Growing stalked celery with excellent qualities- 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 builds up volume,. It is necessary to take care of the plant regularly, without violating the technology, - only then the stem will turn out to be juicy, crunchy and without a bitter aftertaste.
Growing celery seedlings
You shouldn't be late with the term for growing celery seedlings. The later the seeds sprout, the later the seedlings are planted in open ground - the thinner the cuttings will be for celery. They will not have time to increase the volume before the autumn frosts, because the ripening period for 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 of essential oils, the seeds sprout slowly and not amicably. Germination can be accelerated if, before sowing, they are soaked in 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.
Germination can be increased if the seeds are germinated. 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 ° С. Airing is carried out regularly. The fabric is often moistened and should not be allowed to dry out.
- Well-moistened sawdust mixed with clean sand is poured into a shallow container. The seeds are scattered over the surface of the sawdust. Then, just as in the first method, cover with glass, put in a warm place, periodically ventilate and moisten.
The soil for seedlings is chosen as 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. The seeds are laid out on the bottom of the grooves, lightly pressing them against the soil. You don't need to sprinkle it with earth on top. Sprouted seeds must be sown carefully, taking care not to damage the sprout.
It is convenient to use a match to lay out the germinated seeds in the seed boxes. Its end is moistened, and the seeds easily adhere to the wet part. This makes sowing easier and prevents the sprouts from breaking off.
The soil must be constantly moistened, this must be monitored. Until the first leaves appear, the seedlings must 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. The optimum air temperature is + 15 ° С. Under such conditions, celery seedlings will grow strong and will not stretch out.
When 3-4 true leaves appear, the seedlings dive. It is best to place them in separate containers, and if this is not possible, then in a larger box at a distance of 4x4 cm from each other. Watering the seedlings is plentiful, regular, but excess water should be drained through the drainage holes.
A week before planting in open ground, the seedlings begin to harden, taking them outside under the sun.
Plant stalked celery in a garden bed open ground can be done in mid-May. The garden 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 soil in containers with celery should be moist, this will prevent it from crumbling during transplanting. If the soil does not lag behind the walls of the cups, you can draw a thin knife between the walls and a lump of earth. Planting should be carried out a little deeper than the seedlings were in the container, but the point of growth 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 its nutritional value and improves its taste. Leaves, on the contrary, should be in bright light, through them the process of photosynthesis will take place.
It is good to plant stalk celery next to cabbage, it prevents the appearance of such pests as cabbage white on it. Celery is also a desirable neighbor for tomatoes.
Care
Until the celery has grown, it is necessary to keep weeds from growing. For the first month, celery grows slowly and can be drowned out by weeds. After the stems began to thicken, hilling must be carried out. If the plantings are thickened, then the soil for hilling does not need to 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 turf or compost. When hilling, it remains White color stem.
Before hilling, small petioles that will 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 covered with earth.
Watering should be constantly monitored. The soil should not dry out, but it should not block the base of the celery either.
Excessive dryness of the soil will cause the stem to change its characteristics:
- will cease to be juicy and elastic,
- will crack
- will acquire bitterness;
- the structure of the stem will be fibrous;
- the plant will release a peduncle arrow and begin to set seeds.
With excessive moisture, the stems can begin to rot, and this also increases the likelihood of fungal diseases.
Top dressing is important for celery. They feed for the first time two to three weeks after planting. Prepare a solution of mullein (1 part of fertilizer to 10 parts of water) or bird droppings (1 part of fertilizer to 20 parts of water). The second time they are fed three weeks later with a complex mineral fertilizer, but the percentage of nitrogen in it should be minimal. 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, in order to protect celery from greening, the stems must be wrapped in thick paper. Can be used corrugated cardboard, paper wallpaper, craft paper. It is undesirable for the paper to contain inscriptions made with typographic ink. For wrapping, you can use agrofibre of both white and black colors 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 point where 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. The protection is not removed until the very harvest.
Leaves can be selectively harvested from each plant during the season for use as food. They can be eaten fresh or dried for the winter.
If necessary, the petioles can be harvested at the end of summer. At the same time, the largest ones are broken off, but no more than 5 pieces from one plant. The main harvest begins in September. Dig out the most large plants, the rest can ripen until October.
If the dug out celery is placed in the basement, having dug the roots into wet sand, then it can be stored for up to two months. Excess stalk celery can be frozen. After defrosting, they are stewed, baked and used for the first courses.
Trench method of growing celery
If there is enough space on the site, then celery can be grown by the trench method. The cultivation is carried out in stages.
- Trenches 30 cm deep and 20 cm wide are being prepared. 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 cold weather in spring and early summer.
- A mixture of earth with humus is poured at the bottom.
- Planting seedlings is carried out in the center of the trench, at a distance of 15-20 cm between the plants.
- At first, care is carried out in the same way as with a normal planting.
- After the stem begins to thicken, the first filling of the trench is carried out. The soil is taken from the mound and covered with celery to the foliage.
- Hilling is carried out several times, until all the soil dug out of 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, it is not necessary to wrap the stems with this method.
Self-bleaching varieties
The stems of common varieties require bleaching or they become unusable. Currently, varieties have been bred that do not require such care - they are juicy, crunchy without much effort.
Despite this advantage, these varieties have a significant disadvantage:
- they are afraid of even light frost;
- 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 at the beginning of September, then all the celery should be harvested, even if the stems have not yet increased the required volume of all the plants. The collected petioles of self-bleaching celery are not stored for a long time. If they are wrapped in plastic wrap and placed in the refrigerator, then the maximum shelf life is two weeks.
