Celery: description, cultivation and care, useful properties and contraindications (Photo & Video) + Reviews

Celery

Many people know about the benefits of celery. But until you meet him at every summer cottage, and most people are not familiar with the nuances of his agricultural technology. Some Russians, having heard the word celery, imagine a person struggling with being overweight. After all, many clinics advertise their services by posting photos with this vegetable. In this article, we will analyze all the subtleties of growing celery, get acquainted with the rules for caring for it. We will also describe its useful properties and contraindications.

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General description and varieties

Celery (Apium) is a biennial herbaceous plant of the Celery family, or Umbelliferae. Its homeland is the Mediterranean. Today, this crop is grown in almost all countries of the world. The plant has another name - selera.

Celery has been used since ancient times. Then he was not a food product, but a medicine. In the XVII century, he entered the diet of people as a healthy vegetable. It appeared on Russian tables during the reign of Catherine II.

Outwardly, its leaves resemble the well-known parsley. The most famous celery in the world is odorous

There are about 20 types of celery in the world. There are 3 varieties of this culture:

Each variety has many varieties of domestic, foreign selection, which differ both in taste and in the field of application.

They can be:

All of them were bred from a wild plant that was not suitable for food.

The most famous varieties of different types of celery

But, usually, summer residents sow leaf celery immediately into the ground in early spring or late autumn.

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Varieties for different regions of the country

In the areas of our country, you can most often find root celery. But other species also began to arouse the interest of lovers of various vegetables that are not characteristic of our region.

In the first year of planting seedlings, you can collect the green parts of the plant, the root crop. In the second year, celery blooms and forms seeds.

In the cold regions of Russia (Urals, Siberia), it is advised to grow the following varieties:

In the middle part of the country, varieties have proven themselves well:

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Variety by maturity

The duration of the growing season of this vegetable depends not only on the variety, but also on climatic conditions.

The following varieties are plants with early root ripening:

Their technical maturity takes about 150 days, but they are not suitable for long-term storage.

"Albin", "Strongman", "Egor", "Giant" give a harvest in the average time - up to 170 days. They winter well.

If you need to get the green parts of celery as early as possible, you should plant the varieties Golden, Sail, Malachite. Varieties with medium terms - Samurai, Tango, Spartan, Cheerfulness, Gentle.

Late vegetables tolerate cold well and are suitable for long-term storage, but they take about 200 days to grow. These include root celery Maxim, Atlant. Among the petiolate, leafy varieties, gardeners distinguish "Zahara", "Triumph".

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Soil preparation for sowing seeds for seedlings

Celery is sown in loose, moist soil

Root, petiole celery is sown in late winter, early spring. But if late varieties were chosen, they are sown even earlier.

The soil for the plant can be purchased at the store, but if you decide to prepare the soil mixture yourself, for this you need to take in equal amounts:

The second variant of the soil mixture - biohumus, sand in the ratio 1:1.

Some gardeners have been preparing the ground since autumn for seedlings from your area. During sowing, it is recommended to add humus and sand to this soil.

As with any other crop, celery soil must be disinfected using one of the known methods:

These preventive measures can reduce the risk of plant infection with diseases and pests.

To 10 kg of finished, treated soil, you can add 100 g of wood ash, 20 g of urea.

The soil is filled in the container without reaching the edge by 2 cm. The soil is moistened before sowing.

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Preparation and sowing of seeds

Considering the climatic conditions of our country, it is best to take seeds of early varieties for sowing, which ripen in 3-4 months.

If the seeds were collected at home, you must remember that the longer they have lain with you, the better they will sprout. Seed prepared this year will produce fewer sprouts than seeds harvested a few years ago.

For planting celery, you can choose any convenient container - a wooden box, cassettes, cups, plastic containers

Before planting seeds, the following activities are carried out:

Celery seeds are very small (no larger than 1 mm), so they are sown at a shallow depth - no more than 0.5 cm in the furrows, at a distance of 3 cm from each other. Topped with a thin layer of peat. The earth is not compacted, but left loose.

Sometimes vegetable growers use other planting methods:

The first method allows you to place the seed with the most optimal distance for good seedling growth. The second - saves space, makes it possible to transplant plants without injuring them.

If the seeds have not been stratified, they are sown on the surface of the earth and covered with a small amount of earth.

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seedling care

In order for the seeds to germinate well, they need to provide an optimal temperature regime - 18-20 C. Therefore, you should cover the surface of the box with seedlings with transparent glass, a plastic bag and place it on the windowsill. To ventilate the container, the shelter needs to be removed daily for a while.

Celery is a crop that grows quite slowly

It is necessary to water with caution, it is best to use a spray bottle with warm, settled water.

At the end of winter and beginning of spring, the days are still quite short. Celery needs to be illuminated additionally with the help of a phytolamp.

Under all conditions, the first shoots may appear in less than a week. Some sources claim that this can sometimes take up to 1 month. Therefore, one should not rush to dig up the seeds if the first shoots were made to wait a long time.

