BENEFITS OF CULTIVATING APIO NABO IN OUR GARDEN.

Hello friends of the farm in this opportunity I am going to speak to you of the kindness that it offers us to grow celeriac in our home.
The celery turnip is a vegetable very appreciated especially zones of Europe like the United Kingdom, Holland or France, where it is cultivated since in the XVIII century.
The celery turnip or also called celery radish (apium graveolens var rapaceum) is a biannual vegetable belonging to the family of Umbelliferae that has great resistance to cold, although the celery turnip is more resistant to low temperatures and pests and diseases The edible part Celery radish is its bulb, which has a very pleasant taste and can be stored for several weeks once harvested. The celeriac is a botanical variety of celery, which differs from this in that it produces at the base of the plant a large swelling of the turnip type that can be up to 10 cm in diameter. This bulbous part of the plant is the one that is usually consumed. The plant is biennial, and grows to more than 1 m high

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PLANT CARTERISTICS
The celeriac is an herbaceous plant whose stem is quite long. It has a rather long and heavy root (it is capable of weighing up to a kilo). It is because the neck of the root is globular and round.

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NUTRITIONAL VALUES OF NABO CELERY
You can eat 100 grams of turnip celery that you will only be introducing in your body about 18 kcal. In addition, it is a fresh and healthy product with only 5.6% starch. If we include this vegetable in a habitual way in our diet we can benefit from its multiple properties.
Fight viruses and infections
It has great depurative power
Protects the cardiovascular system
And it can help us to fulfill organic functions as hypoallergenic, soothing, analgesic, anti-inflammatory and antiseptic.
It is ideal for those people who want to lose weight and feel satiated. If consumed regularly we may also notice an increase in the activation of our metabolism, causing us to burn more fat and, therefore, achieve the goal we want more quickly.
Therefore, you have no excuse not to add them to your diet and bring all the benefits to your health

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INFLUENCE OF NABO CELEBRATION IN HEALTH
It contains large amounts of potassium, so it is very helpful to combat fluid retention. Vitamins, chlorine, sodium in small doses, minerals, folic acid and fiber. It also has good amounts of calcium, phosphorus and vitamin C. The turnip celery contains very few calories.

Iron and protein These two components that are obtained by consuming celeriac help to promote the production of new cells and improve cognitive function.

Vitamin C. We all know this vitamin that gives us oranges. In this case, it helps us fight against viruses that cause respiratory diseases, infections, stimulates the healing of wounds more quickly and strengthens our immune system.

Magnesium and folic acid. These are two components that help us improve the health of our heart. This is because they prevent the accumulation of gauze in the arteries, reducing bad cholesterol.

Healthy carbohydrates Although it is a very low calorie vegetable, also carbohydrates. These help you level your blood glucose levels and increase your body energy.

Antioxidants anti-aging that will help us avoid damage to our cells and keep free radicals that are responsible for various types of cancer at bay.

Calcium. Calcium promotes bone health and prevents diseases such as osteoporosis. In addition, it is perfect for nourishing tissues and muscles.

Potassium. The high content of this mineral causes the loss of electrolytes and helps in their renal function.

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CULTURE OF THE NABO CELEBRATION

To plant celeriac we will do it at the end of winter in seedbeds that we will keep at a temperature of about 18ºC so that the seeds can germinate correctly.

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To prepare the nurseries we can reuse small containers that we have at home or acquire trays for schools.

We make several small holes in the bottom of the seedbeds so that the water does not get stuck inside and we start filling them with a part of sand, another of earth and another of compost or humus of worm.

We introduce the seed to a depth twice its size and cover it lightly, without pressing hard.

The soil of the nursery should not be too compressed or compacted, rather aerated and spongy.

To water the seedbeds we will do it by placing them in a tray or container with water and we will put them there for a while.

The water will be absorbed by the holes we have made at the base of the seedbeds. This way we avoid mushrooms to a large extent.

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When the seedlings measure at least 10 cm, we can transplant them to their final place (either in a pot or on the ground), leaving a distance of 40 cm2 for each plant.

They will hold temperatures well between 12 and 15 ºC. If the temperature is lower than these figures can be protected as well. With celery radish we must take special care during this process, because it is its most delicate moment.

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The turnip celery requires direct sun and deep, fertile and humid soils, in fact, you will need to contribute compost or earthworm humus twice during its growth.
They also require good amounts of nitrogen so it would be very beneficial to grow them where last season we had legumes and nitrogen fixers. We can associate them well with tomatoes, leeks or onions.
Removing the branches that emerge at the sides will help the bulb to develop better, it will also need the realization of hugs to cover the bulb with soil once it develops.
Mulching is a good practice that will help protect radish celery from low temperatures and help keep moisture easier.
As for pests, slugs and snails can be a danger, but we can avoid them and fight in an ecological way with these tips.

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In about 6 months we can start harvesting the turnip celery

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REQUIREMENTS TO SOW APIO NABO ARE:

You need direct sun.
Soils quite deep, fertile and humid. It is necessary to contribute compost twice during its growth to optimize it.
Planting them in places where there used to be legumes is a good idea, since they fix nitrogen well and the celeriac needs high amounts of it.
Weather
It grows best in places where the average monthly temperature in the growing season is between 15.5 and 18.5 ° C. It does not grow adequately in areas with temperatures that exceed 21-24 ° C, or are lower than 7 ° C. Because celery grows slowly a frost-free season of at least 110 days is desirable.
Ground
The turnip celery needs a fertile, deep soil, with enough organic matter and good moisture retention throughout the growing season.

Propagation and cultivation
The cultural attentions of the celeriac are very similar to those of their relative celery. It has a long season to be profitable, requiring about 6 months from the sowing of the seeds.

Season, performance and storage
The celery turnips are usually ready to pick up in October or when the diameter of the base of the plant reaches 5 to 6 cm. The plants can be pulled or unearthed according to the firmness of the ground. All the foliage and the basal roots are cut.

You can expect about 200 bulbs for every 30 m row. Clean bulbs can be stored in damp sand in a cool cellar or cellar, in a vegetable well, or in non-transparent bags in the refrigerator. If stored properly, they can be stored for up to 6 months.

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USES AS FOOD IN THE KITCHEN
We can prepare it as we do with potatoes: it can be fried, it can be steamed, pureed, soups, add it to stews and stews, it serves almost everything.
We can eat it raw, as well as add it in salads, eat sofrito, baked, grated, in stews, accompanying fish and meat, soups and even puree.

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The "bulbs" of the celeriac can be boiled in the same way as the potatoes and used in the same dishes in which they are used. The cooking time is somewhat longer than for potatoes.
The turnip greens can also be grated to put on top of the salads.
Celeriac has the characteristic smell of celery due to the presence of a volatile oil and is comparatively less nutritious
When tasting this vegetable for the first time you can notice the strong sour taste. But this is not the case as the stems, as they turn brown to white, it is known that the taste begins to be increasingly sweet and aromatic.

TIPS;
It needs some conditions for its consumption. The first is that, once collected, it should be left to dry completely under the sun for 24 hours. Once dried, we will remove the roots and leaves. We can store the turnip celery at low temperatures and with a humidity of 85% to keep it perfectly even up to 7 weeks. Ideally, store them in the refrigerator inside a plastic bag.

Source:
http://www.sabelotodo.org/agricultura/hortalizas/apionabo.html
https://www.ecoagricultor.com/cultiva-ecologico-apio-nabo-rabano/
https://www.jardineriaon.com/apio-nabo.html

I hope you enjoy my article of celery turnip.