CELERY TIPS

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Volume 81, Issue 66, 10 December 1937, Page 9

CELERY TIPS

Home-grown celery is a luxury indeed, and aithough it is not produced with the same ease which is the happy lot of many of our vegetables, yet the extra time and truuble expended on this crop is well compensatecl for when the luscious crop finds its way to the summer tabie. The young celery plants should be removed without disturbing their roots if possible. It is in this operation that tlie man who iias wiseiy sown liis own seed scores an advantage, hecause he has made preparation ior this important operation, by pricking the young seedlings off into boxes preparatory to tlie renioval of trenches. Larthing up is performed tiiroughout the entire growth, and is responsible for the blanching and tlie tenderness of the stems. Many amateur gardeners are wise enough to appreciate the value of "pricking off" their seedlings into boxes, before finally transplanting into the open beds. Not only are the plants more uniform in size, but they carry a stubby root system, which invariably ussures healthy growth and the maxiuium satisl'action at fiowering time. Plant life, in order to thrive, needs tliree things — nfoisture, heat and air. With the majority of crops, the Arst two are the most important, but without the last — air — liaving access to the roots, the other factoi's cannot accoinplish tlieir best. It is the purpose of cultivation to keep down the weeds, to give air access to the roots and reserve moisture by creating a' dust mulch out of the crust of th soil, which mulch will prevent the moisture from evaporating.