Ribbed celery(Apium graveolens var. Dulce) is grown for its delicate, aromatic petioles with valuable nutritional properties. They are eaten raw or cooked. See whatcultivating celeryin the garden looks like, and whatcelery varietiesare recommended for amateur crops. Here's all about the requirements of this vegetable!
Ribbed celery
Fig. depositphotos.com
Ribbed celery - properties and application
Celery is a biennial plant.It forms a rosette of leaves in the first year, and flowers and seeds in the following year.The edible part of the celery is thick and juicy leaf petiolesUnlike the root celery (Apium graveolens var. Rapaceum), the celery does not form a thickened storage root, and its edible part is only fleshy, thick and stiff leaf stalks.
The petioles of the celeryare ribbed and have a trough-shaped shape and a length of 40-70 cm. Depending on the variety, the leaves vary in color from yellowish to dark green. Bright-leafed celery varieties, the so-called self-bleaching, quickly losing bitterness, but keeping poorly, unlike varieties with dark green leaves.
Although it is a biennial plant, usuallycelery production ends in the fall of the first year , after picking the edible leaves. Growing in the second year only makes sense if you want to get the seeds yourself. However, it is better to buy new seeds of a selected variety of celery, because those obtained from own cultivation are often of lower quality, and plants sowing such seeds do not repeat the characteristics of the mother plant.
Ribbed celery - nutritional values
Known since antiquity for its he alth benefits, celery was very popular in Greece and Egypt. The leaf petioles of celery are a we alth of compounds beneficial for the human body. They contain minerals such as phosphorus, iron, sodium and magnesium, vitamins A, E and C, folic acid and essential oils. Due to its low calorific value,celery has a high dietary valueand is recommended for people who care about a slim figure.
The content of many active substances means thatcelery has a number of healing propertiesand is used in kidney diseases, diabetes, obesity, arthritis and hypertension. The recently fashionable celery juice is the secret of a beautiful figure and beauty of many movie stars.
Celery juice
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Ribbed celery - varieties
Ribbed celery 'Plein Blanc Pascal'- intense green with thick, fleshy petioles with a high content of ethereal funnels. It can be bleached in July, but unbleached it has more value. It can be harvested all summer and fall, starting in August.
Ribbed celery 'Nuget'- is a variety with bright, yellow leaves and thick petioles. After about 80-90 days, the plant forms large rosettes.
Celery 'Golden Self-whitening'- celery with yellow, dense and raised rosettes of leaves, up to 50 cm long. The leaf petioles quickly undergo the bleaching process.
Ribbed celery 'Goldgelber'- this is an early variety with 20 cm long yellow-green petioles.
Ribbed celery 'Zefir'- is a medium early variety. The leaf petioles are deep green, long and fleshy. The plants have a compact habit and do not require bleaching.
Ribbed celery
Fig. pixabay.com
Ribbed celery 'Malachite'- is a medium-early and very fertile variety. It takes about 75-85 days from sowing seeds to harvesting.
Ribbed celery 'Tango'- has long, bright green tails. It is resistant to diseases.
Ribbed celery 'Conga'- this is the earliest variety of ribbed celery recommended for summer and autumn cultivation. Has a high tolerance to low temperatures. The leaf petioles are long and light green in color.
Ribbed celery 'Balada'- this is a universal and very fertile variety. It creates very long and smooth petioles.
Ribbed celery - cultivation
Ribbed celery likes a cool climate , sunny position and very fertile, well-drained, moist, sandy loam soil with a pH of 6.5-7.2. It hates freshly limed soils. It can be grown in the first or second year after the manure.
In coordinate cultivation, it is recommended to grow celery together with leek, dwarf beans, cucumber and tomato. Celery planted in the company of cabbage deters cabbage cabbage from it.
Sowing celery seeds
We grow celery from seedlings . To prepare the seedling of this vegetable, seeds are sown in boxes in a greenhouse or a warm inspection. Due to the long growing season, we do it in January or February. The optimum temperature for germination is around 20 ° C.
The seeds of celery take a long time to germinate , from 2 to 3 weeks. Seedlings develop best at 10-14 ° C. When the plants develop 1-2 true leaves, the seedlings are transplanted to the inspection at a 5x5 cm spacing.
Planting celery in the ground
Into the groundplant the celery seedlingafter May 15, when the risk of spring frosts is over. The distances between the rows should be 40 cm, and between plants in a row - 30 cm. The plants to be whitened are planted in rows every 60 cm.
Fertilization and regular watering are the most important care treatments in celery cultivation.Ribbed celery has high nutritional requirements . We grow it in the first or second year after manure. Before planting, we also apply mineral fertilization.
Ribbed celery is sensitive to a lack of micronutrients . Deficiencies are manifested by cracking and browning petioles, darkening of growth cones or chlorosis. To meet the fertilization needs of plants, it is best to use diluted liquid manure as top dressing.
Ribbed celery bleaching
Bleaching is the most labor-intensive in the cultivation of celery.To get rid of bitterness, we limit the plant's access to light. For this purpose, the petioles, approx. 2 cm thick, are wrapped with paper or black garden foil. Bleaching vegetables by sprinkling the stalks of the celery with soil deteriorates their taste, so this method is not currently recommended for celery.The bleaching process takes 2-3 weeks.Due to the higher nutritional value of unbleached petioles, this method of cultivation is more and more popular.
When to pick celery?
The harvest of ribbed celerybegins in September and it may continue until the first frost. If the stems are frozen, their taste is adversely affected. To prevent the petioles from falling apart during harvesting, the plant should be dug up and cut with a piece of the root.
Collectedleaf petioles of celerykeep for a short time in the refrigerator at a temperature of approx. 0 ° C. It is best to wrap them in aluminum foil, thanks to which we can extend the shelf life up to 14 days. If placed in a vessel with water, they will last up to a week, if we remember to change the water every day.
MSc Eng. Anna Błaszczak
