When to plant celery seedlings: some tips
Today, celery can be seen in many garden beds, both in country houses and in gardens in private homes. But in order to grow large and juicy root crops, you need to correctly approach the issue of growing seedlings, as well as directly planting them in the beds.
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Celery seeds
Celery takes quite a long time to ripen, which is why it is better to plant seedlings in order to get a harvest by autumn, and not at the beginning of winter.
Majority celery varieties it is necessary to grow it in seedlings, because if you simply sow the seeds directly into the ground, you will hardly be able to wait for the harvest. And not because the planting process is incorrect, but because on average, root crops ripen in 200 days.
That is, if you sow the seeds around the end of April, they will ripen only by the end of November, and everyone knows that the weather at this time of year becomes bad, it rains constantly, and the air temperature drops below zero, which is not very good for the plant. Therefore, it is best to plant seedlings. To do this, you need to purchase plant seeds.
As for the characteristics of the seeds of this plant, we can say that they are capricious. Therefore, you need to carefully approach the issue of their choice and carefully examine the packaging. First of all, you need to remember that they quickly lose their viability. It is best to use seeds collected in the previous year, that is, fresh ones.If their shelf life is longer, then it is not a fact that the celery will sprout at all.
After the first crop has been planted and then harvested, you should try to prepare your own seeds.
Before you start plant seeds, they need to be soaked, that is, put in water for about two days, and it is best to wrap them in a damp cloth and place them in a dark place. The cloth (or water) needs to be changed about three times a day to keep it clean.
Everything needs to be done this way, because the surface of each seed is saturated with essential oils, which protect them from unfavorable conditions, but at the same time, prevent normal germination.
After the seed appears, which means the seed is “pecked”, you can begin the planting process.
Seed preparation
After the seeds have been soaked in water and prepared, you can begin the actual process of planting them.
As for the time period, gardeners recommend doing this from about the beginning of February to mid-March, so that the seedlings have time to sprout by the beginning of the season, and the harvest is harvested before the onset of cold weather.
Of all the seeds, you need to select only those where the grain appeared. It's better to plant more, as some may not sprout. If you need a large harvest, you can use from 60 to 100 grains. This will increase the likelihood of obtaining the required number of seedlings. Some gardeners sell already grown seedlings. But it’s better to spend a little personal time and grow it yourself, since sellers do not always talk honestly about the variety and size of root crops.
Some tips for planting seeds for seedlings
Before you start sowing seeds, you need to prepare.Namely, purchase special soil, buy pots and create houses ideal temperature conditions.
To grow good celery seedlings, you need:
- Choose the right land. It is best to use vermicompost and sand (mix the components in equal quantities). Some prepare the soil as follows: take six parts of peat, add two parts of humus, one part of earth and one part of mullein. All this is thoroughly mixed.
- Take either one large box or several small ones, preferably wooden
- Pour prepared soil into each of these boxes.
- Select good seeds and prepare them for planting.
- Seeds should be planted at a distance of two centimeters from each other. To make neat holes, you can take a simple match.
- After laying the seeds, they are sprinkled with soil on top, covered with film and placed in a warm and dark place.
- Periodically you need to check that the soil does not dry out. You can’t water it, you need to spray it so as not to damage the seeds.
- This completes the most important stage, which determines how many shoots will appear and how strong they will be.
Growing seedlings
After the first shoots appear, and this happens after about a week, the box (or boxes) must be moved to the windowsill. From this moment on, the optimal temperature for best growth will be 16 degrees. This must be carefully monitored, since if it drops to 8 degrees, the seedlings will freeze.
At first, while the seedlings are fragile, they can only be sprayed with water as carefully as possible so that the stream does not fall on the seedlings themselves.After some time, when two leaves appear on the seedlings, the celery can be planted so that the roots have more room to grow.
As for fertilizer, before the seedlings are planted in the ground, you can spray weak solution of potassium permanganate, and also add some bird droppings.
Planting seedlings in beds
The next important step will be planting the seedlings in the ground. There is no need to rush and plant it at the beginning or end of April. It is better to wait for warm days until the soil warms up and begin work.
Most gardeners express the opinion that mid or late May is the ideal time to plant celery. The weather has already stabilized, and even if there are rains, it will not be heavy, and there will hardly be any cold snaps (below 8 degrees Celsius).
Celery bed need to be prepared in advance, and take into account that the optimal distance from one seedling to another should be at least 30 centimeters, otherwise the root systems will interfere with each other. The hole should not be made deep, otherwise problems with further growth may arise later.
Before you start planting, the soil needs to be well watered.
Many gardeners say that the ideal day for planting seedlings is cloudy, which is good for both the person and the plant. Some people recommend covering the top of the seedlings with a plastic bottle just in case, especially if cold weather, even if not severe, is expected. Celery needs to get used to the new soil.
And in the fall, around October, you can harvest. And if all the rules are followed, it should be good.When to plant celery seedlings is one of the frequently asked questions, since the time of planting the plant in the ground, as well as the future harvest, depends on this.
Detailed instructions for growing celery in the video:
Interesting information about the vegetable garden
