How To Grow Horseradish: Step By Step Guide

Horseradish is a perennial plant that belongs to the class of Brassicaceae same as broccoli and cabbage.

It is mainly used as a spice all over the world and is a condiment to season food. It is further a root vegetable and mostly grown in cold climates. There are two types of horseradish; the common horseradish and the bohemian horseradish.

Here’s how to grow it.

What Horseradish Is Like

Horseradish grows up to 1.5 meters tall. It has hairless bright green leaves that can be mistaken for a dock. Alternatively, it can be grown in containers, and it can spread readily and grow out of control, upon planting, it’s ready for harvest in 140 to 160 days.

The roots of the horseradish have a little aroma. Once you expose the plant to heat or air, its color becomes dark and may develop a bitter flavor. Horseradish has a high content of vitamin C and slight content of sodium and dietary fiber.

Things To Consider When Planting And Growing Horseradish 

Soil

The soil should be well-drained and well prepared to a depth of 10 to 12 inches. Remove any lumps and stones from the ground as they may cause the roots to split. You can also add sand to the soil to avoid loosening. The soil should further have a ph. of 5.5 to 6.8.

Planting procedures

Being a cold-hardy plant, it best grows in cold, moist regions with temperatures ranging between 45- 75’F. The roots should be planted in 3-4 inches’ shallow trenches and should be spaced 2-34 inches apart.

Horseradish care

Always ensure that the soil remains moist to prevent the roots from drying. Add organic compost to fertilize the plant.

How To Grow Horseradish

1. Obtain horseradish crown or roots

In most cases, you will be required to purchase the crown (the upper part of the plant) after getting a crown or root, and you can now plant it straight to the ground.

2. Site choice

Find or set aside a unique place to plant your crop. Choose a corner in your garden, or you may decide to hang the plant to avoid overtaking other crops. Ensure that the designated space is cooled and easy to reach for frequent check-ins.

3. Dig a foot-deep hole

Once you have spotted your space, now dig a hole deep to loosen the soil. It should be wide enough to accommodate the entire length of the root. The spacing from one plant should be 18-20 inches to the other so that each has enough room to spread and grow.

4. Planting the horseradish

When planting, you ought to burry roots on the ground in a slanting position. The slanting area keeps roots and crown above the ground and ensures roots radiate beneath the soil.

5. Sunlight exposure

The plant should be well exposed to full sunlight and also have a slight shade area as it helps the plant to grow faster. Do not plant the crop near walls or fences as that may lead to the roots entangling.

6. Water the plant

Ensure the crop is watered and the soil should only remain damp, do not drown them as this will be a costly process for its survival.

7. Add fertilizer

Fertilizers are optional because the required compost should provide sufficient nourishment to the plant. You can use fertilizers when you notice a stunted growth of the crop.

8. Pruning process

As the plant grows, weeds and suckers will also increase. Make sure that you prune all these unwanted plants to prevent them from spreading undesirably.

9. Harvesting and replanting

It takes about one year to grow and be ready to harvest fully. It should be between 6-10 inches in length; therefore, you should dig deep to avoid root damage. If you want the crop to continue growing after harvest, you can leave a few sections of the root on the ground.

In case you don’t want to build the plant again, you should ensure that no traces of the horseradish are available to the soil. All roots should be removed entirely from the land; otherwise, they will continue growing from time to time.

Summary

Horseradish ranks as one of the easy to grow edible plants because it can thrive almost to any conditions. Additionally, to eases your replanting process as it only requires leaving a small section of the root on the soil for it to flourish again.

You can also grow horseradish in a container at home; thus, you don’t have to tolerate unspiced food for lack of a kitchen garden to improve the plant. Growing this plant at your home also makes its current availability effortless and money-saving.

There are a variety of recipes to enjoy with the horseradish, such as grating to release volatile oils, which give the horseradish the heat. Overall it makes the best accompaniment with roasted beef. 

Horseradish is mainly used as a spice all over the world and is a condiment to season food such as the dip sauce on your prime rib dish. It is further a root vegetable and mostly grown in cold climates. Learn how to grow Horseradish with our simple step-by-step guide. Learn more about gardening tips @ #GardeningStuffs
In this guide, we'll walk you through how to grow your own horseradish in your garden in 9 easy steps so you can create your own delicious Horseradish sauce.
For horseradish sauce lovers. If you want to grow your own horseradish. There are things you need to look out for when planting horseradish.