What causes hollow celery? How can it be prevented and managed?

Celery is fairly commonly grown in China, and hollowing tends to occur during cultivation, affecting returns. So what causes hollow celery? How can it be prevented and managed?

1. What causes hollow celery?

1. Temperature and light

Celery has certain requirements for temperature and light during growth. If the temperature is too low or the light is insufficient, the celery will be damaged by cold and the photosynthesis of the leaves will be weakened, so nutrients will not accumulate enough, and the absorption capacity of the root system will also decrease, leading to hollowing.

2. High temperature and drought

Celery has a crisp, tender texture, which means it contains a lot of water, so it has certain water requirements during cultivation. If the soil is too dry and the plant lacks water, the absorption and transport of nutrients will be hindered, and hollowing symptoms will appear as a result.

3. Insufficient fertilizer

Celery has a shallow, poorly developed root system, so its ability to absorb nutrients is relatively weak. Fertilization must be done carefully. Phosphate fertilizer is needed in the early stage of growth; if phosphate fertilizer is insufficient, the seedlings will grow thin and weak, with symptoms such as leaf differentiation, and hollowing will appear in the later stage of growth.

4. Soil

Celery can adapt to slightly acidic or slightly alkaline soil. Many plants like loose, fertile sandy loam, but celery is different: it prefers clay loam with strong fertility, and planting it in sandy loam will lead to hollowing.

5. Harvesting too late

Hollow celery is also related to harvesting too late. Hollowing is a kind of aging phenomenon in celery. If harvested too late, the fibrous tissue in the stems keeps increasing, and the absorption capacity of the root system declines, causing the stems and leaves to age and resulting in malnutrition, which leads to hollowing.

2. How can hollow celery be prevented and managed?

1. Methods to prevent hollow celery

(1) Choose good seed

When buying seeds, buy from trusted suppliers, and choose varieties with strong adaptability to the environment, stress resistance, and stable growth.

(2) Control temperature and light well

During cultivation, keep the temperature at 15-23 degrees, and it must not be lower than 10 degrees at night, so that the plants can grow normally. Strengthen light to increase photosynthesis and nutrient accumulation, but avoid strong direct sunlight.

(3) Strengthen fertilizer and water management

Pay attention to timing and methods when fertilizing. It is recommended to give priority to base fertilizer and use topdressing as a supplement. For base fertilizer, well-rotted organic fertilizer or farmyard manure can be chosen; for topdressing, thin manure water can be used. Apply chemical fertilizer as little as possible, and avoid sandy loam when choosing soil.

(4) Keep the leaves carrying out strong photosynthesis

Prevent and control celery pests and diseases in time, keep the leaves capable of strong photosynthesis, and fully supply the nutrients needed by the parenchyma cells in the leaf stalks, so that the plants grow vigorously. In addition, timely harvesting is also an important measure to prevent hollowing.

2. Methods to manage hollow celery

Hollow celery is a physiological aging phenomenon. The part affected is the leaf stalk, where the pith area and conducting tissue cells age, the cell sap gelatinizes and loses vitality, and gaps form in the cell membrane. Generally, once celery has become hollow, it is very difficult to repair with chemicals, so it can only be prevented as much as possible during the cultivation process.