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Growing leaf celery from seeds is a task for beginning gardeners. This richly flavored herb is included in many spicy mixtures, sauces, and is added to meat and fish dishes, pickles, and marinades. Celery contains many minerals and vitamins, will help lower blood pressure and normalize metabolism, and there are much more essential oils in the leaves than in the petioles or roots.
What does leaf celery look like?
Celery Odorous or Fragrant (Apium graveolens) is a species belonging to the genus Celery from the Apiaceae family. The culture has three varieties - leaf, petiole and root.
The life cycle of leaf celery is 2 years. In the first, he gives a harvest of greenery, and in the second, he shoots a flower arrow up to a meter high and sets seeds. At the same time, leaf celery, unlike root and petiole celery, does not need to be dug up for the winter - in cold regions it is enough to mulch the root so as not to freeze.In the spring, it will first grow tough greenery, then send out an arrow with greenish-white flowers collected in a complex umbrella. By the end of summer, small seeds will ripen.
The root of celery is taproot, covered with many sucking shoots. The leaves are green, depending on the variety, dark or light in color. Pinnately dissected, with rhombic-shaped segments, they are located on a branched, grooved stem.
The culture forms a large rosette, consisting in different varieties of 40-150 thin petioles, topped with openwork leaves. Their length ranges from 12 to 25 cm, and usually (but not always) the more stems a plant has, the shorter they are.
Features of leaf celery
Celery is considered a vegetable plant, although its leaves would be correctly classified as herbs. The taste of greens is so rich due to the high content of essential oils that most people can only eat them as part of a main dish, sauce or as a seasoning. But finely chopped leaves can replace salt. It is greens that contain the most beneficial substances.
Unlike petiole and root varieties, leaf varieties are easier to grow by sowing seeds in the ground, although no one is stopping you from getting an earlier harvest through seedlings. Celery, which is planted for its greens, has the shortest growing season and will produce two or more harvests even in the Northwest. In the southern regions, leaf varieties can be sown in the ground before winter.
The crop is cold-resistant; even seedlings can easily withstand a short drop in temperature to -5° C.
Popular varieties
From a variety of leafy varieties, you can choose from those that produce large yields or tender greens. In any case, they all have a rich spicy taste, contain many useful substances and few calories.
Leaf celery Tender
In 1999, the State Register accepted the Nezhny variety, the author of which is breeder M. V. Aleksashova. It is recommended for cultivation throughout Russia and can be grown both on personal plots and in small farms.
This is a mid-season variety, in which 100-105 days pass from the emergence of seedlings to the first collection of leaves. Forms a medium-spreading rosette with numerous shoots. The leaves are dark green, medium in size, with a strong aroma. The variety gives a high yield; from 320 to 350 centners of greenery are harvested per hectare per season.
The leaves are used for fresh consumption, drying, cooking various dishes and homemade preparations.
Leaf celery Vigor
A leaf variety accepted by the State Register in 2006 and recommended for cultivation on subsidiary farms in all regions. The originator was Agrofirm Poisk LLC.
This is a medium-ripening variety, in which the first harvest of greenery is harvested 100-110 days after emergence. It is distinguished by large green leaves and long petioles. The height of the erect rosette reaches 60-70 cm.
The yield of greenery from one plant is 220-270 g. Variety per 1 sq. m per season gives a harvest of 2.2-3.5 kg. The aroma is good. Used for fresh consumption, drying, cooking and canning.
Kartuli
A popular Georgian leaf variety, bred at the Tskhaltuba Experimental Station of Vegetable Growing. It grows better in the southern regions, but can be successfully cultivated in the Middle Zone and the North-West.
From the emergence of seedlings to the first cutting of leaves, 65-70 days pass. Forms an erect rosette with dark green leaves and petioles. It has a strong aroma and is highly resistant to cold and drought. Versatile greens.
Zakhar
The variety, entered into the State Register in 2000, is recommended for cultivation throughout the Russian Federation. Originator of the Federal State Budgetary Institution "Federal Scientific Center for Vegetable Growing", author - Khomyakova E. M.
The green leaves are collected in a semi-raised rosette of 80-150 pieces, the petioles are 10-12 cm long. 150-160 days pass from the moment of emergence to the first harvest.
Zakhar is a universal leaf variety with a strong aroma, good taste and high yield. Average yield of greens per 1 sq. m – 2.4 kg per season.
Planting leaf celery
Leaf celery can be sown directly into the ground. But for early production of greens, especially in cold regions, it is grown through seedlings.
Planting seedlings
Sow seedlings at the end of March. Small seeds germinate poorly because they contain essential oils. Without preliminary preparation, they will rise no earlier than in 20 days, and unevenly and not at the same time. To speed up seed germination, various methods are used:
- Soak for 30 minutes in water at a temperature of 60° C.
- The use of special preparations for seed germination.
- Long (several days) soaking in warm water. They change it every few hours.
Then the leaf celery seeds are sown in boxes in rows located at a distance of 5-8 cm from each other.As a substrate, use ordinary purchased soil for seedlings. You can use special cassettes or separate plastic cups with a drainage hole. 2-3 seeds are sown in them, and then the strongest sprout is left - the rest are cut off at the root with nail scissors.
The containers are carefully watered using a household spray bottle, covered with glass and placed in a warm, bright place. As soon as the seedlings hatch, the celery is placed in a cool room with good lighting and a temperature of 10-12° C. This will prevent the seedlings from being stretched out.
