Dietary and Undemanding Celery

In short: Celery comes as celeriac, stalk celery and leaf celery, all grown from pre-grown seedlings. Sow in late February or March, grow the seedlings for 75-90 days and plant them out from mid-May at about 25x30 cm, with the root collar slightly above the soil. It needs moist, humus-rich loamy soil with enough nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium.

Celery (lat. Apium graveolens) is a root vegetable. Who can imagine vegetable soup without celery? Humanity has been cultivating and using it since ancient times; it originally comes from Asia.

We grow it from pre-grown seedlings. We use both the greens and celery bulbs. The greens, as well as celery seeds, are part of Mediterranean, Balkan, and English cuisine. Celery is one of the components of grilling mixes and roasting blends.

Celery from Marshy Swamps

Since ancient times, people have known and used celery, especially its variety wild celery (lat. Apium graveolens L. var. Silvestris), which grew wild in salty marshy soils in the Mediterranean region.

Ancient Egyptians and Romans already used celery as a spice. Ancient civilizations also used it as a natural aphrodisiac, and its leaves were added to funeral bouquets. Celery is mentioned by Homer in his work the Odyssey, where winners were crowned with this very vegetable.

It came to our latitudes in the early Middle Ages, probably from Italy. The first mention of celery cultivation and the use of its roots in our lands dates back to the 16th century. In the Czech lands, bulb celery began to be cultivated only in the 19th century.

It is mentioned in his herbal by the town physician Lonicerus from Frankfurt am Main in 1564, where celery is recommended "for dispelling melancholy, against liver and spleen pain, and also for achieving healthy skin color."

We can use both the bulb and the leaves of celery. Celery is an integral part of vegetable soup, and the leaves are an excellent seasoning.

How to Grow Healthy Celery

Celery is a biennial vegetable that is very sensitive to cold. Therefore, we plant it in the bed only from mid-May onwards. Earlier planting could cause bolting. Under normal circumstances, it flowers only in the second year after planting.

We grow it from seedlings that we pre-grow in cold frames. We sow celery seeds at the end of February or during March. Growing suitable seedlings takes 75-90 days.

We regularly weed the bed, water it moderately, and ventilate it regularly. We plant celery seedlings with 2-3 true leaves in the bed at a spacing of 25x30cm, ensuring that the heart must not be covered, meaning the root collar must protrude slightly. We place it in loamy or sandy-loam soils with sufficient humus and moisture. Celery is demanding on the mineral content of the soil - it must have enough nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. Therefore, it is advisable to fertilize the site well before planting celery with quality compost or NPK fertilizer.

The celery plant likes shady beds, not dry and sunny spots. Celery is a root vegetable with a long growing season of 180-250 days.

Among diseases, celery is affected by the fungal disease septoria leaf spot. It is characterized by yellow to yellow-brown spots.

Types of Celery and Their Cultivation

Celeriac (lat. Apium graveolens L. var. Rapaceum) belongs to biennial vegetables from the celery family (lat. Apiaceae). In our conditions, we grow celeriac as an annual vegetable.

We grow it from seeds, which should be pre-cultivated in a cold frame. Seed germination takes 2-3 weeks, seedling cultivation takes approximately 75-90 days. Small celeriac seedlings with 2-3 true leaves are placed in the bed during May at a spacing of 20x25cm. When growing celeriac, we pay attention to planting depth, placing it in the soil up to the root collar, but no deeper than it grew in the cold frame.

We harvest celeriac roots during October in dry weather. We trim the foliage, clean the bulb from soil, shorten the roots and store them in a pile to protect the celeriac from freezing. This way we can store the roots for approximately 2-3 months. Celeriac should be stored in a humid environment (at 90-95% humidity) and at a temperature of 0 to +2 degrees.

Stalk celery (lat. Apium graveolens L. var. Dulce) is mainly grown in Western Europe and America. It has the same origin as celeriac. Stalk celery prefers warmer locations, not too dry. We plant it in more clay-sandy soil that is nutritious and well-moistened.

We sow stalk celery seeds in March, planting them directly in the bed in May, or we sow in mid-April and plant at the beginning of June. We plant stalk celery in the bed at a spacing of 50x30cm; in small areas we can plant celery at a spacing of 25x25cm, which allows the stalks to blanch well. During the growing season, we loosen the soil around stalk celery, water it regularly and fertilize as needed.

At the end of August, we tie its leaves loosely in the lower part of the plant, tightly in the upper part. Then we earth it up twice at 10-day intervals. After about a month to 5 weeks, we harvest stalk celery by cutting the entire plant, possibly with part of the root. From the first sowing, we harvest in September; from the second sowing in October to November. We then store them loosely in boxes.

Leaf celery (lat. Apium graveolens L. var. Secalinum) is the least common of all celery forms. Its cultivation is most widespread in Holland and France, although it has the same cultivation requirements as celeriac.

We plant leaf celery at the end of March at a spacing of 40x30cm. Sufficient moisture and nutrients in the soil are important for its growth and development. Leaf celery leaves can grow up to 60cm in height under favorable conditions. Its bulb is usually small and densely covered with lateral roots.

Late in autumn, the plants are dug up. We cut the leaf celery foliage 2-3cm above the hearts, which should not be damaged. When growing it, we obtain 4-5kg of foliage per 1m2, which can be dried and later used as a soup seasoning. After harvest, we store leaf celery bulbs in boxes in the cellar.

Celery leaf tops contain Apiol, an aromatic essential oil, vitamin B, carotene, and minerals such as phosphorus and calcium.

What does celery bring to the kitchen?

Celery bulb contains 85% water, 1% protein, 10% carbohydrates, and 1.5% fiber. It is characterized by a high content of B vitamins - mainly vitamin B1, B2, as well as vitamin PP and vitamin C. Among minerals, it contains sodium, potassium, magnesium, calcium, and phosphoric acid. Try making a celery salad and you'll see how pleasantly surprised you'll be by its taste, or even fried celery is also worth trying.

Celery is part of weight-loss diets because 100g of celery contains only 19 Kcal.

Celery has diuretic and detoxifying effects. It is a natural diuretic that promotes urine production, thereby cleansing the musculoskeletal system by dissolving deposits. Therefore, celery is suitable for regular use by people suffering from rheumatism, arthritis, or gout.

Celery also stimulates appetite through bile production, improves stomach function, lowers blood sugar levels and blood pressure. Thanks to its high content of B vitamins, it has beneficial effects on hair, nails, and skin. However, it's important to ensure that your diet isn't one-sided, as excessive celery consumption can upset the internal balance in the body. In folk medicine, celery is used to enhance male potency.

Fresh celery is used to prepare salads, sauces, mayonnaise, and juices. Cooked celery is part of soups or can be roasted. It is considered healthiest in raw form.

Celery oil refreshes us and relieves fatigue

Celery seeds can also be used to prepare celery oil, which is mainly intended for aromatherapy. The characteristic celery scent originally served the plant as protection against molds and bacteria. The scent of celery oil relieves fatigue, promotes concentration, thereby preventing tiredness. Celery oil is also suitable for consumption, 1-2 drops 3 times daily, optionally in baked goods or bread.

Something to nibble on with celery

Celery sticks

To prepare celery sticks, you need:

100g celery

150g all-purpose flour

150g margarine

150g Edam cheese

150g breadcrumbs

1 egg

salt

Grate the celery and Edam cheese finely. Add flour, margarine, breadcrumbs, salt to the mixture and work into a dough. Then roll out the dough thinly and brush it with beaten egg. Cut sticks from the dough and bake in the oven until golden brown. Serve chilled. :)