A step-by-step guide to planting celery root seedlings: from preparation to transplanting into the ground

Growing root celery in Russia is not as popular as in European countries. Residents of our country prefer the leafy variety due to the short growing season and ease of caring for greens. Root celery is more difficult to care for. To obtain round and large root crops, seeds are sown for seedlings in February, and only in May the seedlings are transferred to a permanent place in the garden.

We have prepared a step-by-step guide on planting root celery for seedlings and caring for the plant after planting.

Root celery

Root celery is a biennial plant from the Apiaceae family native to Mediterranean countries. In ancient times, the Egyptians and Greeks used it to treat various diseases of the internal organs. The first mention of celery as a food product dates back to the beginning of the 17th century. Since then, the root vegetable has not lost popularity in European countries. Over time, the culture has won the love of consumers in our country.

Leaves with petioles up to 50 cm have a three-lobed shape. Growth and development rates are similar to carrots, but with a longer growing season - 180-200 days.

In the first year, a large round or flat-round root crop is formed, weighing up to 600 g and with a diameter of 5-12 cm. Its color is gray-white. In the second year, a flower stem up to 1 m high appears. Small umbrellas of inflorescences are located on it. The seeds are small, gray-brown in color.Shoots appear 15-20 days after germination.

Reference. Root vegetables have a thin skin that is peeled off before slicing or freezing. Celery is used to prepare aromatic vitamin salads, baked in the oven, stewed with other vegetables, and added to first courses.

Sowing dates

When choosing forty sowing celery seeds for seedlings, it is recommended to focus on the weather conditions of the region. On average, pre-sowing preparation begins 60-80 days before transplanting seedlings into open ground.

In the northern regions, sowing is carried out in the last days of January - the first ten days of February. In the central regions, sowing work takes the entire month of February. In the south of the country, the best period is considered to be mid-February - early March.

Dates for sowing root celery according to the moon calendar in 2020:

• February: 6, 7;
• March: 6, 7;
• April: 2, 3, 30;
• May: 1, 27, 28.

Features of growing seedlings

Celery root seeds are characterized by a rapid loss of germination, and the long growing season forces gardeners to use the seedling method for growing culture.

To obtain strong and healthy root celery seedlings, the seeds are first awakened and germinated, a nutritious soil mixture is prepared, and after the leaves appear, the seedlings are planted in separate containers. Care consists of maintaining optimal soil moisture, observing light and temperature conditions and applying fertilizers.

Seeds

Celery root seeds are very capricious and quickly lose their viability. Gardeners advise buying fresh seed material or collecting your own every year.

The outer shell of the seeds is impregnated with essential oils, which protect against unfavorable conditions, but make germination difficult.To wash off volatile substances, the seeds are soaked in warm water for 48 hours, then germinated in damp gauze in a dark place. The water in the saucer is changed every three days. After the seedlings appear, the seeds are sown for seedlings.

The second way to prepare seeds for growing seedlings is stratification. The material is wrapped in a damp cloth and left at room temperature for a week. Then the seeds are placed in the refrigerator for two weeks, creating natural conditions favorable for germination, when the grains overwinter in the ground and sprout together in the spring.

The soil

Light but nutritious soil is suitable for growing celery seedlings:

• turf, sand, peat, sawdust, ground eggshells in equal parts;
• 3 parts peat, 1 part vermiculite, 1 part humus;
• vermicompost and sand in equal proportions.

Gardening stores sell ready-made nutrient substrates with a full range of nutritional components.

Before sowing, the soil is disinfected in the oven, microwave, or steam. Considering that when heated, not only pathogenic, but also beneficial microflora die, gardeners advise spilling the soil with a strong solution of potassium permanganate, “Baikal-M” or “Shining”.

For every 10 kg of soil add 200 g of wood ash and 20 g of urea.

Container and place of cultivation

Root celery seedlings are grown in common boxes or plastic trays and then transplanted into individual plastic glasses with a volume of at least 300 ml. Before use, the container is washed and disinfected with a solution of potassium permanganate or copper sulfate.

The place for growing seedlings is chosen on the south side of the house. Daylight hours are 12-16 hours. If necessary, the sprouts are illuminated with a lamp.

Rules for sowing seeds

Before sowing, the soil is spilled with clean warm water and poured into boxes. Using a toothpick, make 0.5 cm indentations into which the seeds are placed. The soil is watered again. As it penetrates the soil, it will pull the seeds down. Instead of water, gardeners advise using snow to create natural conditions.

There is a relatively new and original way of growing celery seedlings in snails. This method significantly saves space in the house. To curl the snails, use a backing for laying the laminate and strong elastic bands for fixing.

