Recommended Varieties

Pascal varieties
Utah 52-70 (Resistant to Fusarium Race II)
Florida 683 (Susceptible to Fusarium Race II)
Picador (Resistant to Fusarium Race II)

Planting Methods

Celery has the highest yields and develops top quality under moderately cool temperatures (55° to 75°F), good soil moisture, and relatively high humidity. The usual planting period is May 1 through June 30. Transplants are grown in greenhouses or imported from Florida. For those transplants in soil, see Chapter 8 Transplant Production. Night temperatures must be kept above 55°F to lessen the danger of bolting, particularly when plants are to be used for early planting. From 30,000 to 45,000 plants are set per acre; an ounce of seed yields about 15,000 transplants.

Fertility
Maintain a pH of 6.0 to 6.5. See Table 17.1 for the recommended rates of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium.

Magnesium deficiency may cause yellowing of certain varieties on organic soils. Apply ten to 15 pounds of Epsom salts in 100 gallons of water per acre and spray at ten to 14 day intervals. Epsom salts can be added safely to most fungicide sprays. Soil applications are not effective.

Blackheart may be caused by low calcium levels in plants, drought, or high soil potassium. Directed sprays of calcium chloride or calcium nitrate (five to ten pounds per 100 gallons of water per acre) every seven to ten days are effective. Boron deficiency causes cracked stems or cat scratches on petioles.

Boron deficiency is most common on alkaline mucks and with certain varieties. Apply 2 1/2 pounds of boron per acre in fertilizer where the problem exists. In an emergency, spray 1/4 pound of boron per 100 gallons of water per acre.

Cornell cover crop decision tool

See Cornell article on nutrient deficiency symptoms

Go to Cornell Nutrient Analysis Lab website to find out how to get soil samples tested.

Cornell Soil Health website and manual

SARE Publication: "Building Soils for Better Crops"

SARE publication: "Managing Cover Crops Profitably"

 

Table 17.1 Recommended nutrients based on soil tests.
N pounds/acre	P2O5 pounds/acre				K2O pounds/acre			Comments
	Soil Phosphorus Level				Soil Potassium Level
	low	med.	high		low	med.	high
130-150	150	100	50		240	180	120	Total recommended.
50	150	100	50		240	180	120	Broadcast and disk-in.
40-50	0	0	0		0	0	0	Apply 3 to 4 weeks after planting.
40-50	0	0	0		0	0	0	Apply 7 to 8 weeks after planting; not necessary on muck soil.

See Cornell Report: Food Safety Begins on the Farm

See Cornell "Smart Marketing" series.

See USDA grade standards for fresh celery.

See USDA Marketing site

See current wholesale prices from US markets

See UC Davis post harvest guide for celery

SARE Publication: "Marketing Strategies for Farmers and Ranchers"

SARE Publication: "Direct Marketing Resource Guide"

Disease Management

| Basal stalk rot | Pink rot | Cucumber Mosaic Virus |
| Fusarium yellows | Early leaf blight |Late leaf blight |

SARE Publication: "A Whole-Farm Approach to Managing Pests"

Check NYS PIMS (Product, Ingredient, and Manufacturer System) to see if the label is current for New York. SPECIAL NEW YORK RESTRICTIONS MAY APPLY. (http://magritte.psur.cornell.edu/pims/)

Cucumber mosaic virus (CMV) transmitted by aphids

Penn State fact sheet on celery virus diseases

Time for concern: Early aphid flights (May through June) carry inoculum into the susceptible crop, and subsequent spread may occur during the course of the season.

Key characteristics: Symptoms consist of general mosaic. Older leaves develop chlorotic yellowing and veinal necrosis. Young plants will be stunted. Petioles may show sunken, buff-colored lesions. See Reference 1.

Management Option	Recommendation
Scouting/thresholds	Record the occurrence and severity of CMV. No thresholds are available.
Resistant varieties	No resistant varieties are available.
Site selection	Avoid planting near weedy border areas. Typical perennial weed sources for CMV include common milkweed, marshcress, and yellow rocket. See "A Checklist of Major Weeds and Crops as Natural Hosts for Plant Viruses in the Northeast"
Crop rotation, Seed selection/treatment, Postharvest, and Sanitation	These are not currently viable management options.
Compound(s)	No pesticides are available to manage CMV.