The leaf celery is then returned to the heat. The ideal temperature for seedlings of this crop is from 16 to 20° C. If the thermometer drops to 5° C, development will stop and the sprouts may die or develop blackleg.
When the seedlings sprout 2-3 true leaves, they are plucked. To do this, use individual cups and cassettes, or the same boxes, only each plant is placed at a distance of 5 cm from the neighboring one. Roots longer than 6 cm are pinched by 1/3.
For seedlings of leaf celery, compliance with the temperature regime, keeping them in a well-lit place, air ventilation, and regular watering are of great importance. The soil should be moist, but not wet, and stagnation of water should not be allowed at all.
During the growing of seedlings, leaf celery is fed twice with a weak solution of complex fertilizers. The first time is after picking, when the sprouts take root and resume growth. The second - 2 weeks before planting in open ground.
About 7 days after the second feeding, the seedlings begin to harden. First, it is taken out into the fresh air for several hours, then left outside all daylight hours.Two days before transplanting into the ground, seedlings are not brought into the room overnight.
By this time, cabbage should already be planted in the garden, and celery should have 4-5 true leaves.
The bed must be dug up in advance and placed in a well-lit place. The soil for planting celery should be loose, well permeable to water and air, filled with a large amount of organic matter - compost or humus.
Leafy varieties are planted in rows spaced 25 cm apart. Leave about 20 cm between the bushes. Even if leaf celery forms a large rosette, it does not suffer particularly from thickening. In addition, bushes that interfere with each other can be thinned out by eating “extra” plants.
The seedlings are planted in the ground so as to leave them on the surface and not cover the growing point with soil, and water them abundantly.
Planting leaf celery in open ground
In the south, leaf celery can be sown in the ground in late fall. It takes a long time to germinate; there is no danger that the seeds will hatch during a thaw. Over the winter they will undergo natural stratification, so that in the spring they will sprout vigorously.
You can sow the crop in early spring if you prepare the bed in the fall. It is better not to soak the seeds before planting directly in the ground - they will hatch on their own in due time.
In an area that has been dug up and filled with organic matter in the fall (a bucket of humus per 1 sq. m), shallow loosening is carried out, furrows are drawn at a distance of 25 cm from each other and they are shed with water. Leaf celery seeds mixed with sand are sown on top and sprinkled with dry soil. So there is no danger that small grains, of which there are about 800 in 1 g, will fall into the soil or be washed out by a stream of water.
When the leaf celery hatches and produces 2-3 true leaves, they begin to thin it out. Gradually removing the seedlings, the planting is made free enough so that neighboring plants can develop normally. The torn celery is eaten or planted in a new bed.
Celery care
Leaf celery is not harmed by a decrease in temperature - if it drops to 5° C, the crop simply stops developing and waits for warming.
Watering and fertilizing
Leaf celery is a moisture-loving crop. It needs to be watered regularly, a lot, but so that there is no stagnation of water in the root area.
It is impossible to do without fertilizing - the celery leaves will be small and it will not grow well. The crop mainly needs nitrogen. The first time, in the phase of 2-3 true leaves when sowing in the ground, or a week after transplanting the seedlings, the plant is given a full mineral complex. In the future, every week the celery is fertilized with infusion weed.
Weeding and mulching
It makes no sense to mulch leaf celery plantings - the soil needs to be loosened often. This procedure is of great importance. Simultaneously with loosening, weed seedlings and pests hiding in the soil or on its surface are destroyed, and aeration is improved. Celery not only grows well, but also absorbs nutrients and water.
Diseases and pests
Celery leaves contain a lot of bitterness and essential oils, which is why the crop rarely gets sick and is little damaged by pests. Most problems with the plant occur due to improper care, especially excessive watering without loosening the soil or on dense soils. The growing point of celery is especially sensitive to rot.
Among the diseases of seedlings, blackleg should be highlighted. An adult plant suffers:
- from bacterial leaf spot;
- viral mosaic.
Leaf celery pests:
- carrot flies;
- scoops;
- snails;
- slugs
Why do celery leaves turn yellow?
Celery leaves may turn yellow due to waterlogging, especially often on dense soils that are rarely loosened. The color of greenery will also change if there is a lack of nitrogen.
Separately, it should be noted that there is another reason for the yellowing of celery leaves - damage by spider mites. It appears on crops in hot weather with excessive dry air. If you water celery as required by the rules of agricultural technology, the pest will bypass it.
When to harvest and how to store leaf celery
For daily consumption, you can pick celery leaves as soon as they grow a little. Commercial harvesting occurs when the crop reaches technical ripeness. Overgrown greens become too tough. You can find out about the timing of ripening and harvesting of leaf celery in the description of the variety; they are also indicated on the packages with seeds.
It is impossible to keep greens fresh for a long time. It is dried, prepared into salads with leaf celery, and added to marinades when canning.If the greens are washed, dried, placed in plastic bags or containers and frozen, after thawing they will only be suitable for preparing hot dishes and will have an unsightly appearance.
It is much better to chop the leaf celery in a blender, add a little water and freeze in ice containers. Then you can immediately take the required portion of greens.
Conclusion
Growing leaf celery from seeds by sowing directly into the ground is a task for beginners. Growing a crop through seedlings is a little more complicated, but this way you can get fresh greens much earlier. In any case, it is worth planting celery in every area - it is easy to care for, and it provides more vitamins than other spicy crops.
