Petiole celery: cultivation and care. Proper cultivation of petiole celery and the rules for caring for it

Celery seeds are tough. Without pre-training, sown dry, they can germinate within 18-25 days or more. For this reason, before growing celery seedlings, the seeds are necessarily processed. First, they are soaked for three days in warm (45 ° C) water, changing it three times a day, and then germinated.

Conventional methods are used for seed germination. They are absolutely applicable for seeds sown on seedlings or in the ground during spring sowing. Just do not get carried away and bring the matter to the growth of seedlings more than 1 mm long. They will die.

Planting celery seeds for seedlings is carried out in seedling containers, this is done at the moment when they barely begin to hatch.

And you can germinate celery seeds for sowing seedlings in a jar of wet sawdust. At the same time, the lid of the jar is not closed and kept in a warm, well-lit place until the seeds germinate. Sawdust is constantly maintained in a moderately moist state and maintains a temperature within 18-22 ° C.

Since the seed is very small, before planting the root and petiole celery for seedlings, seeds are mixed with dry sand or fine dry sawdust (preferably hardwood). Using pre-germination, consider the day of the beginning of the soaking as the day of sowing.

AT middle lane celery seedlings before planting in the ground are grown in March-April for 50-60 days.

For sowing seeds of root and petiole celery for seedlings, the soil mixture is prepared from 3 parts of peat, 1 part of soddy soil, 1 part of humus and a small amount of sand and two glasses wood ash(on a bucket). In the absence of such, ready-made soil mixtures for onion crops or universal vegetable mixtures are used.

Sow celery seeds in seedlings with moist soil. The thickness of the soil layer must be at least 10 cm. Sow in two ways. The first (for germinated seeds): make very shallow grooves with a depth of no more than 0.5 cm, sow seeds in them and carefully level the surface, sprinkling crops.

The second method is suitable for non-germinated dry seeds: the seeds are laid out on the surface of moist soil and are not covered at all and kept in the light, preventing the seeds and soil from drying out (it is better to cover with film or glass). Thus, it is possible to accelerate the emergence of seedlings by 4-7 days.

Before germination, the air temperature should be in the range of 20-22 ° C, later throughout the entire cultivation - 14-16 ° C. You need to keep an eye on this. Violation temperature regime in the direction of increase can lead to elongation of seedlings, its weakening and, as a result, loss of yield and quality of root crops and petioles.

Growing seedlings of petiole and celery root

When growing root and petiole celery through seedlings with the appearance of one true leaf in seedlings, the crops are thinned out (pulled), leaving a distance of 3-4 cm between plants or diving into peat-muck pots 5x5 cm in size. Celery seedlings tolerate picking well and later transplanting. The quality of root crops and petioles does not suffer. Usually celery is grown for preservation and consumption in the autumn-winter period. For an average family of 3-4 people, it is enough to grow no more than 40 root crops in order to fully provide for themselves and use the root crops for forcing greens.

Before planting seedlings in the ground, it is hardened for a week (enhanced ventilation and removal to the balcony).

When growing petiole and root celery, seedlings are considered ready for planting with 4-5 true dark green leaves and a developed root system.

On the day of disembarkation, abundant watering is carried out. Plants are taken out of the ground and sorted by size. A part of the leaves and at the root is cut off before planting at the seedlings to facilitate planting and engraftment. In the prepared beds, the plant is planted in rows: root varieties - with a row spacing of 40-45 cm and between plants 25-30 cm, petiolate - with line ribbons with a distance between lines of 20-30 cm, between ribbons 50-60 cm, between plants 15- 20 cm. When growing celery seedlings, before planting, the roots are cut to 1/3 of the length and, like onion seedlings, they are dipped in a mash of earth and mullein (or clay and mullein) to prevent them from drying out and better survival. Plants are deepened by 10 cm, without falling asleep the apical bud, lightly squeezed and watered abundantly.