Fusarium yellows, Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. apii

Penn State fact sheet on celery diseases

Time for concern: seedling through harvest
Key characteristics: Plants exhibit stunting and yellowing. Petioles are yellowish brown to red when split open.

Management Option	Recommendation
Scouting/thresholds	Record the occurrence and severity of Fusarium yellows. No thresholds have been established.
Resistant varieties	Resistant varieties are the most effective means of controlling this disease. Plant Utah 52-70 or Picador.
Crop rotation	Fusarium yellows may persist in the soil for more than ten years. A three or four year rotation with onions and lettuce can reduce population levels and allow production of resistant varieties. Crop rotation and disease management article Cornell Forage Species Selection Tool
Site selection	Grow transplants in clean and/or fumigated soil.
Transplants	Do not obtain any plants from an infested area.
Postharvest	Crop debris should be destroyed as soon as possible to remove this source of disease for other plantings and to initiate decomposition.
Sanitation	Celery trimmings should not be returned to the infested field after harvest.
Seed selection/treatment	This is not a currently viable management option.
Compound(s)	No pesticides are available to manage this disease. .

Early leaf blight, Cercospora apii, and Late leaf blight, Septoria apiicola

Penn State fact sheet on celery diseases

Time for concern: Seedbed (if seedborne) through harvest

Key characteristics: Early leaf blight-appears first as yellow spots visible on both sides of the foliage. Spots enlarge rapidly and become ashen gray and papery. Late leaf blight-first appears as yellow specklings which become darker over time. Look for small, black, pycnidia within spots.

Management Option	Recommendation
Scouting/thresholds	Record the type, occurrence, and severity of the blight. No thresholds have been established.
Resistant varieties	No resistant varieties are available.
Crop rotation	Minimum two year rotation. Crop rotation and disease management article Cornell Forage Species Selection Tool
Seed selection/treatment	Leaf blights are commonly seedborne. Soak new seed for 30 minutes at 118°F. Dry at room temperature. Treat with thiram. Two-year-old seed may not need treatment for late blight.
Site selection, Postharvest, and Sanitation	These are not currently viable management options.

Compound(s)

Use a labeled pesticide

Check NYS PIMS (Product, Ingredient, and Manufacturer System) to see if the label is current for New York. SPECIAL NEW YORK RESTRICTIONS MAY APPLY. (http://magritte.psur.cornell.edu/pims/)

Insect Management

| Tarnished plant bug | Aphids | Cabbage looper |
| Beet armyworm | Fall armyworm |

SARE Publication: "Manage Insects on Your Farm: A Guide to Ecological Strategies"

SARE Publication: "A Whole-Farm Approach to Managing Pests"

Check NYS PIMS (Product, Ingredient, and Manufacturer System) to see if the label is current for New York. SPECIAL NEW YORK RESTRICTIONS MAY APPLY. (http://magritte.psur.cornell.edu/pims/)

Check NYS PIMS (Product, Ingredient, and Manufacturer System) to see if the label is current for New York. SPECIAL NEW YORK RESTRICTIONS MAY APPLY. (http://magritte.psur.cornell.edu/pims/)

Time for concern:

Key characteristics: The adult moth has a wingspan of 1 to one and 1 1/4 inches. Each forewing is gray or brown with a pale spot near the center. The hind wings are white with dark veins. Eggs are white to pink. Scales and hairs from the moth give the egg cluster a fuzzy, gray appearance. The larva is green or black, may have three light colored stripes running the length of its body, and grows to 1 1/4 inches in length. The larva has a small, black spot on each side of its body. This is a migratory pest that infrequently arrives from the southern United States.

