Celery: the secrets of growing seedlings

Celery is not often found in summer cottages, but its popularity is rapidly gaining momentum. Besides the fact that it has an incredible aroma, it is delicious and also extremely healthy. Often, gardeners do not want to get involved with planting celery, as they believe that this is a difficult process, but this is not so. Growing celery isn't difficult, it just takes a little longer than growing other crops. But the taste and benefits of celery will compensate for all your efforts.

Celery: types

There are three types of celery: leaf, stalked, and root. Leafy is grown for the sake of aromatic greens, it is added to salads, seasonings, hot dishes, and also dried and frozen - even in this form, greens do not lose their taste and useful properties. Petiole celery, as the name implies, is prized for its juicy stalks. They are mainly used in salads or eaten just like that - this is an excellent dietary product for everyone who is fighting overweight. And then there is the root celery - it is valuable for its aromatic root vegetable, which can be added to soups and hot dishes, used as a side dish for poultry, to make mashed potatoes or cream soup. It is believed that early varieties of leaf and stalked celery can be sown in early spring in the ground, but nevertheless, for a guaranteed harvest, I recommend that you grow seedlings. At the initial stage, the preparatory work is the same for all three types. Disinfect the seeds in a potassium permanganate solution for half an hour, and then soak them in warm water for several hours. Celery seeds have a very high content of essential oils, so they take a long time to germinate. And pre-soaking will help speed up this process. Disinfect the soil, too, by calcining, steaming or spilling with a solution of potassium permanganate. Everything is ready, you can plant.

Leaf celery

At the time of transplanting the seedlings into the ground, the seedlings should be at least two and a half months old, and this is the starting point when choosing the sowing date. Bury the seeds literally a centimeter into moist soil, sprinkle them with peat a little and put them in a warm place (+ 20 ... + 22 degrees). Before sprouting and then another 2-3 weeks, water very carefully, from a syringe or spray bottle, so as not to damage the sprouts. After sprouting by 3-4 degrees, lower the temperature and keep the seedlings for two to three weeks in diffused light, this will help the plants to get stronger and not stretch out. When the celery has three true leaves, you can cut the seedlings into separate pots, then begin gradual hardening and transplant them into the ground in early May. When transplanting, the most important thing is not to cover the growing point with earth, this can stop the development of the plant and then all efforts will be in vain. Harvesting is possible from July onwards.

Petiolate

There is no fundamental difference in the cultivation of petiole and leaf celery, everything is done according to the same scheme: preliminary disinfection, sowing, picking, transplanting into the ground. The difference is that stalked celery is much more demanding on moisture. Not so much during the period of growing seedlings, as during the growth of green mass in the garden. Proper watering is very important, since if there is a lack of water, the plant will not be succulent, and if there is an excess, rotting of the root system may begin. Closer to August, it is necessary to periodically spud the bushes of celery, this will help to get lighter petioles without the aftertaste of bitterness. Cover with damp soil, adding soil to the garden if necessary.It is necessary to harvest stalked celery according to the ripening period of the selected variety, but always before the first frost.

Root

If you can still try your luck with leaf and petiole, then root celery is grown only with the help of seedlings. Seeds are sown in February, but I strongly recommend that you first carry out the stratification procedure. To do this, spread the seeds on a damp cloth or cotton pad and keep in this state at room temperature for 5-6 days. Then put it in the refrigerator for 10-14 days, in the vegetable compartment, and then sow it into the soil. Seeds that have undergone stratification are not stored, they must be planted immediately. Root celery must be dived and transplanted very carefully, because if you damage the root, then instead of the expected root crop, you will get a loofah of roots that are unsuitable for food. And just as in the previous cases, be careful not to deepen the growth point. Root celery is watered sparingly; it does not require hilling. Conversely, soil can be removed from the top of the tuber. And in October you will harvest the aromatic roots.

Summing up, there are three main secrets of growing celery. This is early sowing for seedlings, careful attitude to the root system of the culture, and careful transplantation with an emphasis on the central bud - the growing point. As you can see, it's no more difficult than growing familiar tomatoes or peppers. Paying attention to these three aspects (and also watering stalked celery more often than others) will give you a great harvest and stock up on vitamins for the whole year!