Medwyn Williams is always trying to improve the soil mix for his celery
I never stop trying to improve on my celery mix
This year proved a real rollercoaster ride with my ‘Evening Star’ celery, which were devoured by rabbits, then recovered and seemed to benefit from this unexpected ‘pruning’, before succumbing to celery septoria blight. This devastating disease spread throughout the bed, so once I’d lifted and destroyed the celery, I dug it all over and soaked the soil with a hot water steam cleaner.
Having been given hefty amounts of well-rotted farmyard manure last spring, my celery bed soil is as good as you can get. While I was emptying it out and wheel-barrowing it into my polytunnel (to dry before using it in my potting mixes) I started wondering exactly what soil is.
The definition on the internet said: ‘Soils are a composition of mineral particles 45 per cent, organic matter five per cent, air 25 per cent, and water 25 per cent. Brown earths are fertile and very suitable for growing plants… due to their characteristics of good texture, dark colour, and its pH value.’
These figures indicate you need five times more air than organic matter, so I’ll fork over the bottom of the bed well then add some Perlite, which increases the availability of air at the roots. I’ll also add it throughout the bed to provide more air around the root zone.
I’ve always believed that incorporating organic matter into celery beds is hugely beneficial. However, too much manure can act as a sponge and prevent roots from extending throughout the bed. You also need air for porosity, but because celery is a bog plant, more air in the soil makes it more free draining, which then needs more regular watering.
My soil must be close to the correct composition, so I won’t lose any sleep over these figures, but they’re food for thought! ● Follow me on Twitter – @medwynsofangles.