Celery is demanding on the soil. Grows well in deep loamy soils rich in organic matter. Light and heavy soils, as well as soils with a shallow arable horizon, are unsuitable for growing celery. If, by necessity, celery is placed on such soils, then their properties are improved mainly by introducing semi-decomposed or decomposed manure. Celery needs this fertilizer also because in order to form a large, juicy and tender vegetative mass, it extracts from the soil a large number of nutrients.

It is necessary to plant celery after the predecessors, under which a large amount of manure was applied, such as cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers. It is planted late, so you can grow spinach, lettuce, green onion, green garlic.

Growing petiole celery with excellent qualities is not a very simple matter, and caring for it has its own characteristics. Due to the fact that celery seeds germinate for a long time, and the stem slowly increases in volume,. It is necessary to take care of the plant regularly, without violating the technology, - only then the stem will turn out juicy, crispy and without a bitter aftertaste.

Growing celery seedlings

It is impossible to be late with the growing period of celery seedlings. The later the seeds sprout, the later the seedlings are planted in open ground - the thinner the celery cuttings will be. They will not have time to increase the volume before the autumn frosts, because the ripening period of celery is long - from 90 to 150 days, depending on the variety. Sowing seeds for seedlings is carried out from late February to mid-March. in warm regions the best time sowing - February, in colder - March.

Due to the high content essential oils seeds germinate slowly and not together. Germination can be accelerated if, before sowing, they are soaked in a very warm water, the temperature of which is + 55-60 ° С. The water is changed several times - after it has cooled to room temperature. After the last soak, the seeds are washed in cool water.

You can increase germination if the seeds germinate. There are two ways to do this.

Place a damp cloth on the bottom of the container. The seeds are laid out thin layer. To create the desired microclimate, the container is covered with glass or cling film. The place for germination should be warm, + 25 ° C. Ventilate regularly. The fabric is moistened often, do not let it dry out.
Well-moistened sawdust mixed with clean sand is poured into a shallow container. Seeds are scattered over the surface of the sawdust. Further, in the same way as in the first method, cover with glass, put in warm place, periodically ventilate and moisturize.

Land for seedlings is chosen nutritious and loose. It is poured into boxes and grooves are made 0.5 cm deep at a distance of 3 cm from each other. Seeds are laid out at the bottom of the grooves, slightly pressing them to the soil. You can not sprinkle the earth on top. Sprouted seeds should be sown carefully, trying not to damage the sprout.

It is convenient to use a match to lay out germinated seeds in sowing boxes. Its end is moistened, and the seeds easily stick to the wet part. This facilitates sowing and prevents the sprouts from breaking off.

The soil must be constantly moistened, this must be monitored. Until the first leaves appear, the seedlings should be covered with cling film. After their appearance, the film is removed, and after a week the box is transferred to a cool, bright place. Optimum temperature air - + 15 ° С. In such conditions, celery seedlings will grow strong and will not stretch.

When 3-4 true leaves appear, the seedlings dive. It is best to seat them in separate containers, and if this is not possible, then in a box bigger size at a distance of 4x4 cm from each other. Watering seedlings - plentiful, regular, but excess water should drain through the drainage holes.

A week before planting in open ground, seedlings begin to harden off, taking them outside under the sun's rays.

Planting petiole celery in the garden on open field maybe as early as mid-May. The bed is prepared in 10 days: all weeds with roots are removed, well-rotted manure is introduced, dug up and leveled.

On the day of planting, grooves are prepared with a depth of 10 cm at a distance of 30-40 cm from one another. The earth in containers with celery should be moist, this will not allow it to crumble during transplantation. If the soil does not lag behind the walls of the cups, you can draw a thin knife between the walls and the clod of earth. Planting should be carried out a little deeper than the seedlings were in the container, but the growing point of the leaves should not be deepened. In one row, there should be a distance of 15 cm between plants.

Celery is planted densely so that as little light as possible falls on the base of the stem - this increases it. nutritional value and improves taste. The leaves, on the contrary, should be in bright light, through which the process of photosynthesis will take place.

It is good to plant stem celery next to cabbage, it prevents the appearance of such a pest as cabbage white on it. Celery is also a desirable neighbor for tomatoes.

