I grew some for a while. It was never invasive here in western OK. I think it got too hot for it in the summer. I finally dug what was left up. I never processed any, just one time grated some into some vinegar to flavor the vinegar. It was pretty hot. I would guess it would be hotter than up north.

WindsurfGirl

Must have liked N.E Oklahoma as it took me 2 years to eradicate it. It's one of those "newbie" plants that I regret ever planting (along with thorny blackberries and a few others). Now I like Horseradish in some dishes, but a little Horseradish root goes a long way. And, if your plant likes you, it will give you enough Horseradish to feed a small county in Oklahoma (and still keep on growing). I wrote to Ball Brothers once asking for a recipe for Horseradish sauce like "Kraft" sells at the local supermarkets. Their reply was that "Horseradish Sauce" is better left to the commerical companies. BUT, as with all things, this may be a wonderful plant for you and you can shake your finger at naysayers such as myself.

My experience was similar to Maryl's. It grew like wildfire! Mine fortunately were fairly easy to eradicate, I covered them with newspapers and dumped dirt and compost on top. I didn't think that would really work, but it never came back.

Mine were very hot too. If you decide to process it, do it in a well ventilated room, preferably outside. The fumes were terrible, but I did enjoy the few batches I made.

Lisa

I grew 1 plant of it last year, and when time came to dig it up I was very disappointed by the small root. I didn't get back to it for a few days and it was soft by then, so I discarded it without trying it. I didn't put any in this year, but sure have LOTS coming in this year. That spot happens to be where I planted my garlic. Hmmm, think a garlicky horseradish sauce might be good? :-P
~Heidi

I love garlic and horseradish so, sure, that might be the basis for a great condiment!! Let me know how that goes.
But then, I like hot pepper flakes and parmesan on my carry out pizza, too!
LOL

MMMMM, hot pepper flakes taste good on almost all pasta and pizza.
~Heidi (who loves hot and spicy foods)

We just hired a fellow to do the mowing, since I have my hands full with the garden and my hubby can't get around to help. We were walking around so I could show him what I need done and he spied the horseradish. "What the heck kind of greens are these?" he asked. Made me wonder if the tops are edible. Will have to research this one! Shoot, they might be good, they might be poisonious, they might even be medicinal.

OKC: The harlequin bugs sure love them! The summer I grew brown mustard and horseradish I was overcome with these little things.

Lisa

Here is a link that might be useful: Harlequin Bug

I have grown horseradish for the first time in a pot. We have had a cool, wet summer and it's doing great, I think. The leaves are nice and big.

I do not know how to harvest it. I do know you harvest the root, but all of it, top or bottom of it? Do you have to replant every spring or do you save part of the tuber?

I vaguely remember my Grandfather grinding it on the picnic table in the back yard.

Any information would greatly be appreciated.

Thank you

We grew it in Oklahoma when we lived in the Duncan area, and grow it here in Missouri, also. It is usually dug after frost in late fall all the way through March. It is supposed to be milder in March, but that is debatable.

We grind it and mix with vinegar, salt, and some canned evaporated milk. I think it could be done with real cream, but not sure. My grandmother used to make her own cole slaw dressing and used real cream and it didn't curdle. We freeze it in baby food jars. It will keep about 3 weeks, in the refrigerator, when thawed.

My husband saves the crowns of the plants to replant, although I don't know why... every piece of root left behind will grow. He peels the roots with a regular potato peeler. What comes in the house is anything from the size of your thumb to your pinky.

This is from http://www.globalgourmet.com/food/egg/egg1296/prephors.htmlIt's a recipe horseradish without cream or evaporated milk, which is how I like it best.
"To grate your own horseradish by hand, hold cleaned and trimmed horseradish root firmly. Using a sharp vegetable peeler, carefully remove the outer layer. Rub peeled horseradish root against a fine grating surface using downward, criss cross motion.
A quicker, more efficient method uses a blender. Wash and peel the root as you would a potato and dice it into small cubes. Place the cubes in the blender jar. Process not more that half a container load at a time. Add a small amount of cold water and crushed ice. Start with enough cold water to completely cover the blades of the blender. Add several crushed ice cubes. Put the cover on the blender before turning the blender on. If necessary, add more water or crushed ice to complete the grinding. When the mixture reaches the desired consistency, add white vinegar. Use 2 to 3 tablespoons of white vinegar and 1/2 teaspoon of salt for each cup of grated horseradish.
The time at which you add the vinegar is important. Vinegar stops the enzymatic action in the ground product and stabilizes the degree of hotness. If you prefer horseradish that is not too hot, add the vinegar immediately. If you like it as hot as can be, wait three minutes before adding the vinegar."

I've done the potato peeler method a few times - alot of work. This year I only had small roots so I just washed them of and ran them through on old food grinder (the old kind with an auger and coarse blade - like the old hand crank meat grinders)the auger pulled a couple through at a time with no problems. I used the coarse blades and ran the horseradish through about three times - it gets finer each time. I only use white vinegar with mine.

I have a plan for larger roots next year, if it works I'll pass the word.

Doug Streets

Thanks, Doug. I've been waiting until after the first freeze, but you don't do that, huh?

