What are the methods to prevent premature bolting in celery?
Celery is very popular in China, but many people cannot stand its taste; like cilantro, it is a polarizing vegetable. Celery is grown over a very wide area in China, but premature bolting occurs during cultivation. Premature bolting in celery severely reduces yield and affects growing returns. Moreover, there is no treatment for it, only prevention, so how should we prevent premature bolting in celery? Let's take a look together below!
1. Sow at the right time
The sowing time of celery is very important. When growing celery in protected areas in autumn, the best sowing time is from early August to early September. The best time for spring sowing is around February. Sowing too early or too late will affect the growth of celery, causing poor growth and making it difficult for the plant to develop into a complete celery plant, which makes premature bolting very likely and damages growing returns. If raising seedlings in a greenhouse, then the beds must be covered with film and warmed in advance, and sowing can only be done when the soil temperature reaches about 10°C.
2. Temperature control
Temperature is also one of the main causes of premature bolting in celery. When raising seedlings in winter, attention must be paid to keeping the seedlings warm. The temperature must not be lower than 8°C; the nighttime temperature should be kept at 13°C, and during the day it should be raised appropriately by 2-7°C. Plastic film can be laid over the seedbed or a hoop house can be built to raise the soil temperature and improve the soil's heat retention. Then, before raising seedlings, use light to raise the temperature, and when the nighttime temperature is low, pay attention to keeping warm. Unsuitable temperatures very easily cause premature bolting in celery and affect its growth.
3. Fertilizer and water management
The growth of any crop cannot be separated from fertilizer and water, and celery is no exception. During the growth period of celery, fertilizer and water management must be done well to prevent unsuitable fertilizer and water from affecting the growth of celery and causing premature bolting. Also, during the growth of celery, seedling hardening should not be carried out; increase the watering frequency, and appropriate heavy irrigation can be used to keep the soil moist. When topdressing, increase the proportion of nitrogen in the fertilizer to meet the nutritional needs of celery growth. Sufficient water and fertilizer can ensure healthy growth of celery, promote nutrient absorption, prevent reproductive growth, and reduce premature bolting.
4. Harvest in time
Harvesting in time is the most direct and effective way to prevent premature bolting in celery. We can begin harvesting before the flower stalks of the celery have grown out. Alternatively, harvesting the leaves can also effectively reduce premature bolting. When harvesting, it must not be done after bolting has matured. Celery that has already bolted will have a severely reduced taste and lower commercial value. Among these, the harvesting of overwintering celery is especially important. After temperatures gradually rise in spring, overwintering celery has already begun flower bud differentiation, and around April it begins to bolt. Therefore, overwintering celery must be completely harvested in April to prevent bolting from affecting growing returns.
The above is a brief introduction to methods for preventing premature bolting in celery. Premature bolting in celery consumes too many nutrients, causing the main stem of the celery to accumulate too few nutrients, lowering quality. Commercial value drops, making it impossible to bring to market, and even if it is sold on the market, its reputation will worsen. Therefore, everyone must do a good job of preventing premature bolting in celery. That is all for today's introduction. This article is for reference only. Thank you for your reading and support.