The Vegetable Garden: What, When, and How to Plant

by Anonymous

Fertilizers.—For the production of the home supply of celery there is no fertilizer that is so satisfactory as well-rotted barnyard manure. In many localities the supply of manure is limited, and it may be necessary to depend almost entirely upon commercial fertilizers. If fresh stable manure is used, it should be plowed under in the autumn. If the manure is well rotted, it may be plowed under early in the spring or used as a top-dressing a short time before planting in order to bring the manure to the surface. From 10 to 20 tons of manure to the acre should be applied each year that the land is planted to celery. The application of lime will improve most soils. Following the use of stable manure an application of 1,000 pounds of ground quicklime as a top dressing will be beneficial. Soils that are liable to leach during the winter can be held by planting to rye and the crop turned under quite early in the spring. When applied to clay soils the lime has a tendency to lighten them, and sandy soils are rendered more retentive of moisture by the addition of lime. An application of 500 to 800 pounds of common salt to the acre is considered desirable by some growers. Celery will take up a limited quantity of salt, and its flavor is improved thereby.

One to 2 tons of high-grade fertilizer to the acre may be profitably applied on most soils in addition to the stable manure and lime. As a rule, the quick-acting fertilizers are used, and a mixture suitable for growing celery should contain about 6 per cent of nitrogen, 5 per cent of available phosphoric acid, and 10 per cent of potash.

Time and Method of Plowing.—As a rule the land should be plowed several weeks before planting. At the North it is desirable to plow the celery land in the autumn and allow the soil to lie exposed to the action of frost during the winter. At the South it will be necessary to plow but a short time before planting. The plowing should be very thorough, and in most cases with a somewhat heavier plow than that generally used for other crops.

Smoothing and Pulverizing.—A few days before the land is required for planting, the surface should be cut with a disk or cutting harrow, followed by such tools as are necessary to pulverize the soil to a depth of 5 or 6 inches. Just before planting, the land should either be rolled or gone over with a float, or drag, made by nailing together planks or scantlings, in order to secure an even surface for planting.

Marking Rows.—The rows in which the celery plants are to be set should not be marked until a short time before planting, in order that the soil may remain fresh. A marking device similar to the ordinary corn marker may be used, but some form of roller with a number of projecting pegs to form holes in which to set the plants is desirable. A device of this character can be constructed by replacing the wheel of an ordinary wheelbarrow with a roller having a series of pegs.

Selection of Seed.—The first and most important consideration when preparing to grow a crop of celery is the securing of good seed, not merely seed of which a large percentage will germinate, but that having strength and vigor sufficient to give the seedling a good start. As the seeds of celery are very small, it is necessary that only a small percentage of the number usually sown should actually grow in order to secure an abundance of plants; but as low germination and the necessary vigor are seldom both to be found in the same packet of seed that seed which has a high percentage of germination is preferable.

Sowing for an Early Crop.—For sowing seed during the early part of the season, the plan best suited to the requirements of the farmer or amateur grower of celery is to secure a wooden flat or tray about 16 by 24 inches in size and 3 inches deep, with several small holes in the bottom for drainage. After filling with sifted soil level it off even with the top, and either shake down the soil or press it down by means of a board before the seeds are sown. Either sow in drills 2 inches apart or scatter broadcast, and cover the seed by sprinkling through a fine sieve a very small quantity of leaf mold or sand. This tray can be placed in the window of a moderately warm room in the dwelling, and the soil should be watered by sprinkling very lightly as often as necessary to keep the surface from showing dryness, but the soil should not become waterlogged.

Sowing for a Late Crop.—The method now in use by most large growers is to prepare a tract of land by pulverizing with horse tools and then raking by hand, after which the seed is sown broadcast by means of a wheelbarrow grass-seed drill. The soil is sometimes pressed down with a plank after the seeds are scattered, but some growers maintain that there is a decided advantage in leaving the soil slightly uneven, as the seeds fall into the shaded places and are protected from the direct rays of the sun. The seed will become sufficiently covered by rains or by watering. Should more than 20 per cent of the seed usually sown germinate, it is necessary to thin out to prevent overcrowding, with its attendant injury. To prevent the surface of the soil becoming too dry, it may be necessary to partially shade the young plants during the warm days of early summer, but the shading should never be so dense as to cause them to become "drawn."

Transplanting.—In case the grower adopts the plan of transplanting twice, the seedlings will be ready for the first handling in from four to six weeks from the time the seed is sown. The seedlings may be transplanted to trays or to beds in the open ground. This transplanting answers two purposes: (1) The seedling plant of celery has a straight root, or taproot, which is broken in transplanting, causing a large mass of fibrous roots to be formed. In the case of a plant allowed to remain in the seed bed until planting-out time this taproot has gone far down into the soil and the plant has formed very few side roots; consequently it suffers a great shock in the process of planting in the field, and a large number of plants will need to be replaced. (2) When transplanting twice is practiced there is no necessity for thinning, and a more uniform lot of plants is obtained. Two handlings can not be recommended when celery is grown on a large scale, as the cost of labor is too great. It is better to have a surplus of plants and to renew those that fail.

Watering.—When the seed bed is prepared, the soil of which it is composed should contain as much moisture as possible and yet be in good condition to handle. After sowing and covering the seeds the bed should be sprinkled lightly. During the period between seeding and the appearance of the plants the bed should be watered only as often as it shows indications of dryness; however, the surface should never become dry. During the first few days a moist cloth may be spread over the surface of the seed bed in order to conserve the moisture, but this covering should be removed before the seedlings begin to appear. After the plants are up, care should be taken not to water too heavily, as the seedlings are liable to "damp off"; but the ground should never become so dry as to check their growth. Celery requires the most water while making its greatest growth, which occurs late in the summer. As the crop approaches maturity the water should be applied sparingly, and it should be withheld altogether for some time before blanching. Among the methods of applying the water, the most simple and usually the most desirable practice, especially where the surface of the soil is even, is to run the water along the rows by means of small furrows, 8 or 10 inches distant on either side of the row. This method is well adapted to use on a gentle slope with the rows running up and down the incline. When the water is sprinkled over the entire surface it should be done late in the day, so that the soil may, during the night, absorb the moisture and prevent a crust being formed, as would be the case were the water applied under the direct heat of the sun.