After the appearance of two true leaves, the seedlings are transplanted into another, more spacious container in a checkerboard pattern. In this case, pinch the tip of the main root. In order not to damage the fragile young plants, before removing them from the ground, seedling boxes should be watered abundantly.

If you decide to buy seedlings in a store, you should pay attention to the following details:

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Planting seedlings in open ground

The time for transplanting plants to a permanent place depends on the region. By the time the celery is planted, the ground should warm up by at least 8 C. In the middle part of Russia, this happens not earlier than mid-May.

By this time, the seedling should get stronger: form several true leaves, have a good root system.

Seedling hardening

Hardened celery seedlings take root better in a new place

Over time, the time spent in the air gradually needs to be increased. In this way, they will be able to harden and more easily endure the changes. If it is not possible to take the seedlings into the garden, they can be hardened on the balcony, loggia, windowsill with an open window.

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Soil preparation for sowing in open ground

At the end of the season, the soil is prepared in advance for planting. To do this, remove all weeds and their roots. The earth is carefully dug up deeply with the addition of organic, mineral fertilizers. Since autumn, it is recommended to enrich the earth with potash, phosphorus preparations.

Selera planting site is being prepared in autumn

The dosage can be found on the packaging of the substances. For example, 20-30 g of double superphosphate, 15-20 g of potassium chloride. Organics are applied in the amount of 1 bucket per 1 m2.

If there is acidic soil in the area under celery, its acidity should be reduced by adding 700-900 g of dolomite flour.

In the spring, fresh manure should not be used, as it may contain pathogens, pest larvae.

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Selecting a landing site

The soil should be loose, contain a sufficient amount of nutrients. Acidic soil should be limed. The predecessors of celery can be any vegetable crops, except for umbrella crops (carrots, beets, etc.).

To get more fragrant greens, selera can be planted in a darkened area.

This is due to the fact that these vegetables can have the same diseases, pests.

It can also be planted between beds with other plants:

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Landing Rules

Celery is usually planted in rows. In this case, it is necessary to observe the distance between seedlings of 25 cm, between rows - 50-60 cm.

Do not deepen the celery roots too much. Leaf selera prefers to grow on the surface. Its point of growth must necessarily be above the ground.

Celery planted in rows

In the case of petiole celery, it must be planted in furrows, about 10 cm deep. This planting method has a positive effect on the formation of the petiole.

After planting, the plants are watered abundantly. The first time at night they cover with white agrofiber or ordinary plastic bottles.

Care

Celery is a crop that needs regular watering and additional nutrition. The area between the rows of plants must be loosened, germinated weeds must be removed.

The soil under the young selera is loosened 1 time in 2 weeks

It is necessary to ensure that after watering, an earthen crust does not form over the roots. The easiest way to care for vegetables, the beds of which are covered with a layer of mulch: straw, peat, sawdust, cut grass, etc.

The plant itself is considered not demanding for personal care.

top dressing

For feeding celery, it is best to choose organic fertilizers in liquid form. For example, a solution of cow dung (1:5), bird droppings (1:10), nettle infusion (1:9). For watering 1 m2, use 1 liter of top dressing.

If the choice fell on mineral fertilizers, you can use complex preparations. For example, 10 days after planting seedlings at a permanent place of growth, they can be fed with 20 g of nitrophoska by dissolving it in 10 liters of water. In the future, vegetables are fertilized 1 time in 2 weeks.

There is an opinion that celery should not be planted in the soil with an excess amount of fertilizer, as this prolongs the growth of plants.

If the plants have a clear lack of nitrogen - the leaves turn pale, you can add 5 g of urea under celery, diluting it in 10 liters of water. For the entire growing season, nitrogen fertilizers can be used no more than 2-3 times.

Watering

Celery watered under the root

Lack of moisture is fraught for planting with the formation of coarse, fibrous vegetative parts of the plant. Watering for celery should be moderate, on average, 30-40 liters of water are needed per 1 m2. The soil is moistened as it dries, with warm, settled water. An excess of water is also detrimental to plantings.

Diseases and pests

Excess water leads to the defeat of selera fungal diseases

The most common vegetable diseases:

In order to exclude infection, it is necessary to strictly observe the rules of planting, caring for plants. Most often, rot affects plantings with waterlogged soil.

Prevention measures also include:

With a strong infection, you can use antifungal drugs - fungicides. For example, Fundazol. But all agrochemicals are allowed to be used only 3 weeks before harvest.

Plants affected by the mosaic virus cannot be treated. They must be immediately uprooted and removed from the site. In order not to face such a disease, celery plantings must be protected from the invasion of ticks, aphids, as they are carriers of the virus.

Celery beds can be chosen by such pests as:

To combat aphids, you can use various infusions of herbs. Another way to destroy them is to prepare an infusion of orange peels in a ratio of 1:10.

When fighting insects, some vegetable growers use tobacco dust mixed with dry mustard. This mixture they fall asleep every week in the aisles.

Features of leaf celery

This species is one of the most cold-resistant. Young plants are not afraid of night frosts, adult celery can safely overwinter. This type of vegetable crop is planted to obtain juicy greenery, rich in nutrients.