Care

Until the celery has grown, it is necessary not to let the weeds grow. The first month, celery grows slowly, and weeds can drown it out. After the stems began to thicken, it is necessary to carry out hilling. If the plantings are thickened, then the earth for hilling should not be taken from the same beds, so as not to damage the plants growing nearby. It is better to cover the base of the stem with soddy soil or compost. When hilling is preserved White color stem.

Before hilling, small petioles that no longer have time to gain weight are removed. The rest are tied at the level of the leaves so that they do not break when they fall asleep with earth.

Irrigation must be constantly monitored. The soil should not dry out, but the base of the celery should not be blocked either.

Excessive dryness of the soil will cause the stem to change its characteristics:

will cease to be juicy and elastic,
cracked,
will get bitter;
the structure of the stem will be fibrous;
the plant will release a flower spike and begin to set seeds.

At excessive moisture stems can begin to rot, which also increases the likelihood of fungal diseases.

Feeding is important for celery. The first time they are fed two to three weeks after planting. Prepare a solution of mullein (1 part fertilizer to 10 parts water) or bird droppings (1 part fertilizer to 20 parts water). The second time they are fed in three weeks with a complex mineral fertilizer, but the percentage of nitrogen should be minimal in it. With an excess of nitrogen in the soil, the petioles can crack in the same way as with a lack of watering.

At the end of July, to protect the celery from greening, the stems must be wrapped with thick paper. Corrugated cardboard can be used paper wallpaper, craft paper. It is undesirable that on paper there are inscriptions made with printing ink. For wrapping, you can use both white and black agrofibre of maximum density. The main thing is that air passes through the material used for wrapping.

It is necessary to protect the entire stem from the sun's rays to the place where the foliage begins to grow. The paper is wrapped so that there is a small gap, but at the same time it does not dangle from the wind. Protection is not removed until harvest.

During the season, leaves can be selectively harvested from each plant for use as food. They can be used fresh or dried for the winter.

If necessary, petioles can be collected at the end of summer. At the same time, the largest ones are broken off, but not more than 5 pieces from one plant. The main harvest begins in September. First they dig the most big plants, the rest can ripen until October.

If dug out celery is placed in the basement, digging the roots into wet sand, then it can be stored for up to two months. Surplus stalk celery can be frozen. After defrosting, they are stewed, baked and used for first courses.

Trench method of growing celery

If there is enough space on the site, then celery can be grown using a trench method. Cultivation is carried out in stages.

Trenches are being prepared with a depth of 30 cm, a width of 20 cm. There should be a distance of at least 70 cm between the trenches for convenience.
When digging, all the soil is folded into a mound along the trench, with north side. It will serve as protection from the cold in spring and early summer.
At the bottom, a mixture of earth with humus is poured.
Planting seedlings is carried out in the center of the trench, at a distance of 15-20 cm between plants.
The first time care is carried out in the same way as during a normal landing.
After the stem begins to thicken, the first backfilling of the trench is carried out. The soil is taken from the mound and the celery is covered with it to the foliage.
Hilling is carried out several times, until all the soil excavated from the trench is used up.
In autumn, harvesting is carried out carefully so as not to damage the stems.

When grown in this way, the stem is white, juicy, and there is no bitterness. In addition, wrapping the stems with this method is not necessary.

Self-bleaching varieties

stems at regular varieties require bleaching, otherwise they become unfit for food. Currently, varieties have been bred that do not require such care - they are juicy, crispy without much labor.

Despite this advantage, these varieties have a significant disadvantage:

they are afraid of even light frosts;
have a short shelf life.

It is necessary to harvest immediately, without waiting for the onset of cold weather. If the weather forecast promises a drop in temperature already in early September, then the whole celery should be harvested, even if the stems of not all plants have increased the required volume. Harvested petioles of self-bleaching celery are not stored for a long time. If wrapped in cling film and put in the refrigerator, the maximum shelf life is two weeks.

