Growing celery is actually not difficult at all. It just requires a lot of patience. So that nothing goes wrong with the cultivation, here are our tips on how to proceed.
Celery has an aphrodisiac effect
Celery has been one of our traditional vegetables for several centuries. Especially since it can thrive very well in the mostly prevailing weather conditions in Germany. It became famous for its aphrodisiac properties, which are said to have been repeated over and over again.
Popular Celery Varieties
The varieties Ibis (easy to care for and robust), Mentor (good shelf life), Monarch, Prinz and Bergers Weiße Kugel (large tuber formation) are certainly among the best-known and most popular celery varieties. You can also vary the cultivation of celery by cultivating celery varieties such as Tall Utah or Tango.
Growing celery - Here's how it's done
Celery pre-cultivar:
Celery should be pre-cultivated, i.e. sown as early as March in a frost-free, very bright room - e.g. in small plant pots. When pre-cultivating, you should always irrigate the celery minimally.
» Tip:
During pre-cultivation, you should already provide the future outdoor location with sufficient compost or fertilizer so that it can settle in time.
Move celery plants outdoors:
After the ice saints, you can move the celery plants outdoors. You should choose a sunny location. The planting distance should be at least 40 centimeters so that the tubers can develop well later. It is also important here that you make sure that the so-called plant heart is always above the ground in order to avoid deformation of the tuber during growth.
» Tip:
You should protect the very susceptible celery plants with garden fleece for the first few days after planting outdoors.
Cultivate Celery
As a rule, celery should be fertilized about twice during its growth. For this you should use a fertilizer containing potash to promote tuber formation.
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As soon as the vegetables are inWhen the garden is clearly visible (walnut size), you can remove the soil from all around until the top roots are exposed. This significantly stimulates the growth of the tuber again.
You should also protect the celery from its natural enemies, such as voles and the celery fly (active from May to June). And you can also get a handle on any leaf spot disease that may develop (from around June) and celery scab with products available from specialist retailers.
Irrigation and Harvesting
The celery also develops a strong need for moisture during its growth. Which is why you have to water it very generously from the end of July/beginning of August until the main harvest in October - up to 15 liters per square meter.
From the end of August you can harvest the celery. However, the harvest should definitely be completed before the first frost period in autumn. Because celery can no longer tolerate temperatures from -3 degrees.
If you have harvested the celery, you should not wash it, even if it is very dirty. This way you can prevent the vegetables from rotting prematurely. You should only twist off the leaves of the celery and then store the bulbs in a dark basement room.
» Tip:
You can also dice raw celery and freeze it as a soup vegetable!