A Guide on Growing Celery
Celery, scientifically classified as Apium graveolens, is a biennial herb that belongs to the parsley family. It is a popular vegetable and its parts have long been used for medicinal purposes. Its stalks, leaves, and seeds can be eaten but growing celery is a challenge for gardeners because it is not an easy task.
Celery Growing Season
Celery takes a long season to grow and it requires a lot of attention and watering in growing it. It also needs to be grown in cool temperatures but the hardwork and effort that it takes in properly growing it gives the gardener his due reward.
Sowing and Planting Celery
It is recommended that celery seedlings are started indoors because celery seeds are very tiny and not easy to sow. A celery plant also takes a long time to grow and mature so starting indoors would allow the plants to have a good start. Celery also prefers rich soil that is high in organic matter.
It is best to start growing celery at least one month before the last date of frost in your area. Begin by spreading a few seeds into small and individual containers or pots with soil. After the seeds sprout and are large enough to be thinned, remove the sprouts but leave two or three of them in each pot or container. When the plants grow and become larger, thin them out again to just one plant in each pot. The plants are ready to be transplanted when they are around 4 inches tall but harden the seedlings for around two to three weeks first before transplanting them.
Transplanting celery into the garden
Transplant the celery plants outdoors only when the frost season in your area is over and the temperature is consistently above 50F. Plant the celery plants around three to four inches deep into trenches and space them around one foot apart with the rows at least 2 feet apart.
A maturing celery plant is a heavy feeder. Water the celery plants regularly to maintain the even moisture of the soil. It grows best when it gets around 6 hours of sun but not enough soil moisture will make the stalks dry and affect the taste of the celery. Also, frequently fertilize the celery plants for continuous growth. Mulch can be added to protect the soil from pests and retain moisture. Regularly cultivate and remove the weeds around the celery plants to avoid competition for water and nutrients.
How to Harvest Celery
Around ten days to two weeks before harvesting, cover the celery plants to protect them from the heat of the sun and to make them turn green. This method is called blanching. There are also other methods of blanching such as using tilted boards to shade the celery plants, wrapping heavy paper around each plant, or gathering the stalks together and fitting them over the top of the plants.
The trenching method is what gardeners usually use in growing celery with the stems blanched before being used. The trenches are dug to around 15 inches deep and 12 inches wide and organic material is added to make the soil rich. The seeds are sown indoors and then planted into trenches in due time. The celery plants are made sure to be watered regularly.
Celery Picture
A successful crop of celery satisfies gardeners and surpasses those sold in supermarkets in terms of taste as well as of quality.