How To Plant Celery

Plant celery is extremely easy if the care steps are adequately followed. Celery is a crunchy vegetable that is part of the Apiaceae family amongst carrots, parsley, etc.

Celery plant is a medically beneficial crop because of its high antioxidants and fibre contents. Though some people can be allergic to this vegetable and must be avoided by pregnant women, the yield is high in demand as a green, nutritious vegetable.

Plant Celery

To plant Celery, prepare an area with direct, full sunlight. Before planting, mix around 4 inches of manure or compost to the soil or work in fertilizer. The soil must be well-drained but also damp enough and at a pH of about 5.8 to 6.8. A consistent moisture soil is essential for Celery to grow. 

Celery plant requires a long growing season, so it is advised to start early plantation indoors. If you are planting a Spring crop, then started the seeds inside around 12 weeks before the last spring frost, whereas for a fall crop, start them in time to transplant outside almost 12 weeks before the first fall frost date. 

Soak the seeds in warm water before sowing with care as they are tiny. Do not cover the bases with soil once sown. Ideally, seeds are to be planted almost an inch apart. Use a fluorescent grow light for around 16 hours a day after the seedlings appear. The ideal temperature for better growth is approximately 70 degrees Fahrenheit and 60 degrees Fahrenheit during day and night. 

Once the seedlings are around 2 inches tall, you can thin them out to be at least 2 inches apart or transplant to peat pots. Before transplanting, you must harden off your seeds by reducing water and putting outdoors. 

Celery can be planted outdoors when the temperatures are at 50 degrees Fahrenheit or more. 

Add organic compost to the soil and water consistently. In case of a threat of frost, bring your celery plant inside.

Care

• Water thoroughly throughout the growing season, especially when the weather is dry. 
• Retain moisture by adding mulch/compost to the soil.
• Weed celery very carefully; avoid harming the shallow roots.
• Tie the growing stalks together; it keeps them from sprawling.

Harvesting

You can harvest Celery from summer to autumn. Celery plants can be harvested but its recommended to cut or pick individual stems as that helps new plants to produce. Celery tastes immaculate young as well as mature so that you can harvest at any time preferred. To pick Celery, start harvesting from outside.

Storage

Celery can be kept in the soil outside for up to a month if the conditions are favorable. Celery stores well; wrap in a plastic bag and keep in the refrigerator to stay stored for weeks without any issues.

Problems Faced

Celery plants catch diseases and pests like most of the other crops out there. Here is a list of commonly faced problems while planting Celery.

Pests

• Flea beetles
• Earwigs
• Slugs
• Snails

Diseases

Bacterial

Blight and Brown Stem Small water-soaked spots appear on leaf blades, and necrosis occurs. Lesions become dry. Brown stem symptoms include the development of brown discoloration of petioles. Spring copper sprays can help fight the bacteria involved in this.

Soft Rot Small water-soaked lesions start to appear near the base of petioles and turn dry and brown colored afterward.

Fungal

Seeds become soft and start to Rot and fail to germinate; rapid death of seedling before emergence from the soil, seedlings collapse after they have emerged from the ground because of water-soaked reddish lesions. The use of fungicide and avoiding Celery plantation at damp and watery sides can help prevent this disease.

Types

There are three significant types of Celery, namely:

• Celeriac
• Leaf celery
• Pascal Celery

1. Celeriac has a delicious root that can be eaten raw or cooked. There are many varieties of celeriac, which include some like Brilliant and Giant Prague.
2. Leaf celery is known for its thin stalk and achromatic leaves. It’s known as Apium Graveolens var. Secalinum as it resembles an old ancestor of Celery. Different varieties include Par Cel and Safir.
3. Pascal Celery is a type of Celery that grows in cold climates; thus, extreme temperatures affect its growth adversely. Like Celeriac, Pascals also have different varieties such as Long Utah with long stalks and Golden Boy with short stalks.

There are many minor types of celeries, here is a list of a few of them:

1. Monterey (Pascal)
2. Tall Utah (Pascal)
3. Golden boy celery (Pascal)
4. Tellus (Celeriac)
5. Globus (Celeriac)
6. Marble ball (Celeriac)
7. Safir (Leaf celery)
8. Par-cel (Leaf celery)
9. Flora 55 (Leaf celery)

Importance

Celery has been considered the perfect low celery diet, but Celery has many health benefits. Here is a list of a few of those benefits:

1. Celery has various antioxidants found in the stalk, including carotene, Vitamin C, Beta, etc. that protect organs, cells, and vessels from oxidative damage.
2. Celery has anti-inflammatory components that protect against body inflammation, including chronic inflammation that can cause arthritis. 
3. Pectin-based polysaccharides in the vegetable help the body indigestion.
4. Celery is enriched with vitamins and minerals that aid in steady blood sugar levels.
5. The minerals found in Celery are essential for body functions.
6. Its minerals cause a neutralising effect on any acidic food.

Celery has a distinctive flavor and crunchy textures, which makes it popular as a salad dressing. It is also used in soups and cooked with other vegetables. Celery is used as a snack and tastes excellent, stir-fried as well.

Conclusion

Celery has many medical benefits and is easy to grow and does not require much planting cost. Suppose the seeds are taken care of regarding weather, the vegetable yields in a vast quantity. The demand for green vegetables has been rising, and as different recipes pop up, the economic benefits of growing Celery are on their peak.