Conclusion

To grow high-quality petiole celery, you need permanent care. Top dressing and watering should be carried out regularly, and without bleaching, the petioles lose quality and taste. If it is impossible to spend a lot of time caring for celery, you can grow self-bleaching varieties. Due to the short shelf life, it is not necessary to plant it a lot. It is enough to plant a few bushes so that you can use them for two to three weeks.

Knew back in time ancient egypt and Greece, healers prepared decoctions from its roots and leaves. Later, this spice was added to salads and other dishes, which made their taste more intense and spicy. So celery gained popularity and began to spread around the world, while gourmets appreciated not only its green part, but also the petiole and root.

Many modern housewives know not only about useful properties ah this plant, but also how to grow from seed or stalk.

Types and advantages of celery

If earlier it was grown exclusively for the manufacture of medicinal infusions and preparations, today many gardeners are trying to allocate a piece of land for it in the country. Those people who are truly interested in the opportunity to live without disease and postpone the onset of old age indefinitely eat the stems, greens or root of this plant daily. Those who do not have personal plots are trying to learn how to grow petiole celery from seeds at home.

This is due to the composition of the substances and vitamins included in its stem.

A large amount of vitamins PP, B1, B2, K, C, B5 and E provides daily rate human body, even if you eat a thin stem every day.

It contains trace elements such as zinc (part of insulin), iron (the basis of hemoglobin), phosphorus (participates in biochemical processes), selenium (protects against tumors), magnesium (a natural antidepressant) and calcium (part of teeth and bones). ).

Glutamic and nicotinic acids further increase the value of the celery stalk.

It also contains apiol, protein and carotene.

There are 3 types of celery - root, leaf and petiole. Each of them has its own set of useful properties that positively affect the human body. Some are used as a seasoning, others for cooking independent dishes.

Seed selection

Different types of celery have not only different chemical composition but also differ in taste. Many home gardeners are interested in petiole celery in terms of useful properties and taste. Growing from seeds of this variety is somewhat troublesome, but its growth period is much longer.

In order for the plant to grow faster, it is better to choose early-ripening species, for example, "Golden", " white feather”, “Malachite” or “Jung”.

The cultivation of this plant is carried out in 2 stages.

Sowing seeds of petiole celery for seedlings. Seedlings will appear 2 weeks after sowing.

Transplanting sprouts to a permanent place.

There are no difficulties in growing this plant, you just need to be patient, since its ripening period takes from 160 to 180 days.

Seed preparation

In many cultures, seed material is pre-disinfected and processed. For beginners, this is also the main point in the question of how to grow petiole celery. Seed preparation begins with a weak solution of potassium permanganate, in which they are dipped for 2-3 hours. After that, they can be sown in pre-prepared and moistened soil.

For this plant, a mixture of equal parts of humus, soddy soil and peat is best suited. The soil mixture must be thoroughly mixed, poured into prepared containers, preferably boxes, and moistened well the day before planting.

Landing

An important question for those who decide to plant from seeds) is when to plant this plant. Optimal time is the beginning of March, since the seedlings of this culture are quite capricious.

Before sowing, it is necessary to ignite soil mix in the oven or hold it for a couple of minutes 30, which will save it from pathogens and possible pests. It is also desirable to treat the prepared container with potassium permanganate.

Some gardeners sow seeds in moist soil, in which small grooves are made. You can not sprinkle them with earth, but simply cover the container with a film and put it in a warm and sunny place. The only requirement at this stage is to constantly spray the soil to keep it moist all the time.

Many gardeners know how to grow petiole celery from seeds in cups.

You need to take plastic disposable cups or make them from thick paper and fill them with soil mixture.

Place the containers in the boxes, pressing them tightly against each other.

Moisten the ground and throw a few seeds into each cup, without sprinkling it with earth.

Cover with a dark bag or film, checking the soil moisture every 2-3 days.

After 10-15 days, thin out the seedlings, leaving 2-3 strong sprouts in each cup.

