Growing root celery will not be difficult when you consider the simple maintenance guidelines. It is enough to plant the crop in a timely manner, water it regularly and apply additional fertilizing. As a result, you will get a harvest of tasty and healthy celery.
Description of culture
Celery - belongs to vegetable crops and to the umbrella family. The plant is considered perennial, has a thickened root. The leaves are a pinnate dissected shape.
Growth limit - 1 m. Growing preferences - wet soils, swamps, salt marshes. Cold-resistant and moisture-loving variety, not afraid of frost. It has a strong aroma, therefore it is widespread in the culinary field. All parts of the root vegetable are used for cooking: root, stem and leaves.
Ideal for many dishes, as a flavorful condiment. It has proven itself well in medicine, thanks to its many useful and medicinal properties.
Celery appeared many centuries ago. It was considered an ornamental plant that prolongs beauty and youth.
Root celery varieties
The culture is rich in varieties of varieties that can be selected taking into account their own preferences and the territory in which they will be grown.
Mid-early varieties:
- Apple celery... Mid-early ripening period (up to 150 days). Height up to 50 cm, weight - up to 0.4 kg. It has a rounded root and snow-white pulp.
- Delicacy... The root vegetable has a flat, slightly rounded shape. It is strewn with lateral roots. It has the shape of an opened rosette, thanks to the green plates. Weight no more than 0.6 kg.
- Giant Prague. High productivity. Height - 60 cm, weight - 0.8 kg.
- Root mushroom... Rootsin the form of a ball with an elongation and weight of 250 g, up to half a meter high.
- Diamond... It has an advantage among other varieties, since it is stored for a long time. Smooth surface, huge roots, weighing more than 1 kg. Hairy coatings and voids are absent.
grade "Apple celery"
grade "Delicacy"
variety "Giant Prague"
variety "Root mushroom"
grade "Diamant"
Medium varieties:
- Strongman... Germinates 5 months after sowing and weighs 0.4 kg. The white pulp contains a lot of sugar and minerals.
- Albin... Germinates in 120 days, has a greenish skin tone and a high yield percentage.
- Egor... Ripening occurs after 6 months. It is famous for its rich aroma and high consumer demand.
grade "Strong"
grade "Albin"
grade "Egor"
Late varieties:
- Maxim... Fruit weight - 0.5 kg, spicy taste. Roundness of root crops with lateral roots.
- Anita... The growing season is about 5 months. The root crop weighs up to 400 g. It brings a high yield. Dishes are prepared from this variety, consumed fresh and frozen.
variety "Maxim"
grade "Anita"
All root vegetables have useful properties, regardless of the variety.
When buying seeds from a specialty store, pay attention to the expiration dates.
Advantages and disadvantages
Root celery is widely known and popular. But most gardeners doubt whether to grow it on their site or not. There are pros and cons to this business.
Advantages:
- Strong seedlings. Proper care from the start of sowing will produce healthy and strong seedlings.
- Artificial lighting simulation. If there is a lack of sunlight, you can use a special lamp.
- Convenience when placing a container with seedlings. In a small room it takes up a small part of the space.
- A variety of varieties.
- Frost resistance. The seedlings planted in the ground can withstand up to -5 ° C.
- Convenient location of planting in the garden. With a small number of seedlings, you can place it on the extreme strip of the garden.
- Combination with some vegetables. To save space, you can plant it with tomatoes, cabbage, beets, cucumbers, beans.
- Long-term storage of root crops after harvest.
Disadvantages:
- Long growing season. Gardeners living in the middle lane will face difficulties in growing root celery. Harvesting takes place 6-7 months after sowing.
- Seeds have poor germination. There should be a large number of seeds in the stock - not all can sprout.
- Death or illness with too much watering.
- Quarrelsome with parsley, potatoes and carrots.
Planting root celery
Planting root celery should be done according to certain rules. You need to prepare the ground and choose the right seeds.
Preparation of soil and containers for seedlings
We begin the preparation process for growing a healthy and robust plant. You will need a convenient container for seeds and good quality soil. You can take soil from your property, buy it from the store, or prepare it yourself. Take equal parts:
- garden land;
- compost;
- washed sand from the river;
- peat;
- grain husks or sunflower husks;
- eggshell.
Keep all ingredients in a warm place before preparing the potting mix. Use a box or separate “planting space” for each sprout as a container for seedlings. The first option provides for the subsequent diving of each sprout. In the second case, plastic or paper cups are suitable. Make a hole in the glasses for excess liquid to escape when watering.
Peat tablets or cassettes are a good solution. The first ones are made from compressed fertilizers and they are saturated with a large number of useful microelements. Each one is wrapped in a net. The diameter of the tablet is 2-7 cm.