The substrate is disinfected with a solution of potassium permanganate, a tape 10 cm wide is cut out, soil is poured on top with a layer of 1 cm and a length of 20 cm. The prepared seeds are laid out with tweezers at intervals of 2 cm. 2 cm are removed from the edges of the film. Then the tape begins to be carefully rolled up. A layer of soil is poured onto the remaining area and the seeds are laid out. The snail is rolled up to the end, secured with elastic bands and placed in wide trays, several at a time, so that the seeds are on top.

Two weeks after sowing, preventive spraying is carried out with Trichodermin (10 mg per 1 sq. m).

Seedling care

Until the seedlings appear, containers with seedlings are kept under a film cover away from direct sunlight. The optimal air temperature for pecking is +20…+22°C. As soon as the first shoots appear above the surface, the containers are taken out to a lighted windowsill.

After the first leaves appear, the air temperature is lowered to +12...+16°C, and after 10 days it is increased to +20...+25°C.

Seedlings with 3-4 leaves are planted in individual glasses, choosing the strongest sprouts. The bottom of the containers is pierced with an awl to drain water and filled with the same soil that was used for sowing.

Use a teaspoon or a wooden stick to form 2-2.5 cm indentations, which are watered generously with a syringe. The seedlings are carefully dug up with a spoon, trying not to touch the roots, and transferred to a new place. Soil is poured on top, leaving the cotyledon leaves on the surface. The seedlings are watered with clean water mixed with Gumi fertilizer (6 drops per 1 liter).

After picking, the seedlings are kept in the shade for 2-3 days, then taken out to a sunny windowsill. The optimal air temperature for the successful development of seedlings is +18…+22°C.

Further care of seedlings includes:

• keeping the soil moist;
• preventive watering with Fitosporin solution;
• superficial loosening of the soil to improve air penetration to the roots;
• feeding every two weeks with chicken manure (2 tsp per 5 l of water) and alternating with “Nitrophoska” (2 tsp per 5 l);
• removing grown seedlings to fresh air three weeks before transplanting into the garden.

Planting in open ground

When the seedlings reach 25 cm in height, they are transferred to a permanent place. This usually happens in the third ten days of May.

Fertile, light sandy loam soil and open sunny areas are best suited for cultivating root celery. In the fall, the selected area is dug up and humus is added - 10 liters per 1 square meter. m.

In the spring, they dig again to the depth of a spade bayonet (about 25-30 cm) and spill the soil with a strong solution of potassium permanganate or copper sulfate.

Seedlings are planted to a depth of 10 cm. The planting pattern is 30x40 cm. The growth point is not buried so as not to provoke the growth of adventitious roots.

Planting is carried out on a cloudy day. If there is a risk of night frosts, the seedlings are covered with plastic bottles, cut in half, or black agrofibre.

Reference. Celery root leaves are suitable for eating, but it is not recommended to cut them before September. Otherwise, the root crop will not receive enough nutrients for harmonious development.

Features of cultivation

Caring for root celery in the ground includes the following procedures:

1. Timely watering and maintaining optimal soil moisture. Once a week is sufficient in moderate climates. In dry weather, the frequency of watering is increased to 3-4 times a week. Root crops love water; when there is a lack of moisture, they slow down their development and dry out. The soil is kept slightly moist, avoiding drying out and waterlogging. An excess of moisture leads to root rotting, and a deficiency leads to difficulty in feeding the plant. Watering is carried out exclusively at the root.
2. Mulching the area with hay, straw, and sawdust helps retain moisture in the soil and stops the growth of weeds.
3. Loosening and weeding of the beds is carried out every 10-12 days.
4. Root celery is fed with chicken manure (1:15 solution) and superphosphate (25 g per 10 l), alternating minerals and organic matter. Pale, withered leaves are treated with a urea solution (10 g per 2 liters of water). As soon as the root crop begins to form, the plant is watered with a solution of boric acid.
5. To increase productivity, the plant is fed with nettle infusion and mullein. At the first symptoms of weakening, monophosphate and nitrogen are added. When applying fertilizing, the norm is observed - an excess leads to scab and septoria.
6. It is not recommended to cut off the foliage - the plant weakens and loses its ability to form roots. Instead of a rounded large root crop, there is a risk of digging out a sponge from the roots.
7. High hilling is not carried out due to the active growth of lateral roots.
8. As soon as the root crop appears on the surface, the soil is raked and the root shoots are carefully cleaned off. This allows the celery to form a round shape.
9. The harvest is harvested after the leaves close and dry.

Read also:

The benefits of celery for women's health.

Celery for weight loss: how much you can eat per day.

Conclusion

When it comes to planting celery root seedlings, experienced gardeners recommend focusing on weather conditions and the lunar calendar. The peculiarity of this crop is its long growing season. Therefore, it is important to have time to grow strong seedlings and plant them in open ground before summer.

If you follow the rules of agricultural technology (proper watering, trimming excess roots, fertilizing with minerals and organic matter), you will be able to harvest large, round root crops in September.