So that the seedlings do not stretch, you should provide them with a lot of light, for which it is enough to put a box with sprouts on the sunny side or add artificial lighting. If petiole celery (growing from seeds) was planted in early March, then at the end of May, seedlings can be planted in separate containers. In regions with short and cool summers, sowing should be done in February and harvested in August.

seedling care

Growing seedlings of petiole celery from seeds does not create great difficulties, therefore it is suitable even for beginner gardeners. Sometimes the shoots of this plant upset them, as they grow extremely slowly.

This is a property of the plant itself - for the first 1.5-2 months they rise slightly, but after this period they stretch before our eyes. Celery requires a minimum of care.

Until the seeds have sprouted, they should only be sprayed to moisten the soil, as they grow on the surface. If watered otherwise, water can wash them away.

The best air temperature is + 18-20 degrees before germination and +15 when they hatch.

Watering in summer should be plentiful, and moderate in winter, but water should not be allowed to stagnate. You can use drainage.

liquid feed organic fertilizers held every 10 days.

If you grow petiole celery at home in winter, you will need additional lighting, which is installed 0.5 m above the seedlings.

Stem bleaching

There are imported varieties of petiole celery, which grow stalks already bleached. How to grow petiole celery from seeds simple varieties and give it excellent taste and marketable condition, experienced gardeners know.

First, prepare strips of black polyethylene 20 cm wide and according to the length of the plant. You can use garbage bags for this.

Secondly, 2 weeks before harvesting, each plant should be wrapped with these ribbons and tacked on top with an elastic band or thread so that they do not come undone. At home, you can use paper instead of polyethylene.

Thirdly, do not hill celery before harvesting, so that its stems are not saturated with the smell of the earth.

In the event that celery was planted late, its growth can be accelerated by additional stimulants.

Diseases and pests

Even a beginner can figure out how to grow petiole celery from seed. But although celery does not take much time to care for, this plant is capricious. For example, if watering is not enough for him, he will “revenge” with the tasteless middle part of the stem, which becomes completely inedible.

Putrefactive bacteria can get inside the plant, although outwardly this will not manifest itself in any way. It is important to monitor the quality of watering, if it is insufficient, the petiole will begin to crack in the plant. The main pests of outdoor celery are snails and slugs, which love the succulent stalks. At home, stagnation of water can become a problem, which causes rotting of the roots and thereby contributes to the appearance of mold and rot.

Harvest storage

After the petioles are cut, they are recommended to be eaten immediately. So they retain their nutritional and beneficial properties as much as possible. To store this plant, you will need a dense, well-closing plastic bag, in which petioles can be stored in the refrigerator for 2 to 5 days.

If you use aluminum foil, then this period can be extended to 7-10 days. In the event that the greens at the petiole are slightly wilted, experienced chefs recommend putting it in ice water for a couple of hours. It will refresh him, bring him back saturated color and leaf elasticity.

It is important not only to know how to grow petiole celery from seeds, you need to be able to cook it correctly and tasty. Nowadays, it is very often recommended not only by nutritionists, but also by gourmets, and even by doctors.

Juicy and fragrant stems are added to salads, in which it goes well with tomatoes, nuts and leeks. Some cooks even make desserts with it by mixing it with peanut butter.

The concave shape of the stems allows them to be used as a container for snacks and salads. For example, they can be filled with a salad based on chicken or seafood. The flavor of the vegetable will give them a piquancy. In such "boats" you can serve a curd snack with an egg and chicken, seasoning everything with mayonnaise.

Many housewives prefer to add celery stalks to scrambled eggs or scrambled eggs, and even the most demanding gourmet will appreciate these dishes with grated cheese.

People with overweight nutritionists recommend learning how to grow petiole celery from seeds at home so that it is at hand on fasting days. It improves metabolism and thus contributes to the gradual and beneficial weight loss, which will not be followed by a new weight gain.

There are few kilocalories in celery, it fills the body useful vitamins and trace elements that are so necessary for a person on fasting days or during a diet.

Celery is considered one of the most useful plants. It's unthinkable without it healthy eating and lifestyle in general. They promote weight loss, have a number of useful properties, contain record number vitamins and mineral compounds. In addition, celery has a subtle, but bright and rich taste. Therefore, it is also appreciated by gourmets all over the world for its nutritional qualities. Not so long ago, the cultivation of celery was carried out mainly for medicinal purposes. But today, celery is used in almost every kitchen.