Output
Growing quality stalked celery requires constant 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, self-bleaching varieties can be grown. Due to the short shelf life, it is not necessary to plant a lot of it. It is enough to plant a few bushes so that you can use them within two to three weeks.
Celery has been known since Ancient Greece... It was here that the wild variety was bred cultivated plant and elevated him to the rank of sacred. Celery was used to make decorations for the departed, its image was minted on coins. Celery was not grown in Europe until the 16th century. At the same time, the plant appeared on Russian pharmaceutical gardens... At first, it was used for medicinal purposes and only over time did it begin to be used as a fragrant seasoning, significantly improving the smell and taste of food. Today there are several varieties of this unique plant, including special place is occupied by stalked celery.
What is a vegetable
Petiole celery belongs to the umbelliferae family. The vegetable boasts an affinity with such popular and well-known crops as carrots, cumin, coriander, anise, etc. It is a biennial plant that is planted with seeds and in the first year life cycle it forms the stem and rhizome, and blooms and bears fruit in the second year. As a vegetable crop, it is customary to grow stalked celery for only one season, since the stem and leaves of the plant are mainly used for food. Vegetable seeds are of more limited use.
Outwardly, celery resembles parsley: it has pinnately dissected leaves, collected in a rosette, and a core rhizome. Inflorescences are kind of umbrellas and consist of a large number of small flowers. The culture can grow up to 1 m in height, it is moisture-loving and cold-resistant. 
High-quality petioles are obtained only in the first year of the plant's growing season.
The benefits and harms of stalked celery
First of all, it must be said about the use of stalked celery in cooking. The stems of the plant are ideal for stewing and frying; they are added raw to various salads. The product goes well with meat and fish dishes. They make very healthy juice as well as aromatic tea. 
The sap of the plant is quickly absorbed by our body, penetrating into cells through the blood and lymph
One of the most remarkable properties of celery is its low, almost negative calorie content: human body spends more calories digesting celery products than it gets from consuming them.
In addition, celery is able to actively burn fat, so its consumption is indispensable for people who control their weight and seriously monitor their health. Experts note the following factors of the beneficial effects of celery products on our body:
- it helps to cleanse toxins;
- strengthens the immune system;
- has a beneficial effect on digestion;
- slows down the aging process and helps to cope with senile dementia;
- normalizes metabolism;
- heals burns, cuts, inflammations, hematomas and other skin disorders;
- has a calming effect;
- has a beneficial effect on the condition of the hair.
- hypertension;
- obesity;
- diseases of the genitourinary system;
- rheumatism.
Such a vast area of usefulness is associated with content in culture huge amount essential vitamins and minerals, including:
- potassium;
- phosphorus;
- zinc;
- calcium;
- gland;
- vitamins of groups A, B, C, PP, E.
Daily consumption of two tablespoons of chopped celery greens provides the human body's daily need for carotene and vitamin C.
Contraindications
Refuse to use the plant in any form should be people suffering from gastric ulcer, varicose veins, thrombophlebitis, urolithiasis, epilepsy. The vegetable is not recommended for pregnant women and nursing mothers, since the use of spicy greens can cause increased gas production, which will negatively affect the fetus, as well as the digestion of the baby, who will receive the product along with the mother's breast milk. Celery gives milk a specific smell and taste, due to which the baby can refuse to breast.
Video: celery - benefits, harms and contraindications
There are three varieties of celery: root, leaf and petiole. Root varieties are grown for a healthy and nutritious root that reaches 10 cm in diameter. The aerial part of root celery can also be eaten, but since the variety has a long growing season (from 150 days), during which it is not recommended to cut the stems of the plant, it is not grown for greens. For this purpose they plant leafy celery, which quickly forms a rosette with delicate leaves, and the petioles are ordinary, small.
Petiole celery is also grown for its greens. It does not form thickenings at the root, like leafy varieties, but it has large leaves and juicy, elastic, fleshy petioles reaching four centimeters in thickness.
When growing celery different types plant care has a number of features Today the market offers a wide range of stalked celery seeds. Among gardeners, varieties of domestic selection are popular, which are adapted to our weather conditions, are not afraid of frost, are resistant to many common diseases, and give juicy petioles with good taste.
Table: varieties of stalked celery included in the State Register of Breeding Achievements of the Russian Federation
| Variety name | Plant characteristic | Ripening terms | Weight of one plant, kg | Productivity, kg / sq.m |
| Arthur |
|
Mid-season, the period from germination to the beginning of harvest - 110 days | 0,2–0,3 | about 5.9 |
| Atlant |
|
Mid-season, the period from germination to the start of harvesting - 165 days | 0,3–0,35 | more than 3 |
| Vyacheslav |
|
Mid-season, the period from germination to the start of harvesting is 120 days | 0,15 | up to 2 |
| Groom |
|
Mid-season, the period from germination to the start of harvesting is 150 days | about 0.4 | about 3 |
| Gold |
|
Mid-season | 0,8 | up to 5 |
| Royal |
|
Mid-season, the period from germination to the beginning of harvest - 95 days | 0,18 | around 5 |
| Malachite |
|
Early ripe | 1,2 | about 4 |
| Pascal |
|
Mid-season | 0,2–0,45 | about 4 |
| Tango |
|
Mid-season, the period from germination to the beginning of harvest - 160-180 days | 1 | about 4 |
| Crunch |
|
Mid-season, the period from germination to the beginning of harvest - 140-160 days | 0,35–0,4 | about 3.5 |
| Utah |
|
Mid-season | 0,35 | more than 3.5 |
Photo gallery: stalked celery varieties of domestic selection
Golden - an early variety that allows you to grow juicy, full-bodied petioles with excellent taste 
Atlant celery stalks need bleaching. different varieties green salad, nuts, tomatoes, leeks, it is appropriate to serve it as a side dish for high-calorie dishes. The Royal variety is suitable not only for salad, but also for freezing or drying. fragrant petioles in a short time Pascal celery stalks have an intense dark green color and reach a length of up to 20 cm Tango celery stalks have excellent taste and aromatic qualities, they retain their presentation for a long time; fragrant, retain their juiciness for a long time
Planting stalked celery
Growing stalked celery cannot be called a simple matter, but if you know the features and take into account the requirements of this plant, then success will be guaranteed. Early varieties of this variety can be planted directly with seeds directly into open ground. Such sowing is carried out approximately in the second decade of April. But at the same time, the following risks must be taken into account:
- do not count on the amicability of seedlings;
- it will be difficult to care for young plants. Considering that at the initial stage of the growing season, celery develops very slowly, it will be problematic to fight weeds, as well as protect seedlings from weather disasters.
