizers: when digging the ground in spring, it is desirable to add manure and compost in a 2: 1 ratio. It is also necessary to sprinkle the soil with potassium chloride while pillaging the prepared bed.
6. Note! Caring for celery root is significantly different from the leaf. The second type of plant positively refers to hilling, but the first one does not need this event at all. On the contrary, root celery completely spud harmful - from this the fruit will appear lateral stems, which will worsen its presentation. But a decent hilling at the leaf stem only contributes to the growth of new stems with tops.
7. If you want to get a large celery root, cut the tops is prohibited. This disrupts the process of photosynthesis in a plant and the root stops growing.

Growing celery in the garden

Seedlings. Celery grows from very small seeds that are not more than one millimeter. In this regard, it is necessary to grow celery seedlings.

Sowing should be carried out in early March, after the light day will increase rapidly. It is not recommended to plant the seeds immediately in the soil - seedlings may be small in number or not appear for a very long time due to the small size of the seed. In order to get a big harvest of celery, it is necessary to hold the seeds in a weak solution of manganese water or another organic solution. After about a day, drain the water and spread the seeds on a damp cloth, which you spray daily with ordinary water from a spray bottle. After a few days, the first shoots will begin to appear - this is the first sign of planting the seedlings in the ground.

In order not to damage the emerging roots, it is necessary to properly prepare the ground. Take equal amounts of peat, humus, leaf soil, sand. Mix thoroughly and make small wells, a depth of no more than 1 cm. Into these depressions and sow the seeds. Sprinkle with peat on top, not tight, leaving the earth loose.

Cover the box with the planted seeds tightly with plastic wrap to create a greenhouse effect and put it on the window sill, facing west or east. The optimum temperature for growth is 15-16 degrees Celsius.

Picking This stage is most important for root celery varieties, as in the process of picking the main root is pinching, that is, a large fruit is formed.

Picks can be made only after a couple of true leaves appear on the plant. Before you begin to pull the seedlings out of the ground, it must be carefully watered, the ground must be wet. Carefully removing the seedlings, remove the secondary roots from the roots, then with careful movements, make a hole in advance with your finger or a spoon, put them in a new dish. After all the seedlings are planted in a checkerboard pattern, pour water with Gum or other fertilizer.

Landing in the ground and caring for the plant. Before planting celery in the garden, to a permanent place of cultivation, it is necessary to harden the plant. To do this, in the afternoon leave a box with seedlings on the street, bring it home in the evening. It is necessary to do these procedures 5-6 days.After the celery is ready for the outdoor environment, it can be transplanted.

It should be noted that celery does not like deep landings. The optimum for growth will be such a landing, in which the top of the root will be slightly visible above the ground. It is forbidden to cover the place of leaf growth with earth.

Make sure that celery is always watered - it does not like drying out of the soil. At the same time, soil transfusion contributes to the appearance of bacteria, as well as numerous pests - snails, slugs, larva flies. Be sure to loosen and remove weeds.

Harvesting. Harvesting of root crops begins in October or early November, before strong frosts come. The upper part of the plant - the tops of the leaf varieties are cut throughout the year, but in this case, the roots become unsuitable for food. In celery fruits, tops are cut first, as close as possible to the base. The root tip is trimmed and the plant is shaken off an earthen coma.

There are no special features when storing celery roots. The main thing is moderate air humidity and periodic airing.Under these conditions, celery can remain juicy until March or April.

Celery - vegetable culture is not only rich in vitamins, but also surprisingly tasty. It is able to give any dish a special delicacy and not forgettable taste. In order to be able to cook unusual first or second dishes from celery all year round, it is necessary to grow the plant properly in your garden. If you follow all the tips on farming, you will get a surprisingly large harvest!

Video: growing parsley and celery