There are three types of plants in the Celery family. Each of them enjoys well-deserved popularity.

Cultivation Leader - leaf celery. He is familiar to summer residents for a long time. It is grown for greenery.
In second place is root celery, which has a dense large root crop - a turnip used as a vegetable.
Petiole celery so far closes the top three, but its popularity is growing more and more. After all, it can use the greens and the stem completely.

Petiole celery can be used as greens in salads, as a second course when stewing, processed by baking, steamed, boiled, added to soups, used as a side dish. This is an absolutely dietary product, everything valuable properties which after treatment with temperatures are preserved.

Agrotechnics of petiole celery

The plant is still considered exotic in our summer cottages and has agricultural technology above average complexity. Basically, the difficulty lies in the peculiarities of planting and care, as well as in the process of bleaching petioles, which is recommended to improve the quality of the resulting crop from non-self-bleaching varieties.

Petiole celery is grown from seeds. It is advisable to sow a vegetable for seedlings - the plant is capricious and does not differ in resistance to cold. Landings are carried out immediately in the ground only in warm areas with high soil fertility (chernozems).

Soil preparation on the site

First of all, the soil is prepared in an open area where petiole celery will grow. Cultivation is carried out on open to the sun plot, warm, without wind and draft, preferably in a hollow.

Advice! Growing non-self-bleaching varieties is preferably carried out in trenches, so that later it is easier to bleach the petiole. Self-bleaching hybrids can be planted in a regular bed.

The soil the plant needs is fertile, not too dense, a well-drained area. If you are preparing a celery bed or trench in the fall, spread the manure. If the ridge is being prepared in the spring, only well-rotted manure can be applied - mature humus, or vegetable compost.

seed

Petiole celery does not belong to a crop whose seeds you can simply buy, which ones come across. Seed material must be carefully selected. First of all, you need to decide on the variety. Today, breeders have bred many varieties of petiole celery, which differ from each other not only in size, but also in ripening time, yield, palatability and other properties.

Varieties of petiole celery

Variety name	Characteristic
"Atlant"	Requires about 160 days from sowing to harvest. Petiole length - 45 cm. Non-self-bleaching
"Gold"	From sowing to harvesting - 150 days. Petioles thin, slightly curved, length - 50 cm. Self-bleaching
"Utah"	Can be removed after 160 days. Non-self-bleaching. Petioles are thick, but short, 25-30 cm.
"Malachite"	An ultra-early, self-bleaching variety that takes 90 days from germination to harvest. Petioles are fleshy, thick, but short, only 30 cm.
"Crunch"	Pretty early. Readiness - 120 days. Requires bleaching. Its plus is cold resistance. The length of the petioles is 35 cm.
"Male Virtue"	A long-term variety, which, moreover, needs bleaching. Ripens 165 days. But it has very thick and long petioles, up to 45-50 cm.
"Tango"	The variety is long-ripening, but is considered the best. It takes as much as 180 days from sowing to harvest, but it does not need to be bleached, the petiole is thick, more than 50 cm, very high nutritional qualities and disease resistance
"Pascal"	It does not take much time from sowing to harvesting - about a hundred days. Needs to be bleached. Petioles are medium-sized, medium length - about 30 cm.

Seeds of petiole celery have a very long term germination - it not only lasts for many years, but grows over the years. Therefore, seeds can be purchased for future use and used after harvesting in the third or sixth year.

Sowing seeds for seedlings

It is not worth sowing before March, but it is not necessary to delay this process, especially if the seeds of long-ripening petiole celery are purchased.

When growing petiole celery, you will have to be patient - the vegetable grows slowly. And throughout the entire period of growth, it is necessary not to stop taking care of the seedlings.

Video - Planting petiole celery for seedlings

Planting seedlings in the garden

Landing can be carried out only after the onset of really warm days. Seedlings of petiole celery will not endure even the slightest threat of frost.

As a rule, this is May, towards the end. Perhaps in warmer areas - its middle.