Most often, when growing stalked celery, they resort to the seedling method, which is more guaranteed to get fresh and healthy greens for the dinner table.
Seedlings can be grown in a greenhouse, since celery is a cold-resistant plant and its seedlings can easily tolerate frosts. If this is not possible, then sowing in containers that will stand on the windowsill is quite suitable.
Before sowing seeds, you need to prepare the planting container and suitable soil... As containers, you can use both special containers and trays for growing seedlings, and any available material: wooden or plastic boxes, yogurt packaging and even plastic bags... The main thing is to provide a drainage layer in them, which will not allow excess moisture to stagnate in containers. 
Growing in cassettes allows plants to form a root system that will permeate the entire substrate and not be damaged during transplantation
The soil for sowing seeds must be nutritious and always moisture and air permeable. The following composition is perfect:
- peat;
- humus;
- coarse river sand;
- turf land
in a ratio of 3: 1: 0.5: 1. Add urea (1 teaspoon) and wood ash (2 glasses) to 10 liters of prepared and thoroughly mixed soil.
For disinfection, the soil mixture is spilled with boiling water with the addition of potassium permanganate a few days before sowing (slightly pink solution).
Seed preparation
This is very important stage in growing crops. Stalked celery seeds have several specific features:
- their germination depends on age, but over time it does not deteriorate, but rather increases. Therefore, the most friendly seedlings will appear from seeds that have lain for 3-4 years;
- the plant contains essential oils that prevent the seeds from quickly absorbing moisture, and the germination process can take several weeks.
Celery seeds are very similar in appearance to parsley and carrot seeds. Exists different ways accelerating seed germination:
Since celery seeds are small, after drying, they can be mixed with sand and sown into the ground in this composition.
Sowing seedlings
The timing of planting stalked celery for seedlings depends on the variety, its growing season. If it is about 120 days, then sowing should be done in the first decade of March. With proper seed preparation, seedlings will appear in 1-2 weeks. It is recommended to plant two-month celery seedlings in the ground.
The planting process itself is carried out in a completely standard way. It includes the following steps:
Further care of seedlings
When the first descents appear, the seedlings need to provide good illumination and a comfortable temperature (about +16 degrees). Higher temperature regime will help to stretch the seedlings. Most often, the sprouts that appear are thin, the first month they grow very slowly. After about 30 days, they will have only 1-2 real leaves. At this time, it is necessary to carry out thinning, leaving the plants at a distance of 4–5 cm from each other, adding soil or diving the seedlings, if such a method of growing was envisaged. 
When two leaves appear on the celery seedlings, the plants can be planted so that the roots more space for growth
If conditions permit, then young plants can be transplanted for growing in a greenhouse. The transplant is carried out in furrows located at a distance of 5–6 cm; plants are also planted every 5–6 cm.
The pick is carried out carefully, planting the seedlings in individual containers with a depth of at least 10 cm, trying not to damage the root, deepening the seedlings to the cotyledonous leaves, while not covering the central growth bud with earth. This procedure stimulates the development of lateral roots in the seedlings, which will have a beneficial effect on the strength and endurance of the seedlings. 
When diving, the seedlings are lowered into the prepared hole, making sure that the root does not bend and remains in an upright position
After picking, the seedlings are watered and shaded from direct sunlight. The optimum temperature for seedlings during this period will be + 15-16 degrees. Finding seedlings at temperatures below +10 can lead to the fact that, after transplanting to a permanent place, such plants will turn into color and do not give juicy and elastic stems.
If, during the preparation of the soil mixture, the soil was filled in sufficient quantity nitrogen fertilizers, then the seedlings will have a rich color. With a weak color of the leaves, it can be fed with urea (1 teaspoon per 10 liters of water). Such dressings are carried out three times during the growing of seedlings (once every two weeks), always at the root.
A week before planting in open ground, you should begin to harden the plants. They are taken out into the open air, first for several hours, then for the whole day, and just before disembarkation they are left overnight.
Seedlings ready for planting should be strong, at least 10 cm in height, have 4–5 true leaves and a root system well braiding with an earthen ball.
Transplanting seedlings to the garden
It is recommended to plant celery seedlings in the garden in mid-May, after stable warm weather is established and the soil warms up well. 
