When to plant celery for seedlings and how to do it correctly

When to plant celery seedlings

From the emergence of seedlings to the harvest of celery, it takes from 120 to 180 days, depending on the variety. Therefore, gardeners try to sow this crop as early as possible. The timing depends on the type of celery. Root is sown for seedlings from late January to early March, petiole and leaf - from mid-February to mid-March.

At the same time, in the northern regions, you can take your time and sow celery later, until the beginning of March. But in the south, they start working already in January, because thanks to the warmer climate, ready-made seedlings are planted in open ground earlier.

How to choose celery seeds

There are three types of celery. The root forms a powerful edible root vegetable, the leafy one is grown for the sake of greenery, and the petiole is grown for harvesting succulent stems. The process of sowing and growing seedlings for all species will be, in general, the same.

Celery differs in terms of ripening. Early yields a crop in 120–150 days, mid-ripening - in 150-180 days, late - in 180-200 days. Along with the varieties, there are also celery hybrids, which, as a rule, are more resistant to diseases, pests and the vagaries of the weather. The fact that it is a hybrid in front of you will be indicated by the F1 marking on the package with seeds.

Keep in mind that celery cannot boast of ideal germination. When buying seeds, pay attention to the date of their production: choose those that were harvested last season. Fresh seeds sprout much better and friendlier.

How to plant celery seedlings

The sowing process for root, leaf and petiole celery will be the same.

Prepare the seeds

Celery seeds are quite small, and often manufacturers cover them with a special compound that not only facilitates sowing, but also has disinfecting properties. If the packaging indicates that the material does not require preparation, immediately proceed to sowing. In other cases, pre-soak the seeds in a 1% solution of potassium permanganate (1 g of powder per 1 liter of water, the color should be light pink) for 45 minutes. And then drain the liquid, spread them in one layer on paper or newspaper and let them dry to a loose state.

Prepare seed containers

For sowing celery, shallow containers about 7–10 cm high are suitable. At the bottom of the container, do not forget to make several drainage holes so that excess liquid after watering does not stagnate in the soil.

Take a universal soil for vegetable seedlings. You can make your own soil. To do this, mix 2 parts of compost or rotted manure, 2 parts of peat and 1 part of sand.

Fill the container with soil, not reaching the edge of about 1.5 cm. Seal the surface with the palm of your hand. Moisten the soil generously with water.

Sow celery

small seeds celery is difficult to plant in neat rows, so try to just spread them evenly across the surface of the soil.

It is not necessary to sprinkle the celery seeds with soil. Cover the container with cling film or wrap in a transparent bag. Poke a few holes in the top so that there is minimal ventilation in the greenhouse. Be sure to write the name of the variety on the container so as not to get confused.

Place the seedling container in a warm place where the air temperature will not fall below 25 ºС, for example, near the battery.

Wait for shoots

The seed germination process can take 1 to 3 weeks. When sprouts appear, remove the cover from the container and move it to a cooler place - with a temperature of about 18-20 ºС. Also, celery will need additional lighting for 12-14 hours a day. For this, special phytolamps or ordinary fluorescent with a power of at least 36 W per 1 m². They are placed at a height of 15–30 cm from seedlings.

Also, do not forget to moisten the soil as it dries. Pour water between the sprouts using a syringe or syringe so as not to damage the tender shoots.

How to care for celery seedlings

It is not difficult to do this, because before the stage of landing in the ground, you do not even need to make top dressing. All care steps are applicable to any type of celery.

Create favorable conditions for celery

The optimum temperature for growing celery seedlings is 16–20 ºС. To prevent the sprouts from stretching, do not forget to highlight them with fitolamps for 12 hours a day. In the second half of March, when the daylight hours become long enough, you can transfer the seedlings to a bright day. windowsill and do without additional lighting.

Water the celery

The soil in containers with seedlings should always be moderately moist. Water the celery as needed, but don't overdo it so you don't turn the soil into a swamp. Until the sprouts get stronger, pour water with a syringe or syringe.

Do not let the soil dry out. The older the celery is, the more often it will have to be watered. For example, adult seedlings will need additional moisture almost every day.

Pick up the celery

At the initial stage, celery develops well in close quarters, so you can take your time with it. pick. The procedure is carried out approximately 1.5–2 months after sowing the seeds, when the sprouts are already strong enough.

Take pots or cups (for example, from yogurt or sour cream) with a volume of 300-400 ml. Make drainage holes in the bottom.

Carefully remove all celery seedlings from the container along with the earthen ball.

Divide the earth ball into several parts. Carefully separate the sprouts from each other. You can lightly shake the ground with your hands to make the roots easier to unravel. For further transplantation, choose stronger and well-developed specimens. Thin and weak sprouts can be thrown away - they are unlikely to give a quality crop.

Pour some soil into a cup (the one used for sowing seeds is suitable). Lower the roots of the sprout. Pour the earth around it, tamping it with your fingers.

By the way, there should be enough soil in the pot so that it reaches the cotyledon leaves - the so-called growth point. Do not bury the celery seedling too much, otherwise it may die.

Thus, pick the number of celery seedlings you need. Water each pot with a little water to keep the soil moist from top to bottom. Be sure to write the name of the celery variety on the pot.

Harden off celery

About a week before the proposed planting in the open ground, begin to prepare the seedlings for outdoor conditions. Take the pots to the balcony for 2 hours, every day increase the time spent in coolness by 2 hours. Thus, celery will more easily transfer the "move" to the garden.

When to transplant celery outdoors

Wait until the soil in the garden warms up to 10 ºС and the threat of return frosts has passed. Usually in the regions of the middle lane, suitable conditions occur in mid-May.

Also pay attention to the appearance of celery. For transplants seedlings with a height of at least 10-15 cm with five or six pairs of true leaves are suitable. If the seedling is still too small, let it grow to the desired size at home.