Seedlings by the time of planting should grow to five to seven centimeters. But the sprouts should be strong, not elongated.

Seedlings by the time of planting should grow to five to seven centimeters

Seedlings are planted in the holes in the garden (self-bleaching varieties) according to the scheme 25x25 cm. If you have chosen a non-self-bleaching variety, it is better to plant in a trench. The distance between seedlings in this case is 30 cm.

The first feeding is carried out immediately after disembarkation. Organics are used - manure litter, an aqueous solution of 1:10 and 1:20, respectively.

By the way! Early maturing varieties can be sown directly into the ground. It is necessary to sow in such a way as not to thin out seedlings in the future - immediately at a distance of 30-35 cm. Crops are covered with a film, if necessary, even after germination, until the cold passes and the seedlings get stronger. Further care like seedlings.

Caring for petiole celery

Growing seedlings is not the most difficult thing in the agricultural technology of petiole celery. Next, plant care begins, which includes several mandatory steps.

Regular watering. Their frequency can be reduced by mulching the planted seedlings. But in the presence of mulch, it is difficult to control soil moisture, which must always be maintained at an average level. That is, the soil must be moist, but stagnant water is strictly unacceptable.
Plentiful feeding is needed. Fertilizers are applied liquid. Procedures are carried out every ten days.
If the varieties are not self-bleaching, they should not be mulched, because for such varieties constantly, every three weeks, high hilling is necessary. The base of the formation of leaves cannot be covered.

Problems in growing petiole celery

When growing this exotic vegetable, you may encounter the following problems.

Lack of moisture. The petiole becomes hard and inedible in the middle part. It is difficult to determine this before harvest. There is only one way out - to constantly monitor soil moisture.
Do not plant weak or unformed seedlings in the ground. Plants with peduncles unsuitable for human consumption will form from it.
With an excess of moisture and stagnant water inside the plant, putrefactive bacteria can start, which will cause the core to rot.
From an excess of nitrogen fertilizers, the petioles may begin to crack.
The crop is threatened by slugs and snails. All weeds near the celery bushes must be removed in a timely manner so that excessive dampness does not attract mollusks.

Growing petiole celery is a troublesome and long task. But grateful. When crispy, tasty, nutritious petioles appear on your table, you will not regret the time and effort spent.

How to bleach petiole celery

Most varieties of petiole celery need to be bleached to avoid a sea of tough greens on stringy green stems. Ideally, celery for petioles is grown in deep trenches, sprinkled with soil as it grows. It is under the ground that celery stalks acquire that very fragile, tender, juicy taste snow-white stem core. In addition, bleached celery is not bitter.

But even if you didn’t know (or forgot) and planted celery not in a trench, but on an ordinary garden bed, it can be bleached in a special tricky way.

A month before harvest, that is, in early September, it is time to start the bleaching procedure by isolating the celery stalks from light. By this time, the plant should stretch at least 30 centimeters up. The leaves are collected at the top in a bundle and tied loosely with a soft fabric ribbon. Then, from the soil itself, the stems are wrapped with wrapping material. Only the leaves remain unwrapped. The winding is fixed with twine or tape and left for three weeks. After that, celery can be dug out along with the roots without opening the package. One that is not immediately eaten can be buried in moist sand in a cellar or other cool room.

What materials are suitable for wrapping celery stalks.

Newspapers and magazines.
Wrapping paper.
Unwanted wallpaper.
Cardboard and corrugation.
Boxes.
Dark plastic bottles or pipes that are worn on the stems.
Penofol.
Straw.

Advice! Do not wrap the stems with a black dense film, as they can rot. And it is better to pour small sawdust or dry tree leaves into bottles and pipes.

If you don’t feel like messing with bleaching at all, you should purchase self-bleaching celery varieties for planting:

"Gold";
"Latom";
"Tango";
"Celebrity";
"Golden Pen".

Self-bleaching varieties are less resistant to cold. They need to be removed in late August - early September, and petioles, for the sake of which all whitening manipulations are performed, should be eaten as soon as possible.