If you do not have the opportunity to grow celery seedlings, you can purchase them, but remember: good planting material is plants that reach 13-15 cm in height, with a strong root system and four to five leaves
Experienced gardeners note that under favorable weather conditions and the readiness of seedlings, an earlier planting on the beds can be carried out. Plants planted at this time often produce the best yield. But with early planting, there is a risk that stalked celery will release flower stalks.
The site for planting stalked celery is selected and prepared in advance. Preference should be given to an open, sunny place with well-fertilized soil of neutral acidity. On poor, dry soil, you will get plants with thin, fibrous, possibly hollow stalks.
Under autumn digging for 1 sq. meter contribute
- humus or compost (10 kg);
- ash (1 glass);
- superphosphate (1 tbsp. spoon).
If necessary, the soil is limed. A garden bed prepared in this way in the spring only needs to be loosened. Good precursors for stalked celery would be
- tomatoes;
- cabbage;
- cucumbers;
- zucchini;
- pumpkin;
- salad;
- legumes;
- spinach.
It is undesirable to plant celery after
- potatoes;
- corn;
- parsnip;
- parsley;
- carrots.
Petiole celery can be used as a compacting crop for
- tomatoes;
- legumes;
- any types of cabbage;
- Luke.
Celery perfectly coexists in the same garden with cabbage Such a neighborhood will benefit these vegetables, because celery has a strong smell that will scare away many pests.
The scheme for planting seedlings in open ground will depend on varietal characteristics: the height of the bush, the spreading of the rosette. Minimum distance in the aisles and between plants in a row there will be 25 cm.For planting petiolate varieties with a high spreading rosette, it is more reasonable to stop at a 50x40 cm scheme. 
Self-bleaching varieties of stalked celery should be planted in the garden so that there is a distance of 25 cm between the seedlings.The seedlings of varieties that will need to be bleached are best planted in furrows at a distance of 30 cm from each other
The transplant is carried out as follows:
For weak seedlings, you can organize a mini-greenhouse from a cut plastic bottle right on the garden bed
How to care for celery outdoors
Further caring for the plant is simple, fits into the framework of the standard rules of agricultural technology for the cultivation of any garden crop:
- watering is carried out based on the needs of the plant and weather conditions. Celery needs a lot of water to grow well. The rate of watering a plant in dry weather is about 20 liters per 1 sq. meter. But excessive waterlogging, leading to stagnation of moisture, as well as drying out of the topsoil, will adversely affect the quality and yield of the petioles. With a lack of moisture, the middle part of the stem can become fibrous, cracked and empty, and waterlogging provokes the development of fungal infections that initially affect the leaves, and then the petioles of the plant;
- the compaction of the upper soil layer must not be allowed. Its loosening is carried out after each watering or rain. The depth of loosening of the beds with young plants is 5–6 cm, the soil around the mature bushes is loosened deeper - by 15 cm.
To prevent moisture evaporation and provide the plant roots with more oxygen, immediately after planting celery, the soil around it must be mulched with peat, sawdust, cut grass or straw Juicy and thick celery stalks can only be obtained if the plant grows continuously throughout the growing season. Growth retardation can be caused by a lack of moisture, nutrients or compaction of the topsoil - then the plant does not receive enough oxygen.
Features of feeding stalked celery
Petiole celery responds actively to fertilization. To feed the plant, you can use humus, manure, ash, mineral complexes. A feature of feeding stalked celery is that when choosing fertilizers, they stop at compositions in which nitrogen and potassium are present in approximately equal proportions.
Table: "summer menu" for celery
| Terms of feeding | View | Composition | Peculiarities |
| Two weeks after planting seedlings or one month after emergence of seedlings with direct sowing seeds in open ground | Root, dissolved fertilizers | Infusion of mullein in a ratio of 1:10 + potassium sulfate(10 g per bucket of mortar) | After feeding, the plant is watered with clean water to prevent burns of leaves and petioles. |
| 3 weeks after the first | Root, dry fertilizer | Ammonium nitrate (10 g) + superphosphate (30 g) + potassium sulfate (20 g) per 1 sq. meter | Fertilizers are embedded shallowly into the ground in the root zone using a hoe |
| 3 weeks after the second | Similarly the second | Recommended on poor soils | |
At the stage of growing leaf and stem mass, celery needs increased nitrogen feeding Petiole whitening
The main feature of petiole celery care is the petiole bleaching procedure. As a result of its implementation, the shoots become not only lighter, but also much tastier, bitterness leaves them. This work should be done 2-3 weeks before harvest. Whitening can be done in different ways:
Sheet plates in both the first and second cases must remain free.
Owners of garden plots often avoid growing stalked celery precisely because high-quality petioles can only be obtained after a bleaching procedure, which for many is difficult and difficult to accomplish. V recent times self-bleaching varieties of this culture appeared on the seed market - Golden, Malachite, Tango, which we talked about above. It should be noted that in order to achieve the self-bleaching effect, the celery bushes of the indicated varieties must grow at a distance of no more than 25 cm from each other.
Video: we grow stalked celery correctly
Growing celery at home
Like many others spices stalked celery can be grown at home on a windowsill or balcony. The simplest and most readily available way is to obtain stalks and greens from the celery stalk. In this case planting material celery stalks that you purchased in a store or grown on your site will serve. Celery shoots are attached to the stalk, which is usually not used for food. It should be fresh, firm, free from stains, mechanical damage and signs of rot. The stump is cut off at the base to a height of about 3-4 cm. 
Before planting, a celery stump is inspected for characteristic damage.