Cassettes are convenient to use in a small space. Their volume and numerous cells will take up little space in the room. Suitable for sowing a significant number of seedlings.
Seed preparation
The choice of seeds must be approached responsibly. They are very moody. To see the seedlings, certain manipulations are needed:
- Take a cup of hot water. Place the seeds in it and mix well. Essential oils will stay in the water.
- Leave the seeds to cool, then rinse with cold water.
- Pour the liquid through a strainer, and dry the seedlings a little. It can be soaked for 1-2 days in water at room temperature, periodically replacing the water in the vessel.
- The appearance of scanty shoots on the seed indicates readiness for sowing.
The surface of the seeds is covered with an oil layer. It protects the seed from fungal diseases, but prevents them from germinating quickly.
Sowing seeds
The time to start sowing starts from the end of February and continues until the beginning of March. Cultivation is time consuming, so late sowing may not produce the expected results.
Prepare soaked or sprouted seeds, containers with seed mixture. To make the seedlings strong, developed and healthy, add Energen to the ground immediately before sowing. This ecological, economical and safe product includes:
- silicon salt;
- humic acid;
- useful minerals;
- sub-bituminous coal;
- sulfur.
Sow closer to the surface, do not press the seed deeply. The growth rate directly depends on the amount of light received.
Seedling care
At first, it will be more comfortable for celery to germinate in a company. Later you will have to thin out the rows.
The optimum temperature for successful growth is 20-25 ° C. After the appearance of the first leaves, the temperature regime should be lowered to 16-20 ° C. If this is not done, the seedlings will stretch out from the heat. After 7-10 days, return the temperature to the original setting. Make the transition smooth.
Lighting plays an important role. Until the leaves appear, keep the seedlings in a dark place, covering the container with film or glass. Further sunlight is needed. With its lack, the plant will be threatened with disease and death. Use special lamps.
If the seedlings are grown on a south-facing windowsill, the use of additional lighting is reduced or eliminated. In cloudy weather, do not forget about the light. Daylight hours - 14-16 hours.
Keep the soil slightly moist. Avoid drafts. Water often and lightly, about once a week. When the sprouts are grown, spray water on them with a spray bottle. The stems are fragile and this method will save them from death.
The irrigation process is laborious and time consuming. Make it easy for yourself: irrigate with special devices. You can use drip irrigation with tape or tubing.
Waited for the first two leaves - start diving. Prepare each sprout in a separate cup with the same potting mix. When transferring the plant, pinch a portion of the main root, leaving 2/3.
Before planting seedlings in an open area, fertilize and feed the soil with dissolved poultry droppings, compost. It is better to do this 12 days before the start of the transplant. During the same period, temper the seedlings by taking them out for a short time in an open space.
Plants that have grown up to 20-25 cm and have dispersed 4-5 leaves are ready for planting in the ground. This can be done in May, 15-20. The second stage of the celery growing process begins.
Planting seedlings in open ground
If the garden has not been prepared in the fall, dug up and not cleared from the previous season, do it in the spring. Celery loves fertile soil:
- Arrange the garden so that the plants are warm and sunny. After choosing a suitable place, perform a series of preparatory work.
- Dig up the bed. Maintain a depth of at least 30 cm.
- Disinfect the soil with a sprayer. Use a solution of potassium permanganate or copper sulfate.
- Saturate with organic matter (1-2 buckets of humus per square meter). You can make a complex fertilizer from 20 g of urea, 9 g of phosphate and 15 g of potassium chloride.
When finished preparing the soil, loosen and cover it with foil. This is done in case of unexpected frosts at night. It is better to transfer seedlings in cloudy weather during the day or in calm weather in the evening. When starting planting seedlings, follow the correct scheme:
- Do not deepen the growth point, leave it flush with the soil surface. The depth of the hole is approximately 8-10 cm.
- Plant seedlings at intervals of 30-40 cm from each other. The row spacing is 45-50 cm. A densely planted bed will not yield.
- Complete the process with abundant watering.
Do not plant root celery where potatoes, carrots, parsley, and dill grew. Ideally plant in place of cucumbers, cabbage, onions, garlic, legumes.
Growing and care
Growing root celery is troublesome. He must be constantly and carefully looked after. If you adhere to all the rules and fulfill all the requirements for caring for the plant, then the result will pleasantly surprise. It is necessary to water, feed, loosen.
Watering
Celery loves water, but abundant watering will ruin it. Try to water regularly, but not water the plant.
Mulching the soil is suitable to retain moisture for a longer period. This will also help keep weeds from growing around the plants. Watering is done directly at the root.
For greater effect, water the vegetable with nettle tincture several times over the summer. Put chopped greens in a bucket and cover with water. Nettle wanders for 14 days. When watering, add 1 tbsp. infusion for 12 liters of water.
