Healthy Celery

Celery (Apium graveolens), commonly known simply as celery, belongs to the Apiaceae family of plants. It is a biennial herb grown as a root vegetable for its bulbs and leaves. Celery was already known in ancient Egypt, where it was cultivated as an important spice and natural aphrodisiac. At that time, celery was considered a symbol of death and mourning, as it was dedicated to the gods of the underworld. It was consumed at funeral feasts and placed in wreaths on graves. It spread to Europe only after the Thirty Years' War. Today it is grown almost worldwide. Three types of celery are cultivated - stalk celery (Apium graveolens L. var. dulce), celeriac (Apium graveolens L. var. rapaceum) and leaf celery (Apium graveolens L. var. secalinum or Apium graveolens L. var. silvestre). Stalk celery and leaf celery are grown for their leaves, while celeriac is used for both bulbs and leaves. For better taste, blanching of bulbs and stalks is sometimes used. However, there are also special hybrid varieties such as celeriac Albin, which does not need to be blanched. Another specially bred hybrid is celeriac Asterix F1. A classic late variety of celeriac is celeriac Maxim. This celery variety is intended for autumn harvest and is not demanding regarding bolting. With proper cultivation, the bulbs are large and spherical. The flesh is creamy white. The bulbs can be consumed fresh, preserved or frozen. A variety grown for leaf harvest is leaf celery. This is a very delicate variety of leaf celery that produces richer rosettes full of delicate aromatic leaves. The leaves of this celery are harvested gradually from late summer or all at once in autumn. The harvested leaves are suitable for fresh consumption, drying and freezing. A globally known variety of stalk celery is stalk celery Pascal. This variety produces stronger long leaves. It thrives in sandy soils with higher nutrient content and sufficient calcium. Regular watering is essential.

Growing Celery

The most commonly grown variety is celeriac (root celery). Growing celery stalks and leaf celery is less widespread. However, the basic growing principles are the same for all three varieties. Since celery has a long growing season, it is necessary to sow as early as February, or at the latest in early March. Sowing is done in seed trays. Seeds germinate at a temperature of 15 °C in about two weeks. After about a month, seedlings need to be pricked out at a distance of 5 x 5 cm. Once the plants have strengthened, it's good to prick them out again - special mini pots D 6 cm are suitable for this purpose. Plant the seedlings in the garden bed approximately in mid-May, when temperatures no longer drop below freezing, at a spacing of 50 x 50 cm so that the plants have enough space to develop large roots. A sunny location with medium-heavy and sufficiently moist soil rich in humus is ideal. Plants will thrive in a location where legumes, fruit vegetables or brassicas were planted in the previous season. Planting in a bed that was used for root vegetables in the previous season is unsuitable. The soil is exhausted and especially with celeriac, this would lead to a significant reduction in yield. Plant seedlings carefully so that the growing point is not "buried" in the soil. Poor planting can lead to deformation and instead of a root, only a mass of fleshy roots will form. Plants need to be fertilized during the growing season with multi-component fertilizer, for example NPK fertilizer with guano. You can start harvesting smaller celery roots and leaves as early as July, just be careful to leave enough leaves on the plant (only thin out the leaves). Removing outer leaves is beneficial for enlarging the root. In autumn, dig up the roots, clean them, shorten the roots and remove the foliage (leaving only the central growing point). Store cleaned roots in sand in a cellar or greenhouse where it doesn't freeze.

Growing seedlings, planting and further care for celery stalks is similar to the previous case, but it is grown as a leaf vegetable. Celery stalks should be crisp with a distinctive aromatic flavor, which is enhanced by blanching (protecting the stalks from the sun). The most commonly used blanching method is wrapping the stalks with cardboard or black film for approximately 3 weeks so that only the leaf tips remain visible. This procedure is carried out when the stalks are about 30 - 40 cm tall. Blanching is followed by harvest. Storing celery stalks is demanding, so it is more of a seasonal vegetable.

Leaf celery is a less common type, even though it grows relatively quickly and its cultivation is not as demanding as the previous two types of celery. Leaf celery prefers moist, humus-rich and clayey soils. Seedlings are planted at a spacing of approximately 40 x 30 cm. Leaves are harvested throughout the entire growing season. The root can be left in the ground over winter covered with straw, and leaves can be harvested again the following year until the plant bolts to flower. Harvested leaves are suitable for direct consumption, but can also be dried and frozen.

Diseases and Pests on Celery

Celery can also be attacked by various pests and diseases. The most common is celery leaf spot, which manifests as yellowish, later yellow-brown spots appearing on older leaves. The leaves dry out and die. Effective protection includes preventive chemical sprays, for example with Kuprikol 50. Another disease is celery tuber scab. Brown spots appear on affected tubers, which enlarge, the affected tissue becomes corky and cracks. Prevention involves not planting celery in the affected bed for at least 3 years. A pest attacking celery is the celery fly. This is a two-winged insect that can cause extensive damage when present in large numbers. Celery fly larvae create tunnels in plant leaves, which are initially white and gradually turn brown and dry out. Adult individuals are approximately 5-7 mm in size, yellow-red or yellow-black in color. Pupae overwinter in the upper soil layer and adults appear in spring, quickly laying eggs on the underside of leaves. Second generation celery fly larvae appear in autumn. Protection involves destroying affected leaves and chemical spraying with products for sucking and chewing insects. The carrot rust fly can damage roots (tubers). Its presence is indicated by tunnel feeding damage and celery tubers tend to turn purple. Prevention involves changing the growing location annually. Adult individuals can be caught on sticky traps.

Is Celery Good for Male Potency and What Else?

Celery has a beneficial effect on male potency, but that's not all. Its healing effects are far more extensive. Thanks to its high content of essential oils, which are the main source of its typical aroma, consuming celery helps protect the human body against bacteria and fungi. After consumption, these substances are released and act on the mucous membranes in the mouth, stomach, and intestines. They also have disinfecting effects in the kidneys and urinary tract, where they kill pathogens causing various infections. Celery is also useful in cases of respiratory diseases. Celery essential oils help dissolve mucus and disinfect the mucous membranes. The most effective remedy for colds is consuming fresh celery juice. The amount of vitamins and minerals in celery is also not negligible. Celery is considered an important source of B vitamins. It contains all vitamins from this group in balanced amounts. Vitamins belonging to this group are important for healthy skin, nails, and hair, help ensure proper function of the liver and intestines, and also contribute to mental balance. Celery leaves contain more vitamin C than lemons. Other vitamins present include A, K, and E. In addition to vitamins, celery is also a source of minerals (potassium, magnesium, chromium, sodium, iron, calcium, zinc, and iodine). Celery promotes urine production, thus acting as a natural diuretic. It helps dissolve deposits and flush them out of the body, thereby cleansing the human organism. Regular consumption of raw celery or celery juice should help alleviate problems with rheumatism, gout, and arthritis. Celery should certainly not be missing from diabetics' plates, because the substances it contains lower blood sugar levels. It should be included in the diet of people suffering from high blood pressure and people with problems with bile production and stomach ulcers.

You can prepare an excellent celery salad with apple from celery. You will need the following ingredients:

• 300 g celery
• 300 g apples
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• salt
• pepper
• bay leaf
• allspice
• a little sugar
• tarragon vinegar (regular vinegar works too)

Cut the celery into strips and boil it in salted and acidified water together with the spices. After cooling, add finely chopped apples, oil, and sweeten to taste.

Enjoy your meal! :)