The cut stump must be germinated. To do this, it is placed in a container with water at room temperature, immersing the bottom of the stump by about 0.5 cm in water. To accelerate germination, you can add a few drops of any rooting stimulant to the water. The container is placed in a bright place, but not in direct sunlight. The water is changed daily. 
Celery stalk gives roots and new greens in 40-50% of cases
After about a week, young greens will appear from the old, dried sections. This is a signal that the plant is ready to be transplanted into the ground. The soil is prepared in the same way as for growing seedlings. The landing tank can serve as a conventional flower pot... Planting a sprouted stump is carried out as follows:
To organize the correct and competent care of the planted plant, it is necessary to carry out the main caring activities on time:
- regularly, but moderately water the plant, avoiding stagnant moisture. This is one of the important conditions for the growth of succulent petioles;
- the top layer of the soil must be periodically loosened to provide air access to the roots of the plant;
- in late autumn and winter, you need to arrange additional lighting. For this, you can use fluorescent lamps or special phytolamps;
- every 20 days celery is fed with available fertilizers: a complex of minerals, infusion of wood ash.
In about a month, you will be able to harvest the first crop of vitamin petioles and green leaves, which will be an excellent addition to your winter diet. The petioles will most likely not be as large as when grown outdoors, but they will have enough juiciness and usefulness.
Diseases and pests characteristic of stalked celery
There is an opinion that celery is a crop that is rarely affected by diseases. If you do not comply with the basic agrotechnical requirements and ignore preventive measures, then the plant's immunity will be sharply reduced, and this will lead to the plant's defenselessness against attacks by aggressive microorganisms. So that celery does not get sick and is resistant to pathogens, it is necessary to pay due attention to elementary preventive measures, which include the following measures:
- proper preparation and mandatory disinfection of seeds, since many pathogens are transmitted through planting material;
- strict adherence to crop rotation. Celery can be returned to its old place no earlier than three years later;
- timely removal and destruction of plant residues;
- regular removal of weeds not only in the garden with celery, but also in the surrounding area, since the causative agents of a number of diseases feel great on weeds and easily migrate to cultivated plants;
- timely liming of acidic soil;
- mandatory application of phosphorus and potash fertilizers to the site;
- avoidance of thickening of plantings;
- destruction of diseased plants.
Compliance with these measures is especially important when growing celery greens, since the use chemicals undesirable, they are resorted to only in cases of mass infection and strong development of the disease.
Table: diseases of stalked celery
| Name of the disease | Signs |
| Cercospora | The appearance of irregular or rounded spots on the leaves. Over time, they take on a purple hue. The affected parts of the plant dry up. |
| Septoria |
|
| Powdery mildew | White powdery coating on the aerial parts of the plant, decay of leaves and stems |
| Fomoz |
|
| White bloom on the tissues of the vegetable, which leads to its softening, browning and decay | |
| Rust on the leaves | Formation of reddish-brown pads on the underside of the leaf plate. The leaves turn yellow and dry out, the petioles lose their presentation |
Photo gallery: symptoms of celery diseases
Rust manifests itself as red-brown spots with an orange border on the leaves of the Septoria plant, also called celery leaf spot or late leaf burn, is an extremely harmful disease that often manifests itself on rather solid areas 
Plants with cercosporosis do not develop well, their leaves turn yellow and dry out White rot causes significant losses of celery and death of testes during the growing season 
For prevention powdery mildew it is necessary to use disinfected seeds, destroy plant residues, carry out deep autumn plowing of the soil
Celery pests
Petiole celery can be attacked by harmful insects. To provide good quality harvest, it is important to identify the problem in a timely manner and develop a plan to deal with uninvited guests.
Table: celery pests
| What is the danger of the pest | Control measures | |
| It sucks the juice from the plant, as a result, the leaves curl, the petioles are shortened, the plant slows down growth |
|
|
| Fly larvae settle in the stalks of the culture. Leaves turn red or yellow, droop in the sun | ||
| The leaves curl, shrivel, the plant slows down, and may die. |
Photo gallery: the main pests of stalked celery
Celery pests are often the main vectors of pathogens. To prevent insects from planting celery in the garden or next to it, you can plant nasturtium, marigold or thyme. The smell of these plants repels many pests.
Correct harvest is a guarantee of long-term storage
Petiole celery can be stored for quite a long time, provided that proper conditions are ensured and correct collection petioles. When harvesting, you need to pay attention to the following nuances:
- the stalked variety of celery is more sensitive to drops in temperature, therefore, it is better to harvest in September-October, before the onset of frost;
- it is not recommended to overexpose the plant in the garden for longer than specified in the recommendations for growing this variety. Otherwise, the petioles will become coarse and become fibrous;
- cleaning is carried out carefully, avoiding mechanical damage. It is in the injured places that root crops will rot and deteriorate;
- leaves must be cut off immediately after digging up the root crop;
- in root crops intended for long-term storage, you can leave the roots, and then dig them into the wet sand in the cellar.
- the harvested crop must be thoroughly dried and only then put into storage.
Harvested crop must be thoroughly dried and only then put into storage How to store celery properly
If celery stalks are planned to be eaten or processed in the near future, then they are carefully wrapped in cling film and sent to the lower shelf of the refrigerator. For longer storage, gardeners use various methods:
Video: cleaning and storing stalked celery
Celery is a very healthy vegetable crop. It doesn't matter if you grow petiole, root or leaf celery in your area. The main thing is that these plants will bring you real benefits. After all, they are grown with care and love!
Dill is the most common herb. But in order for its greenery to please the eye, and for its taste and aroma to delight our receptors, a minimum set of agrotechnical knowledge is necessary. And it all starts with ...