Weather conditions change and you need to constantly monitor soil moisture. Do not overdry or fill the soil - this is a prerequisite.
Top dressing
The nutrients in the fertilizers added to the soil give the plant strength and strength. They feed it from the inside.
To achieve a good and rich harvest, the soil with the plant must be fed throughout the entire growing season - approximately 3-4 times at regular intervals. Thanks to the first two feeding, the seedlings take root and begin to grow. The last two allow the root crop to grow larger.
Top dressing:
- Herbal infusion. 7 days after planting seedlings in the ground.
- Mullein or chicken droppings (infusions). 2 weeks after the first feeding.
- Superphosphate. End of July. Roots are fed.
- Boric acid (solution). The beginning of the ovary of the head.
Some summer residents feed 2-3 times for the entire time. You can do this, but not more than 4. Otherwise, it will bring harm to the vegetable, not good.
Weeding and loosening
Weeds grow in all garden beds and celery is no exception. He needs a lot of space to grow and the extra grass will only harm the plant. Weed on time, do not run the site.
Weeding and loosening of the soil take place at the same time. Root celery prefers to be in loose soil. At first, it is necessary to loosen more often, then 1 time in 2 weeks will be enough.
Submerge the tool 5-7 cm deep in the soil. The main part of weeding is the aisles. There is no specific period, each gardener has his own weeds and their growth rate.
When loosening and weeding the soil, do not huddle the plants. When the root crop becomes thicker, scoop up the earth from it, freeing the root part.
Removing excess soil from the root, you can see roots growing on the sides on it. Don't leave them, cut with a knife. It is better not to touch the leaves until September, until the fruit increases in size.
Diseases and pests
The plant must be protected from diseases and pests. If nothing is done, then there will be no quality harvest.
Celery can be threatened by diseases such as:
- viral mosaic;
- heart rot;
- black legs;
- stem rot.
You need to be afraid of pests:
- slugs and snails;
- scoop;
- carrot flies and larvae.
You can protect celery from the pest of small insects in the following ways:
- Avoid dense thickets in the garden.
- Water on time, but make sure the ground is not too wet. Excess moisture is a blessing for pests.
- Remove weeds in a timely manner.
- Spray plants with special solutions from pests.
- Do not let the vegetable become weak and wither, feed regularly.
Use a mixed fit. Place the vegetables next to the celery. This can help prevent infection.
Harvesting and storage
The harvest time for celery is October. He is in the beds until the frost begins. The weather must be dry.
If the leaves turn yellow, this indicates the need for harvesting. There is no need to rush, in the fall the root is gaining mass. Before digging up the roots, pour water on the ground. It will be easier to pull it out after 30 minutes.
Celery has thin skin so caution will be required. Cut off the leaves carefully, but leave 2 cm at the rhizome. Don't disturb the root, this will keep it better.
Try to choose flawless fruit. This will provide them with a long wintering period. Until spring, celery can be spotted in the basement or refrigerator. A cellar is better suited for this purpose. Prepare the box, pour sand into it and place the roots. The petioles should be on top. The basement should be periodically ventilated, and the temperature should be between 2 and 10 ° C.
There is a freezing option:
- Peel the fruit.
- Cut into slices.
- Place in packages.
- Place in the freezer.
- Just defrost the contents of the bag before use.
- Can be refrigerated in a vegetable container.
You can also keep the root vegetable dried. Choose fruits that are dense, white and undamaged. Set aside for rotten areas. Remove dirt and rinse thoroughly. Use a sharp knife or vegetable peeler to remove the skin. Grind in any way convenient for you:
- a coarse ordinary grater;
- cut into thin strips with a knife;
- use a Korean carrot grater;
- make thin slices with a vegetable peeler;
- cut the vegetable into rings with a knife.
Suitable for drying root crops:
- An oven preheated to 60 ° C and a baking sheet with parchment.Keep the door slightly open.
- Fresh air, trays, grates. Stir the chopped fruit periodically. Drying time 2-3 weeks. Keep out of direct sunlight.
- Electric dryer at 50 ° C. Dry for 10 hours, swapping the chopped vegetable rack at 1.5 hour intervals.
Reviews of gardeners about root celery
Lyudmila, 35 years old, summer resident, Moscow.I have been growing the variety "Russian size" for many years. It was difficult at first, but now it is not difficult for me to grow celery. I recommend to everyone.
Irina, 42 years old, summer resident, Donetsk.I used to buy a root crop in the market. Then I decided to raise it myself. The fruits are small, but tastier than the purchased ones.
Sergey, 47 years old, private entrepreneur, Kharkov.For 5 years I have tried many varieties of root celery. I stopped at Diamant and the President. A very hot product on the market.
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Add your review
Root celery has proven itself on the good side. It has minor flaws, but mostly only pros. There are enough useful properties to start growing a root crop on your own.