8 Tips from Olle Garden Bed: For Growing Celery In A Family Garden

Celery is a nutritious vegetable that can be grown in your home garden. It is rich in various minerals and vitamins, as well as electrolytes, antioxidants, and flavonoids. Unusual vegetables also make up the foundation of many delicious dishes, such as soups, stews, and high soups. Read here are some things that you should know when It comes to Olle Garden Beds!

                                            

To successfully grow celery at home, you must adopt some techniques and tips to achieve a better harvest. Learn the winning strategies for enjoying fresh and self-produced celery, from providing suitable growth conditions to watering on time.

1.Choose the appropriate variety

There are two prominent varieties of celery, called blanching and self blanching. Except for one factor, both types have similar growth requirements: planting blanched celery plants in ditches to cover the stems and make the vegetables crispy.

This technology can protect the stem from light and reduce bitterness. Lack of photosynthesis also makes the stems pale and crispy. You can also use cardboard tubes or pipes for this purpose. On the contrary, the Zijiongshui variety can grow delicious and crispy stems without additional steps.

A popular self floating hot celery variety you can grow at home is "High Utah". You can also plant blanching varieties such as "Golden", "Conqueror", and "Evening Star".

Trenching technology requires a lot of time, effort, and garden space, so it may not be suitable for planting in smaller areas. On the other hand, those that self bleach are planted closer to protect them from excessive light (see more below). However, tie newspapers around the stems that grow on the outer edge to block out sunlight.

2.Soaking seeds

Celery is notorious for its slow growth. Therefore, soak the seeds in warm water and let them sit overnight before planting to accelerate germination. Then, sow approximately 10 to 12 weeks before the last frost date in your area.

The next day, plant the seeds in a damp seed compost and gently cover them with fine vermiculite. In addition, cover the flower pots with plastic to maintain moisture and provide them with a warm temperature of approximately 70 degrees Fahrenheit to promote germination. Seedlings may take up to three weeks to germinate.

Once the seedlings appear, place them under a fluorescent lamp for 16 hours every day, keeping the light 3 inches above the seedlings. Maintain a daytime temperature of 70 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit and a nighttime temperature of 60 to 65 degrees Fahrenheit.

3.Utilize remaining waste materials

You can also use leftovers from the kitchen to grow celery, which is relatively easy. When cutting celery for cooking, leave a 2-inch base. Place the stem in a shallow bowl filled with one inch room temperature water and place it on a sunny windowsill. Change the water every two to three days and top up with water to maintain a level of 1 inch until the root appears. Unconsciously, you will have a brand new celery plant!

4.Correct transplantation

When the seeds grow, you must harden them before transplanting them outdoors. Hardening refers to gradually adapting fragile plants to outdoor environments to protect them from transplant shock.

Once the soil temperature reaches at least 50 degrees Fahrenheit and the nighttime temperature remains above 40 degrees Fahrenheit, the plant begins to harden. Hardening plants is the process of gradually exposing them to unpredictable outdoor weather and temperatures.

Start placing them outside in a cool and sheltered place for a few hours a day to adapt to the outdoor environment. As time passes, the amount of time plants spend outdoors increases.

Plant self bleached seedlings in blocks instead of rows, spaced 9 inches apart in each direction. Continuously plant trenching varieties with seedling spacing of 12 to 18 inches.

5.Choose a suitable location

Celery works best in direct sunlight for at least six to eight hours a day. It also requires nutrient rich and moisturizing soil, as wild celery typically grows in swamps or marshes.

Prepare the soil by plowing it 12 to 15 inches deep. Mix 2 to 4 inches of compost or aged manure into loose soil. Before planting celery in spring, please follow this step in autumn. Alternatively, you can add 5-10 to 10 fertilizers. Maintain a soil pH value between 5.8 and 6.8.

6.Regularly water and feed

Celery is a thirsty plant that requires continuous watering to make its stems swell. Lack of water can cause straw to become fine and tough, and these stems may be smaller or hollow. Water the crops every day when the temperature rises above 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Otherwise, water it the next day.

Sideloading crops with purple grass particles or coffee grounds to provide nutrients for established plants. Once established, feed one tablespoon of 5-10-10 fertilizer to each plant.

7.Weeds and Covers

Regularly weed, especially around seedlings, as they can compete for water and nutrients. Carefully remove weeds by hand to avoid interference or accidental damage to the shallow roots of celery plants.

When the plant reaches a height of 6 inches, cover the stem with garden compost or aged fertilizer. Covering helps the soil retain moisture, inhibit weed growth, and keep the roots cool.

8.Timely Harvest

Celery can be harvested approximately 130 to 140 days after germination. You can pick straw when the stem reaches the desired height, or leave it in the soil for up to a month and place mounds around the stem to keep it warm.

To harvest straw, please dig out the entire plant and use it immediately. Instead of harvesting all the plants at once, it's better to choose a single stem to spread the yield from summer to autumn. Once the first hard frost strikes your area, celery will stop growing.

Plant healthy and abundant celery in your home garden

Celery is a multifunctional plant with infinite potential. You can add stems to your diet to enhance flavor or eat crispy stems raw. Fresh celery from the family garden is also much better than the variety brought from the store. Therefore, please follow the prompts provided above to start planting these nutrient rich gemstones!