Management Option	Recommendation
Scouting/thresholds	Record the occurrence and severity of beet armyworm infestations. No thresholds have been established.
Natural enemies	Natural enemies help control beet armyworm populations. They can be preserved by using pesticides that are less harmful to them. Use Reference 2 for identification of natural enemies.Hyposoter exigua, Geocoris spp., nuclear polyhedrosis virus, Podisus maculiventris, Cotesia marginiventrus, Chelonus insularis, Geocoris punctipes, Bacillus thuringiensis var. aizawai, Beauveria bassiana, Steinernema carpocapsae, Heterorhaditis bacteriophora Michigan State site "Enhancing Beneficial Insects with Native Plants" ATTRA publication: "Farmscaping to enhance biological control"
Resistant varieties	No resistant varieties are available.
Insecticide Resistance Management	A classification of insecticides based on their mode of action is available in pdf format. This guide can be used to help avoid or delay the development of insecticide resistance, as well as manage populations that have developed resistance to a particular insecticide. It is a large file - 97 page, 780k pdf file  Shelton, A.M., W.T. Wilsey, and D. M. Soderlund. 2001. Classification of insecticides and acaracides for resistance management
Crop rotation, Site selection, Postharvest, and Sanitation	These are not currently viable management options.

Compound(s)

Use a labelled pesticide

Check NYS PIMS (Product, Ingredient, and Manufacturer System) to see if the label is current for New York. SPECIAL NEW YORK RESTRICTIONS MAY APPLY. (http://magritte.psur.cornell.edu/pims/)

See pictures of FAW life cycle

Time for concern: Mid-July through September

Key characteristics: Spherical eggs are laid in masses of 100 or more at random locations throughout the plant. Egg masses are covered with body hairs, giving them a gray to green appearance. The adult moth has a 1 1/2 inch wingspan. When full grown, larvae are tan, green, or very dark and reach a length of 1 1/2 inches. The front of the head has a characteristic inverted white "Y". Because eggs are laid in masses, larval infestations are concentrated and have a "shot gunned" appearance. See References 6 and 7.

Management Option	Recommendation
Scouting/thresholds	Record the type, occurrence, and severity of the blight. No thresholds have been established.
Natural enemies	Natural enemies help control FAW populations. They can be preserved by using pesticides that are less harmful to them. Use Reference 2 for identification of natural enemies. Podisus maculiventris, nuclear polyhedrosis virus , Geocoris spp., Orius insidiosus, Cotesia marginiventrus, Steinernema carpocapsae, Vairimorpha necatrix, Archytas marmoratus, granulosis virus, Geocoris punctipes Michigan State site "Enhancing Beneficial Insects with Native Plants" ATTRA publication: "Farmscaping to enhance biological control"
Resistant varieties	No resistant varieties are available.
Insecticide Resistance Management	A classification of insecticides based on their mode of action is available in pdf format. This guide can be used to help avoid or delay the development of insecticide resistance, as well as manage populations that have developed resistance to a particular insecticide. It is a large file - 97 page, 780k pdf file  Shelton, A.M., W.T. Wilsey, and D. M. Soderlund. 2001. Classification of insecticides and acaracides for resistance management
Site selection, Crop rotation, Postharvest, and Sanitation	These are not currently viable management options.

Compound(s)

Use a labeled pesticide

Check NYS PIMS (Product, Ingredient, and Manufacturer System) to see if the label is current for New York. SPECIAL NEW YORK RESTRICTIONS MAY APPLY. (http://magritte.psur.cornell.edu/pims/)

Weed Management

Key characteristics: Weed fact sheets provide a good reference for common weed identification. See Reference 8. Also see Virginia Tech Weed Identification Guide.

