Growing Horseradish

Armoracia rusticana : Brassicaceae / the mustard or cabbage family

Jan F M A M J J A S O N Dec
    P P                

(Best months for growing Horseradish in USA - Zone 5a regions)

  • P = Plant crowns
  • Easy to grow. Plant root pieces. Best planted at soil temperatures between 50°F and 77°F. (Show °C/cm)
  • Space plants: 20 inches apart
  • Harvest in 16-24 weeks. Some improvement in flavour if left till after frost..
  • Compatible with (can grow beside): Best kept separate

Your comments and tips

07 Mar 17, Sindi Shembe (South Africa - Semi-arid climate)
where can I buy horseradish around gating and m also interested in getting a plant to plant it in my garden where can I get it.
08 Mar 17, John (Australia - temperate climate)
Look on the internet under 'horseradish' plants for sale. Some of the herb nurseries will have it. Alternatively look up garden clubs or Permaculture groups. They might give or swap a piece of root to get you started. All the best.
17 Feb 17, geoff (South Africa - Humid sub-tropical climate)
where can i buy, i'm not far from durban
18 Feb 17, (Australia - temperate climate)
Bridget Kitley Herbs in Stellenbosch list it in their range. They may post a bare rooted plant wrapped in damp newspaper and plastic. Contact them on 07 9407 2209 or email: [email protected] . Trust this helps.
16 Feb 17, Kim (South Africa - Summer rainfall climate)
Lifestyle, Johannesburg (011792 5616) has a few Horseradish plants at the moment - I just bought 2
16 Feb 17, John (Australia - temperate climate)
I love horseradish with beef. The plaants can spread rapidly in good conditions so unless you want that plant them in a very large tub on top of the ground or sunken to just below the rim. Good water supply, and plenty of old manure will yield you tender flavousome roots. Mulching thickly will conserve water. TAll the best!
14 Feb 17, Catherine Thomson (Australia - temperate climate)
Do you have a good recipe for Horseradish sauce (pretty hot). I have it growing very successfully in a large deep (about 3 ft or 1 metre tall) pot next to the parsley and mint. I would like to make a sauce or cream which is spicy and with good keeping qualities. Many thanks for your interesting page.
27 Feb 17, Vali (Australia - temperate climate)
Hi Catherine, I use to mix the horseradish with beetroot and use it as a salad next to grilled steak or sausages. It is delicious! Ingredients: 3-4 small beetroots 1 small horseradish root Salt Splash of vinegar (optional – don’t use if using horseradish from a jar as it normally already contains vinegar) Mustard seeds (optional) Cumin seeds (optional) Method: 1. Rinse any mud off the beetroots and put them in a saucepan (metal is best; it might stain enamel) and cover them with water. 2. Bring the water to the boil and leave to boil for 30-40 minutes. 3. Drain the now very purple boiled water from the pan and refill with cold water and allow the beetroots to cool enough to be handled. 4. Clean off the skin (you should now be able to rub it off with your fingers, but use the flat of a knife to scrap it off if you like) and trim off any roots or stem stubs. (You can bake the beetroot and it will be more tasty and healthy) 5. Cut up the beetroots – you can grate it, julienne it, cube it, slice it...whatever you prefer. 6. In a separate bowl finely grate the horseradish. Be a bit careful here if you’ve never grated horseradish before as it’s tremendously powerful – I recommend you don’t hold your head over the bowl whilst grating it! 7. Teaspoon by teaspoon, add the horseradish to the beetroot and taste until you reach a combination you like. Don’t just throw it all in at once because if it’s too strong it’s hard to correct. Horseradish from the jar normally isn’t as powerful as fresh horseradish so you might need a few extra teaspoons. If you have any horseradish left over, put it in a small jar with some salt and vinegar and keep it for a dressing next time you prepare some beef or lamb. 8. Check the seasoning and add some salt and a splash of vinegar if you feel it needs it. 9. You can, at this point, add some mustard seeds (about a heaped teaspoon) or a sprinkle of cumin if you like these flavours. Mustard seeds aren’t so strong but be a little careful with the cumin as it can overpower. 10. Serve! Enjoy!
17 Feb 17, lowan nyols (Australia - arid climate)
use a microplane and grate the horserash into creme fraiche with a little lemon zest . perfection
16 Feb 17, John (Australia - temperate climate)
I have only made a smooth, semi creamy sauce so can't help you with a recipes. Try Googling 'horseradish sauce recipes', you will find plenty. Trust this helps.
Showing 171 - 180 of 526 comments

Margaret, I haven't found the perfect time, the size of the leaves don't tell me anything. Last week I did use some, just scraping away surrounding soil and seeing the thickness of the root helped, the root was fairly thick, about the same as two fingers plus a little more. Getting it out is the hard part, the roots go down a long way so I cut the amount I needed and replaced the soil. Be careful if you do this because the root is very strong, a serrated knife worked o.k

- Roy

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