Hey OKC, if you have some extra, let me know. I'm close enough to you to just come and get it....without the hassles of mailing. I love the stuff and use it in a lot of my own sauces. I'm a hot and spicy freak, anyway. It is impossible to find pure grated horseradish in stores anymore. All I can find nowadays is mayonnaise-based horseradish sauce or "prepared" horseradish. Heck, I want just pure, unadulterated [vinegar okay] horseradish!
Yes, the vinegar is essential not only as a stabilizer, but a preservative. It's a natural bacteriacide. Many years ago, I had a friend in Texas who grew it. The roots are really not like any radish at all. They are more like a piece of soft WOOD!
Yes, the leaves may be experimented with. Not toxic that I've ever heard, maybe spicy as are other mustard. Yes, horseradish is still a mustard just like salad radishes. Brassicaceae.

OKC1
The old saying, passed down by my Grandmother, is that you only prepare the roots during months that end in "R". I only pick enough to make a quart or so.

I've used the leaves in salads - nice flavor. I've also thaught that soaking them and using them as a wrap would be tasty - especially with pork, but I haven't tried it yet.

This year was my first gardening experience in upstate NY, The soil at my house is very sandy - I had the best looking plants ever, although the roots were still long and thin. I moved from northeast Ohio, our soil there was clay.

Good way to rememberwhen to harvest, Doug.
What's interesting to me in growing this stuff is that horseradish is apparently a very heavy feeder and spreads like wildfire, but my plants havent spread yet. However, they aren't even a year old yet, so I think I'll pull one today, just as a test, and see what size the roots are. I may let them grow on through this winter and next year and see how they look if the roots are thin. I'm thinking it may take a couple of years to get a good stand of roots large enough to yield much horseradish, but I won't forget you, Tomato Worm!
The plants were hit pretty hard by catapillars this summer, so I doubt I'll be trying any of the leaves this year. Will keep you all posted, though!

I always have small roots. Up untill this year I had always blamed the clay soil - this year I planted in sandy soil, so this must not be the case. I noticed this year, when I dug a few plants to process that the crowns or small chunks of root that I had planted in the spring had increased in diameter though not length. The plan for next year is to plant a larger portion of root stock (8 - 12 inches) and see what happens. My hopes are that I end up with one large root per plant and smaller ones to replant the following spring. I will not know for sure untill next fall if it works. I may even prefer the smaller roots because they process easier.

I have heard and read alot of complaints about horseradish taking over the garden. I treat it like a weed if it is not growing where I want it to - so far no problems. Like I said earlier, though, I am new to looser sandy soil, I may have a different opinion in a couple of years.

Have you ever seen the British garden shows. The Brits apparently go bonkers over parsnips and have competitions to see who can grow the longest, though not the thickest, rooted parsnips. It's a riot! They plant in sand and fertilize like crazy. Often, they plant in upright cement pipes just to get super long roots.

Okay, folks!
I finally harvested some horseradish yesterday. Huzzah! Big, thick, long roots going in all directions! Not at all like carrots or turnips! I hope I have enough for a pint, but we'll see. I can tell that they are spreading form the roots, as I had to dig quite a ways from the green tops to get all of one root. I cut the tops off and returned them to the garden. We'll see if they root and grow. I'mso excited! It is supposed to be warm today so will try processing outside. They are touch little buggers, though! Made the mistake of tasting a tiny sliver and about had a heat attack. Am thinking I may need to add the vinegar sooner rather than later.
Gee, if I were selling this commercially, that would be a good name for the product: Sooner Or Later Sauce. Tee hee.
I'm serving prime rib at our somewhat late Thanksgiving tomorrow, rather than turkey, and will enjoy offering horseradish along with it.

My forefathers have grown horseradish since I was a little kid and I assume they have grown it for centuries. We have always had a patch but rarely processed any of it. I only know that they used a crank-food grinder and vinegar. I never knew the details until OKC gave the details above.
I know Horseradish mainly as a tool in cell biology (Horseradish Peroxidase).
They never ate any of it when I could learn how to process it. I am now age 72. I started a new patch in spring of 2004 from roots in the old patch.
I plan to plant some of the newly advertised Czechoslovakian Horseradish. I am getting more than I need and can trade starts from that dozen roots (from Daisy Farms, Michigan). It is advertised as being milder than most strains. Write me at Eddleman@IndBio.com if you want some
I regularly use the leaves in salad. I don't use it enough to give an opinion. It is not an exciting taste to me. I do not think you will pull it; roots are too spreading and well anchored. In 30 years my old 2-foot row is still just 2 feet long and about 1 foot wide. It is in the middle of a lawn that gets sun all day.

This is all very informative. I live in Virginia and have been growing native horseradish in an isolated patch for a few years. I have not harvested much since I was trying to build up a stand. I started with 7 crowns a few years ago, and after letting the patch go I had about 30 crowns to plant this year. The species is incredibly resiliant, and even dried out crowns will sprout -- even if left unplanted. Last fall I dug up everything, tilled down about 24 inches, removed every stone (and most pepples!) and rebuilt the patch with humus, maure, loam and sand. I hope for a good yield and easy harvesting. Insects will do great damage to the leaves in high summer, but I have had very good success using organic pest repellents. Getting the right amount of "heat" is always the trickiest part, so thanks very much for the tips about vinegar.

Some of the growers who say they have smaller roots might want to look up their variety & see if they have the bohemian variety.

I am new to planting Horseradish. I planted my first 3 roots this year. I have some very nice growth on all three. Large green leaves. Since I am new, I need to know what I have to do as far as having some for next year. I seen lots of talk about cutting the crowns for next year. What is this?

What do I need to do as far as harvesting this fall for myself and also for replanting?

Thanks!