Cornell Weed Ecology and Management Laboratory website

Ontario, Canada weed identification gallery

Penn State Weed Fact Sheets

SARE Publication: "A Whole-Farm Approach to Managing Pests"

See "A Checklist of Major Weeds and Crops as Natural Hosts for Plant Viruses in the Northeast"

Management Option	Recommendation
Scouting/thresholds	Weeds may be unevenly distributed over a field. Localized areas of severe weed infestations or atypical conditions, such as poorly drained areas, high spots, and field edges, may be recorded on a weed map. A weed map should be on file for each field. Make a rough sketch of the field, including landmarks, boundaries, crop row direction, compass directions, roads, planting date, map preparation date, and any other important details. The following information should be indicated on the map: species of weed, size of weed, density of each species, and distribution of weed. Scout fields two to three weeks after planting to evaluate the success of the current season's program and at or near harvest to help predict weed control practices that will be necessary for the following year. Cornell Weed Assessment List (scouting form) Manitoba, Canada weed scouting guide
Site selection	Refer to weed maps to avoid problem weeds when choosing fields for celery.
Cultivation	Cultivation is useful in celery weed control. See Cornell fact sheet on mechanical weed control. SARE Publication: "Steel in the Field"
Banding herbicides	Banding of herbicides at planting is not useful in celery production.
Cover Crops, Weed Seed Bank Assessment	See report on using buckwheat as a weed control cover crop See report on estimating weed seed banks SARE publication: "Managing Cover Crops Profitably" Cornell cover crop decision tool Cornell buckwheat cover crop handbook Cornell Forage Species Selection Tool
Compound(s)	No research has been done at Cornell University. Labeled products include the following.

Compound(s)

use a labeled pesticide

Check NYS PIMS (Product, Ingredient, and Manufacturer System) to see if the label is current for New York. SPECIAL NEW YORK RESTRICTIONS MAY APPLY. (http://magritte.psur.cornell.edu/pims/)

1 Zitter, T. A., and R. Provvidenti. 1984. Virus diseases of leafy vegetables and celery, p. 737.00. In Vegetable Crops: Diseases of Leafy Vegetables and Celery. New York State Agricultural Experiment Station, Geneva.

2 Hoffmann, M. P., and A. C. Frodsham. 1993. Natural Enemies of Vegetable Insect Pests. Cornell Cooperative Extension. 64 pp.

3 Muka, A. A. 1983. Tarnished plant bug. p. 771.00. In Vegetable Crops: Insects of Bean, Potato, and Celery. New York State Agricultural Experiment Station, Geneva.

4 Foster, R., and B. Flood. 1995. Vegetable Insect Management: With Emphasis on the Midwest. Willoughby, Ohio: Meister.

5 Andaloro, J. T., and A. M. Shelton. 1981. Cabbage looper, p. 751.00. In Vegetable Crops: Insects of Crucifers. New York State Agricultural Experiment Station, Geneva.

6 Chapman, P. J., and S. E. Lienk. 1981. Flight periods of adults of cutworms, armyworms, loopers, and others. Search: Agriculture Number 14. New York State Agricultural Experiment Station, Geneva.

7 Muka, A. A. 1983. Fall armyworm, p. 790.00. In Vegetable Crops: Insects of Corn. New York State Agricultural Experiment Station, Geneva.

8 Pennsylvania State University. 1987. Weed identification, pp. 1-32. Pennsylvania State University Cooperative Extension, University Park.

BIOLOGICAL CONTROL: A Guide to Natural Enemies in North America
http://www.nysaes.cornell.edu/ent/biocontrol/

IPM Vegetable Fact Sheets:
http://nysipm.cornell.edu/factsheets/vegetables/default.asp

Virginia Tech Weed Identification Guide
http://www.ppws.vt.edu/weedindex.htm

Plant Disease Diagnosis Clinic:
http://PlantClinic.cornell.edu

Vegetable MD Online:
http://vegetablemdonline.ppath.cornell.edu/Home.htm

Measuring Environmental Impact of Pesiticides:
http://nysipm.cornell.edu/publications/eiq/default.asp

Cornell Vegetable Team
http://www.hort.cornell.edu/extension/commercial/vegetables/vegeteam/index.html

The Northeastern Pest Management Center has links to information on IPM in the northeast and throughout the US

Cornell Soil Health website and manual

USDA Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Publications (SARE)

Appropriate Technology Transfer for Rural Areas (ATTRA): http://www.attra.org/

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Next chapter Cucurbits

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Maintained by Curtis Petzoldt, New York State IPM Program. Address comments or questions to vegrec@nysaes.cornell.edu
Last modified January 28, 2008.