A Detailed Guide to the Sowing Time and Key Growing Methods for Small Celery

Small celery, also called water celery or river celery, is a pollution-free green vegetable with both medicinal and culinary uses, mainly growing in swamps or wetlands. Small celery has a relatively long growing period, and it can generally be harvested in all three seasons of autumn, winter, and spring, with no time restrictions, and there are also many ways to prepare it, such as stir-frying it plain or serving it cold. Let's take a look below at when small celery is sown and what the key points of its growing methods are.

1. When is small celery sown?

Small celery can be sown and raised as seedlings in the three seasons of spring, summer, and autumn.

1. Spring sowing: In the Yangtze River basin, March is the suitable sowing period. In the north, seedlings are raised under protection from January to March, planted out in the open field from March to April, and harvested from May to July.

2. 2. Summer sowing: After the last frost in spring, seedlings are raised in the open field, planted out from June to early July, and harvested and marketed from August to September. However, summer temperatures are relatively high, small celery grows poorly, and it is easily attacked by pests and diseases, so it is not suitable for large-scale planting.

3. Autumn sowing: In the Yangtze River basin and the south, it can be cultivated in the open field, sown from September to November, and harvested from December to April of the following year. In the north, it is sown and raised as seedlings from June to early July, planted out from August to early September, and harvested from October to November. In the Yangtze River basin, it is sown from early July to early September and harvested from October to December; late-sown crops finish harvest before bolting in March to April of the following year, as winter celery.

2. What are the key points of small celery growing methods?

1. Temperature requirements

Small celery is a cold-tolerant vegetable, and the growing temperature differs at different stages. Generally, the suitable growing temperature during seed germination is around 15 to 20 degrees Celsius. The growing temperature during the vegetative stage is 15 to 20 degrees Celsius. Small celery is not tolerant of high temperatures; above 26 degrees Celsius it will show aging, poor quality, and many pests and diseases, so we generally do not plant it in summer.

2. Light conditions

Small celery does not have very high light requirements for growth and can grow even in shady places, while it grows better in places with sufficient light.

3. Fertilizer

For the growth of small celery, it mainly absorbs nitrogen fertilizer, and adding an appropriate amount of phosphorus fertilizer and potassium fertilizer can help seedling growth and improve the length and quality of the leaf stalks.

4. Water

During the vigorous growth period, small celery has a relatively large water requirement, so the soil moisture should be maintained and it must not be too dry.

5. Seed soaking and germination promotion

Before sowing small celery seeds, they should be treated by soaking and germination promotion. Soak the seeds in cool water for two to four hours, wash them clean, drain off the water, and then place them in an environment of 15 to 20 degrees Celsius for germination promotion. During germination promotion, the seeds should be rinsed with clean water at regular intervals to increase their air permeability and moisture retention. Generally, after one week the radicle will emerge and they can be sown.