Caucasian cuisine cannot be imagined without celery leaves, in Russia they prefer white root, cultivation of stalked celery and caring for it is typical for residents North America, Great Britain, Mediterranean countries, appreciate it also in Japan. In comparison with the root and leaf variety, petiole (salad) varieties are more tender, juicy, healthy. Only from them can you make juice - a drink for health and maintaining an ideal shape.
The petiolate variety of celery wins the hearts of Russian gardeners
Biological features of culture
Petiole celery is cold-resistant, so many gardeners have a question whether it can be grown as perennial or not. Immediately, we note that this is a two-year culture of the Umbrella family, which in the first year gives a rosette of succulent roots and leaves, in the second - seeds. In the south, provided that the soil freezes slightly, celery is cultivated as a perennial, but only to obtain greenery. High-quality petioles, like the root, can be obtained only in the first year of the plant's growing season.
The vegetable belongs to long-growing crops - from full-fledged shoots to ripening, it takes 140-180 days, depending on the variety of stalked celery. During this period, a powerful bush will grow up to 65 cm high with a rosette of thick stems and large pinnately dissected leaves, often of dark green, glossy. The petioles are curved, outside slightly ribbed, the pulp is juicy, crispy, with a piquant aroma and light bitterness. The old varieties are more fibrous, the new ones are delicate, practically have no hard fibers. Light green, bleached or yellow-fleshy petioles are sweeter, more bitter - green or reddish.
One plant of stalked celery, with proper cultivation techniques, gives from 300 g to 1.2 kg of marketable products.
Note! Root celery also has large, thick stems, but unlike the petioled variety, they are not fleshy, but sinewy, moreover, they are hollow inside.
Crispy petioles are a unique product with a “negative” calorie content that burns excess fat
Successful varieties
In the garden centers there are seeds of domestic and foreign varieties of stalked celery. When choosing, pay attention to the ripening time - for regions with a cold climate, early and mid-early varieties are preferable, medium-late varieties are also suitable for greenhouses.
Gustatory characteristics play a role. If you like a savory bitterness, plant a celery with green stalks, adherents of traditional neutral flavors will love self-bleaching or yellow-fleshy plants. Let us give short description several of the most successful varieties.
Celery Utah is bred by Italian breeders. Petioles are long, light green, very tasty, practically without fibers. In terms of ripening - the variety is average, the yield of stems with leaves - up to 3.5 kg / m².
Malachite is one of the most early varieties(85 days), allowing you to enjoy healthy products in the middle of summer. Productivity - 1.2 kg of petioles per plant.
Nughet is a Czech variety of stalked celery. Among the pluses is an early ripening period, a neat, tightly closed rosette of stems, a pleasant taste and aroma.
Tango is a common cultivar with bluish green petioles. It ripens for a long time - the growing season is 180 days. Attracts with delicate fiber-free pulp, high yield(1.0 kg per plant), excellent keeping quality.
Gold will appeal to lovers of self-bleaching varieties. Up to 800 g of elastic petioles with light pulp, pleasant taste and aroma are collected from one plant.
Selection of seeds and producers
How to avoid mistakes when growing?
To avoid disappointment, you need to know and follow the agricultural techniques of cultivating stalked celery. It is in many ways similar to the other two varieties, but has a number of nuances. What mistakes do novice gardeners make most often?
The seeds are sown too late. Since the culture has a long growing season, it is recommended to plant seedlings at the age of 70-80 days. And given the fact that the seeds of celery are tough-growing, you need to sow it already in February, in extreme cases - in early March.
Seedlings are planted early, in cold soil and the plant goes to the arrow. The paradox of this culture is that despite its cold hardiness, it is thermophilic. Seedlings of petiolate celery will not die when early landing, but the cold oppresses her, she stops growing. In addition, the plant perceives this as a forced dormant period and moves on to the "second series" - expels the flower arrow.
The petioles are sinewy, with a bitter taste. This happens if the vegetable is planted in poor soil. The plant itself is large, in order to grow actively, it requires a lot of nutrition. If it is not there, it sits in place, the stems coarse. The petioles will be fibrous without watering. An important agricultural technique that allows you to remove bitterness is bleaching the stems. Many do not know about him.
Consider how to properly grow stalked celery from seeds.
Terms and technology of growing seedlings
Vegetable seeds are saturated with essential oils, so they do not germinate for a long time. To speed up this process, you need to destroy the inhibitors that inhibit germination. There are several ways.
Soak alternately in hot (up to 50⁰C) and cool (18⁰C) water. Do this in three steps, keeping the seeds in hot water 5 minutes, 10 minutes, respectively, and the third time until the water cools down.
Germination for 7-10 days. To do this, they are soaked, and after swelling, they are placed on a damp cloth and placed in the refrigerator.
Prepared petiolate celery seeds are sown in shallow boxes; loose soil based on peat and humus is taken for planting. After sowing, they are not closed up, since light is needed for germination. From above, the seeds are sprayed with water from a spray bottle so that they adhere well to the substrate. You can cover them with a layer of snow, which, melting, will slightly pull them into the soil. Next, the box is covered with foam (glass) and placed in a warm, bright place, for example, on a windowsill. When thin seedlings appear, they are sprinkled with earth for half a centimeter, the film is removed.
Water the crops carefully - from a spray bottle or through a strainer, so as not to damage fragile seedlings.
Plants dive at the stage of 2-3 true leaves, pinching off the 4th part of the central root. Suitable as containers plastic cups... Seedlings deepen to cotyledon leaves. The cut seedlings are sheltered from the direct rays of the sun for several days, after engraftment, they are returned to the windowsill.