In autumn, leaf celery can be dug up and planted in a pot.

It is best to grow leaf celery by sowing it at the end of winter for seedlings. But you can plant immediately in open ground in early spring, or before winter - in autumn.

Features of caring for petiole celery

Plant care is almost no different from other species. But when planting seedlings in a permanent place, they are planted in furrows, 10 cm deep. The optimum temperature for the growth of this variety is 20 C.

Petioled celery planted for juicy stalks

Varieties with red petioles are considered the most cold-resistant. In addition to all the above procedures, characteristic of all types of culture, petiole celery must also be spudded. The procedure is performed in the middle of summer.

When the petioles are almost ready to be harvested, they are spudded again and wrapped in light paper. Thus, they become more juicy and white, which is familiar to us.

Features of caring for celery root

Root celery grows the longest. Its growing season takes about 4-5 months. Therefore, it should be sown in the first half of February.

Root celery takes the longest to care for

In order to get a root crop, there are rules for planting and caring for it:

It is believed that during the seedling period, the picking process is very important for root celery. In this case, it is recommended to pinch the tip of the main root, remove the lateral roots. This favorably affects the formation of root crops.

The side leaves of the vegetable are cut only a couple of weeks before harvest. This is done so that the plant gives all its strength to the growth of the root, and not the tops.

The root variety of the vegetable does not require hilling, but on the contrary, it loves the bare upper part of the roots. Vegetable prefers slightly moist soil. Root crops are harvested around mid-autumn.

Harvesting

Leaf celery can be harvested several times per season. Leaves can be cut as soon as they grow a little and until late autumn. After each collection, the plant must be watered, fed.

Petiole, root celery is also harvested as it grows.

But the last crop must be harvested before the nighttime temperatures drop below freezing.

Petioles usually become marketable by the end of summer. If the entire crop cannot be used immediately, you can try to save the vegetables for as long as possible.

For this:

Fresh green parts of the plant can be stored in the refrigerator for 3-7 days.

Before you start digging them out of the ground, the plant must first be watered. Celery has a delicate root bark that can be easily damaged during harvesting. Therefore, it is best to dig it out not with a shovel, but with a pitchfork.

They can be stored for a short period of time on the shelf of the refrigerator. But if celery needs to be stored until winter, spring, it must be placed in a colder room. The best place for this is a cellar, a basement. In this case, the root crops must be put in wooden boxes and covered with a layer of sand a few cm.

Another option for preserving celery is pickling.

The roots are prepared as follows:

Celery is widely used in French cuisine.

You can also pickle the greens of the plant. To do this, prepare a marinade from 2 liters of water, 1 tbsp. vinegar, about 3 tbsp. salt, 4 tbsp sugar. Chopped greens, a few cloves of garlic, bay leaf are placed in jars. Products are poured with marinade and tightly closed.

How useful is celery for the garden?

The main benefit of the culture is that earthworms like to be in the roots of this plant. As you know, worms improve the structure of the soil, which contributes to good growth, flowering, and fruiting of vegetables.

Application

To taste, its vegetative parts are bittersweet. They have a pleasant aroma. The taste may vary depending on the variety. Roots, seeds of a vegetable can be dried, applied fresh. Leaves - freeze.

Celera can be consumed fresh, dried, pickled.

Dried parts are part of the spice mixture. Celery stalks are stewed, fried, salads are prepared from it.

It is believed that celery is best added to vegetable dishes from:

Vegetables are often combined with meat, mushrooms, and fish. The root crop is able to improve the taste of sauces, soups, egg dishes, salads.

Celery is low calorie. 100 g of stems, leaves contains only 12-16 kcal, roots - 32 kcal. Therefore, it is often used in dietary nutrition.

Beneficial features

Celery is rich in vitamins (A, B1, B2, B6, B9, PP, C, E, K), fiber, micro and macro elements (sodium, calcium, manganese, potassium, phosphorus, zinc, iron, magnesium). It also contains organic acids, essential, fatty oils, amino acids (histidine, lysine, arginine). Most of the nutrients in the roots, petioles of the plant. WITH

By eating 2 stalks of selera, you can replenish the daily intake of vitamins A, C by 20%

It is widely used in intestinal diseases. This vegetable is considered useful for strengthening male and female health. Its ability to rejuvenate the body, strengthen nails and hair, improve sleep and appetite, and have a beneficial effect on the nervous system is known. Also noted its anti-inflammatory, antiseptic effect.

Celery is able to cleanse the body of toxins, toxins. It is well known to those who are struggling with being overweight. This is due not only to its low calorie content, but the ability of coarse vegetable fibers to muffle the feeling of hunger. It is also used for diseases of the urinary system, allergies.

Contraindications

There are categories of people who should not eat celery.

Experts do not recommend the use of celery in the diet:

Celery has a strong flavor that can affect the taste of milk or reduce lactation.

How to peel a celery root (quick way)

Celery: description, cultivation and care, useful properties and contraindications (Photo & Video) + Reviews