The newest species of this vegetable plant grown in cultivation is the petiole celery. If you have a small piece of soil on suburban area, try to grow petiole celery. It will bring fragrant juicy greens, a dense crispy stem and undoubted benefits to the body.

Petiole celery is a biennial crop of the umbrella family grown to produce bleached leaf petioles that are used in the preparation various dishes.

Petioles of leaves different varieties painted in white, pink or red. The most valuable are varieties with white petioles, varieties with red ones are the most cold-resistant, they can be harvested until late autumn.

Landing and care

Celery - cold hardy plant, grows and develops better at a moderate temperature and sufficient humidity.

A trench 40 cm wide and 25-30 cm deep is made in March-April. The very width of the future bed will be 60 cm. Top dressing is applied to the bottom, the earth is poured on top so that the level in the trench is 8 cm lower than the soil level. Then I mulch the soil.

I sow seeds in late February - early March. I fill them first. hot water(about 60 degrees), I wait for the water to cool, dry it in a napkin and sow it in seedling box without covering with earth. The box must be covered with a film, watering should be done spray only. With proper observance of all the rules, seedlings will appear in 10-12 days.

Celery loves bright lighting , this should not be forgotten. In the phase of two true leaves, seedlings can dive into pots. Petiole celery should be planted less often than root celery, keeping a distance between plants of 50 cm, and between rows - 40 cm. Then per 1 sq. m will need only 5 pieces of seedlings. These conditions must be met exactly, otherwise good harvest, namely - juicy petioles - do not get. It is necessary to ensure that the "heart", i.e. the apical bud was not deepened.

Petioled celery - very moisture-loving plant , in dry weather, the irrigation rate is 20-25 liters per 1 sq.m.

As you grow, you need delete side shoots , they will immediately attract your attention with their untidy appearance, small thickness, so remove them.

I feed petiole celery with infusion and biohumus, using the biopreparation "Radiance". Here everyone decides for himself what kind of dressing should be prepared. The main thing is that top dressing should be weekly.

Long, thick, not hollow, but juicy petioles grow only if the plants have been growing throughout the growing season continuously. Meanwhile, growth retardation in them sometimes occurs even due to seals topsoil, when the roots begin to suffer from a lack of oxygen during irrigation. That's when you need soil loosen.

Petiole whitening

Next milestone- bleaching of petioles. To do this, it is necessary to tie the petioles of the leaves slightly with twine, then wrap them with thick paper (such as packaging), tie them again. You can wrap it with straw, only so that there are no gaps. Leaf blades should remain free. Several times I tried to spud with earth, but after such a test, the petioles acquired an unpleasant earthy taste.

After bleaching, the petioles become tender and tasty. This year I did not pay much attention to celery, so compared to last year, the petioles are not so thick, but there were no hollow ones, and they were juicy to the fullest.

But at the time of my first dacha experiments, this happened. This year's mistake - I removed a few side shoots, regretted it and left the tough ones. Another mistake - late covered with paper from the light, the petioles are not bleached enough. But the taste is good. Now several roots of petiole celery are stored in my basement just in buckets, the paper is not removed, the leaves are cut off, the petioles continue to bleach perfectly.

A clod of earth is enough to lightly spray. Cleaned and washed petioles can be stored for a long time in the bottom drawer of the refrigerator, and taken as needed.

Do not deny yourself such a useful and rich in vitamins vegetable plant. Its petioles contain a lot of easily digestible carbohydrates, rare vitamins, salts, microelements, and aromatic compounds. The use of celery favorably affects the metabolism in the body, strengthens nervous system. Petioles can be used fresh, boiled, stewed as an independent dish. They are also served as a kind of side dish for meat, poultry, potatoes and vegetables. In China, there are dessert dishes made from stalked celery.

A variety of salads using petioles will enrich your table, because celery is combined with any food - with meat, chicken, fish, vegetables. Even a simple salad of grated carrots with petiole celery or a regular potato soup with petioles will not leave a gourmet indifferent. Grow petiole celery in your beds, it will repay you with health!

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