The hardened and hardened seedlings will quickly take root after planting in the garden, will begin to build up the green mass
Landing in open ground
The next stage of growing stalked celery is planting in open ground. Pay attention to the following nuances.
The indicator for planting seedlings is the onset of stable heat (16-18⁰C during the day).
The culture loves fertile, loose, slightly acidic soils (pH 5.5–6.5) with good aeration.
Prefers sunny places, in partial shade it turns out a vegetable with a sharper smell.
It is impossible to cover the heart of the seedling with earth when planting.
Advice! The crop is suitable for compacted crops. The vegetable is planted together with cucumbers, along the borders of the beds, along the paths.
Subtleties of care
Caring for a vegetable plant consists in regular watering, top dressing, and frequent loosening.
The first feeding is recommended to be done 2 weeks after planting - 20 g of ammonium nitrate, 10–15 g of potassium salt and superphosphate are applied per 1 m². This mixture can be replaced with nitroammophos or other complete fertilizer. Application form - aqueous solution. From organic matter, a solution of poultry manure at a concentration of 1:10 is suitable, mullein - 1: 5.
They are re-fed in the middle of summer - the emphasis is on potash fertilizers, trace elements are also needed, namely boron and magnesium.
The plant loves deep, abundant watering, but this must be done at the root, avoiding water getting on the stems and leaves. Waterlogging is one of the reasons for the appearance of stem rot.
An obligatory element of caring for stalked celery is frequent loosening (5–6 times per season). In addition, it needs hilling, in contrast to root celery, the fruit of which is exposed.
Petiole whitening
When the petioles become plump, a care technique such as whitening is used. The stems are collected in a bunch, lower part wrapped in an opaque material - paper, burlap, lutrasil, but not with a film - the plant must breathe. Some people simply spud the socket with earth - but the quality will be worse, and it is difficult not to fill up the heart.
Reception leads to a decrease in the level of essential oils, bitterness disappears, the aroma becomes more delicate.
The petioles are wrapped for bleaching a few weeks before harvest
What is celery sick with?
The main causes of diseases of stalked celery are associated with improper care, waterlogged soil, poor aeration, lack of nutrients. In a rainy summer, the aerial part of the plant can be affected by fungal infections.
Cercosporosis appears as spots with a light center and a reddish-brown edging on the leaves and petioles. The diseased parts of the plant dry out. For prevention, it is recommended to disinfect seeds. The affected crops should be sprayed with a fungicide solution.
Septoria, in contrast to cercospora, affects celery by the end of summer. This is also a spotting, but different - the spots are oblong, yellow and, as it were, depressed. Control measures are the same as with the previous disease.
Rust is a cold summer disease. The reddish-brown growths begin to crumble as the spores mature. Spraying with phytosporin helps.
In addition to diseases, petiole celery also has pests, although not as many as in other crops - it scares them off with a pungent odor.
The plant can be attacked by celery and carrot flies. The pest lays eggs in the petioles and under the skin of the leaves. The larvae eat the passages in them, after which they become rough and bitter. An effective way of control is pollination of plantings with tobacco dust, wood ash, dry mustard during the summer of the fly (June, August).
Planting and caring for celery:
Many dream of summer cottage, where you can relax in summer, retire with nature, admiring the beauty and breathing clean air without emissions. Often in dreams there is also a small vegetable garden where you can grow vegetables, beans and herbs. But not everyone knows that stalked celery can be grown on your own and enjoyed in a variety of cooked dishes.
Description and main characteristics
Celery is one of the most useful plants... This plant is considered by herbalists to be an essential ingredient for maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Often included in weight loss products and recipes.
This herb has a number of beneficial properties, contains a large amount of vitamins and minerals. It also has a delicate but rich taste. For its beneficial qualities, this plant is appreciated by lovers of delicious food all over the world. Most recently, celery was grown only for medicine, but today it is present in many gourmet dishes.
The range of effects of this plant on the human body is very wide.
The root vegetable is enriched with the following features:
- raises tone;
- is able to increase mental and physical performance;
- brings appetite back to normal;
- relieves pain;
- is a diuretic.
Varieties of root crops
This plant has several varieties. They relate to the external structure. There are three types of celery:
- sheet;
- root;
- petiolate.
This plant is able to beneficially complement any dish without losing its beneficial qualities during cooking. Fortunately, celery belongs to dietary products and does not harm the figure.
Celery is grown for the sake of juicy stalks. At the moment, the petioles are white or green. The difference in color does not apply to varieties of varieties - the same species can be different color... The color is influenced by the cultivation methods. For example, a white color appears if you huddle celery by placing the stalks deep into the soil.
As a rule, celery is planted in the garden in May, towards the end, in warm areas you can start planting already in the middle of the month. By the time the seedlings are transplanted into open ground, the sprouts should be 5-7 cm high. It is important to ensure that the sprouts are not just long, but strong and lively.
White celery varieties are planted in holes in a garden bed with a distance of 25x25 cm.If the choice fell on non-self-bleaching varieties, then a trench is suitable for planting, in which case the marking should be 30 cm between seedlings.
It is necessary to plant the plant deep in a trench, then, as experienced gardeners say, white stems will form when ripe. If the planting took place in an ordinary garden bed and the stem grows green, then a number of activities must be carried out a month before harvesting.
