Key Points for Summer Celery Cultivation and Planting Management Techniques
Celery belongs to the Apiaceae family. There are three types: water celery, dryland celery, and western celery. Their functions are similar, but dryland celery is preferred for medicinal use. Dryland celery has a stronger aroma and is called "medicinal celery". However, it is not the same species as cilantro. Celery is rich in protein, carbohydrates, carotene, B vitamins, calcium, phosphorus, iron, sodium, etc. At the same time, it has the effects of calming the liver and clearing heat, dispelling wind and promoting diuresis, relieving restlessness and reducing swelling, cooling the blood and stopping bleeding, detoxifying and opening the lungs, strengthening the stomach and promoting blood circulation, clearing the intestines and relieving constipation, moistening the lungs and stopping cough, lowering blood pressure, and calming the brain. Eating celery regularly, especially celery leaves, is very beneficial for preventing high blood pressure, arteriosclerosis, etc., and has an auxiliary therapeutic effect.
Celery's Growth Habits
Celery prefers a cool, humid climate and is a semi-cold-tolerant vegetable; it is not tolerant of high temperatures. When dry, it can tolerate short-term low temperatures below zero. The minimum temperature for seed germination is 4°C, and the optimum temperature is 15-20°C. Below 15°C, germination is delayed; above 30°C, it almost does not germinate. Seedlings can tolerate low temperatures of -5 to -7°C. It is a green-plant vernalization type plant. Seedlings with 3-4 leaves pass through the vernalization stage after 10-30 days under temperature conditions of 2-10°C. Western celery has poorer cold resistance, and its seedlings are not tolerant of frost. The optimum temperature for completing vernalization is 12-13°C.
Key Points for Summer Celery Cultivation
1. Varieties and Sowing Time
For summer celery cultivation, heat-tolerant and disease-resistant varieties are mostly selected, such as Qinggeng celery, Jinnan Shiqin, and Bolibing celery. These varieties have fewer leaf stalk fibers, grow faster, are less likely to age, and have good quality. Generally, they are sown in stages from May to June and harvested successively from August to October.
2. Cultivation Methods and Land Preparation and Fertilization
Summer celery is mostly directly sown, but it can also be raised as seedlings and transplanted. For plots cultivating summer celery, land with a relatively high terrain, convenient irrigation and drainage, good ventilation, and fertile soil should be selected. Before sowing, sufficient base fertilizer should be applied, and the soil should be deeply plowed, leveled, and finely prepared, with high beds and narrow beds. The bed width is 1.2-1.5 m.
3. Sowing Summer Celery
The temperature is already relatively high, so generally after seed soaking and germination acceleration, sowing germinated seeds results in faster seedling emergence. Wet sowing can be used, that is, first water the bed thoroughly, sow after the water seeps down, and then cover with fine soil 0.5-1 cm thick; if the soil cover is too thick, young buds will have difficulty emerging, and after emergence the seedlings will not be vigorous. When sowing after entering June, the temperature is high and dry hot winds are frequent. To lower the ground temperature, after sowing and covering with soil, cover the bed surface with shade nets or other shading to create a cool microclimate, so that seedlings emerge quickly and uniformly. After the seedlings emerge, remove the covering. According to the weather and soil moisture conditions, water lightly and frequently to keep the bed surface moist. After heavy rain, drain accumulated water promptly to prevent waterlogging damage. A small arched shed can also be used to cover with shade nets before heavy rain to prevent rainwater from washing the bed surface and causing soil compaction.
4. Management During the Growth Period of Summer Celery
After summer celery grows 5-6 leaves, its growth accelerates. In terms of management, promotion should be the main approach, and generally seedling hardening is not practiced. In hot and dry seasons, it is advisable to cover with shade nets to cool down and preserve moisture, which is beneficial for growth, reduces fiber, and improves quality. Topdressing should follow the principle of small amounts applied multiple times, and each application should not be too much. It is advisable to apply nitrogen fertilizer and fully decomposed light pig manure water; other organic fertilizers are not suitable. After the plants grow larger, topdressing can be applied together with watering. Summer temperatures are high, so the soil should often be kept moist, which is beneficial for the vigorous growth of celery. Pests and diseases should be controlled promptly. Stop applying manure water and spraying pesticides 10-15 days before harvest.
5. Harvest
Harvest promptly according to celery growth conditions and market demand. Generally, because the summer celery growing season is hot and the high temperatures are not conducive to celery growth, summer celery is generally harvested earlier than autumn celery, that is, it is usually marketed as semi-mature plants.