The fact is that the color of the stalk of petioled celery depends on the level of illumination, a white tint appears in the root crop if it grows in a darkened place. Therefore, around September, when the celery grows by 30 cm, it is necessary:
- collect the leaves up into a bunch and tie loosely with a soft ribbon;
- wrap the stem itself in a wrapping material (from the soil itself to the leaves);
- secure the wrapper with twine or tape;
- leave for 3 weeks, then dig out and release from the fixing materials.
The celery is ready to dig out. The one that will not be eaten right away must be dug in moistened sand in a cool place - you get a good fertilizer.
To save for the winter, various unnecessary thick paper... Plastic bottles or pipes are also suitable, as well as Penofol and straw. Small sawdust or dry leaves should be poured into bottles / pipes.
To the rhetorical question of what to eat in order to lose weight, there is a very specific answer - celery! You eat 100 g of celery, calorie content of 19 kcal, the body spends 25 for its processing. Active antioxidants in large quantities cleanse body cells from damage and remove toxins, prolonging youth. And here is a recipe for a love drink from Tristan and Isolde: 100 g of celery juice, 50 g each of pear and apple. And although celery root, stalk and greens are not uncommon in supermarkets, it is much more useful to grow it yourself.
To receive good harvests you need very fertile soil. Celery does not tolerate acidic and poorly drained soil. Deep, humus-rich loams are preferred.
It is advisable to plant celery in beds that have been abundantly fertilized with predecessors (peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers). Poor soil can be improved by adding rotten manure or compost.
For planting leaf and petiole celery, fresh manure can be applied, since a high concentration of nitrogen accelerates the growth of vegetative mass, so to speak, vershoks. To grow the roots, the manure must be thoroughly rotated. The introduction of phosphorus will speed up the ripening period and improve the quality of the plants. Thanks to potash fertilizers the plant more intensively accumulates sugar and starch, increases frost resistance.
A little podzimnye liming will fill the need for calcium and magnesium. Fertilization rates per 1 m2: compost (rotten manure) - 6-8 kg, fertilizers: nitrogen - 3-5 g, phosphorus -10 g, potash - 5 g.
Organic matter and phosphate fertilizers are applied in full in autumn, half of the rest is taken. The rest is used in dressing. The planting site should be open, sunny, not shaded.
Video "Growing"
From the video you will learn how to properly grow celery.
Seed material
Celery is a biennial herb of the umbrella family. Breeding work over the new varieties, I shifted the emphasis from green leaves to other parts of this plant, and as a result we got 3 types of varieties: petiole, leaf and root celery. 
The best varieties of leafy celery are:
- The samurai attracts with curly leaves with a corrugated edge. Mid-season with excellent taste;
- Vigor is a mid-season variety with good resistance to low temperatures and drought. The first crop is cut after 70 days.
- Sail is an early ripe, very productive variety, the first harvest is ready in 40-45 days.
Petiole celery is the least popular in our country, but I think that it will not last long. The wonderful taste of crispy sticks conquers everyone who has tried celery stalks.
Varieties of this type are divided into self-bleaching, green (which must be bleached) and intermediate forms. Self-bleaching stems are worse stored than green ones. Here are a few interesting varieties stalked celery:
- Pascal is a medium ripeness variety that needs bleaching;
- Tango is a variety with excellent taste and smooth petioles. The light green color does not need bleaching.
And finally, celery root. For harvesting for the winter, you need to purchase seeds of mid-early, medium and late varieties. Fruits of early varieties are poorly stored. 
Consider several popular varieties:
- Apple is a very early ripening variety with medium-sized round tubers. The disadvantage is a large number of lateral roots;
- Cascade is a medium early variety with a small number of low roots;
- The Prague giant is a large-fruited (up to 500 g) variety of medium ripening, the fruits are well stored.
Sowing seeds for seedlings
Celery seeds are very small, contain a large amount of essential oils and therefore germinate for a very long time. The germination rate is low. Therefore, for celery, growing from seeds in the open field is very difficult.
Seedlings begin to sow at the end of February. The seeds may take up to 1 month to germinate, but the process can be accelerated. 
Consider several options for soaking seeds:
- the seeds are washed in hot water for 10-15 minutes, after which they are slightly dried. The seeds are ready for sowing;
- the seeds are soaked for a day in warm water;
- the seeds, wrapped in a damp cloth, are kept at room temperature for a week, constantly moistening, then placed in the refrigerator away from the freezer for 2 weeks, after which they are planted.
Of the three methods, the last one (it is called stratification) is the most effective.
For seedlings, you will need low boxes filled with a mixture of garden soil, humus and sand. For disinfection, the earth is spilled with boiling water with potassium permanganate 2 days before sowing the seeds.
Before sowing, the soil is moistened again, after about 2 hours, 1 cm deep grooves are made and sowing of seeds begins. If you plan to grow seedlings in the same boxes before planting in the ground, then you need to sow the seeds at a distance of 5 cm from each other.
With the subsequent pick, the sowing can be compacted. Seeds, evenly distributed along the grooves, do not fall asleep, but are slightly pressed (this makes it easier for them to germinate) and watered with a spray bottle.
The drawers are covered with glass or transparent foil and placed in the light. The air temperature in the room should be between 18-240C. After 5-7 days, the seeds will pick up and white roots will appear, in another week cotyledon leaves will appear.
The film can be removed, the seedlings can be watered with water at room temperature using a spray bottle and very carefully loosened without falling asleep on the seedlings.
In February natural light the seedlings are still not enough, which is why it can stretch, therefore it is recommended to supplement it. In addition, lowering the temperature to 16 degrees will help slow down the pulling of seedlings. 
