Google horse radish plant so you know what it looks like. Dig the root but not all of it....and plant one root in your garden and grate the rest.
It should be fine!

Tami, it seems you have not yet visited the site of your grandfather's horseradish patch. You may be in for a surprise, as it is a very invasive root which could have, after all these years, spread and covered a large area. Keep this in mind if you decide to plant it in your yard. Once established and allowed to run it can be difficult to control requiring heavy digging and numerous four letter words. Keep an eye on it as one root can quickly multiply.

.... unless you have a gormet gopher, then it won't be a problem.

I'll gladly send yu a mating pair.

"I'll gladly send yu a mating pair."

LOL!!!

I wish I could clone my (neutered) cat who, though aging, is the terror of the local gopher population...I could make a million. You and I could go into biz together. ;)

Horseradish roots can be so big, and grow so deep that I, like Nandina would hesitate to put them in my garden.

However, one relatively inexpensive and practical way to grow such crops that I've discovered is to use those big Rubbermaid totes instead of expensive large garden pots. Drill a few holes in the bottom for drainage, of course. The totes are deep enough for root crops like carrots, parsnips, and horseradish(!) and big enough that you don't have to water them as often as smaller pots. Being rectangular, they also are easier to move about if needs must, with a handcart than the large round pots.

I did have a client once, who buried a claw foot bathtub in her yard to contain some bamboo...but that would likely be overkill. :D

I've also seen people who bury a piece of round plastic pipe in varying diameters to control things like mint and horseradish, which spread like crazy. I didn't have a problem with it, I've killed two separate plantings now.

Tami, to me the leaves look a bit like dandelion, you can find pictures if you search for photos, as has been mentioned.

If you do find some of the old patch, go ahead and use it, and plant a couple of pieces as it won't grow everywhere (like close to a butternut tree).

Good luck!

Annie

Thanks. Forgive slow response. This is from iPhone. Screen went on puter soon after I posted. It's back this am & doing a back up now hoping it stays but not counting on it. May be looking for a new puter!
Dh looked where told in April but didn't think he found it has looked online will look at aunts agin

Well, I have a screen this morning again. Everything has been backed up, so if I loose it, no problem, just aggravation.

Now for a bit better response! My aunt had knee replacement last fall, so can't walk all the way back to where she thinks grandpa had the horseraddish planted to show us. DH went back to where she tried to tell him, but wasn't sure it was there, even after looking at pictures on the net. He found pictures of it when it flowered, but we were in NC when it bloomed so missed looking for it then. We will try again. We just weren't sure it would be any good after it's gone so wild all these years. Grandpa died in 1980, and hadn't dug any for years before that.

My screen may go at any time, so thanks again, and Annie have fun with all the help with that salsa!

Tami

Tami ohio, here's what mine looks like today in southern Ohio. Long thin stalks, with the leaf part about 2' long and 4-5"s across.

Ours is planted by the gas well. We planted it when we moved here(the old home place in 2003).

My cutting came from my grandmothers plant. She lived in Conn. and died in 1970, my aunt took a cutting and grew it, and my mother took one from her. She(mom)always took some with her when they moved. I got my cutting from my parents when they lived in Maine, 21 years ago. I have lived in two different houses since I've been in Ohio and it always comes with me. I didn't know it was so invasive! Our family has probably left a trail of unwanted horseraddish behind us!

I have only made horseraddish once, it was with vinegar. I like to use it to make shrimp cocktail sauce. I really like the mayonnaise type of horseraddish sauce for beef but never bothered to look up a recipe so I buy it.

There used to be a poster on this board who's DH and DS loved the vinegar type and made if often, I think they had it down to a science...the name eludes me.

I think we both may have "heirloom" horseraddish!

Hope you find it!

Di

In years past I've put my Horseradish in pots --- since our gophers found the in-ground patch most delictable -- but it didn't do well in any of the increasingly larger pots. This year I have it in a HUGE pot and it at least has top growth.
I guess I could put a big wire basket in the ground and try again.... the problem is it would need to be quite a deep basket for the horseradish root to do it's thing.

Westelle, thanks for the visual of the gofers! Sorry, but I'll let you keep them. I have enough trouble with moles and mice, and ground hogs. Does it need a couple of years to take off after being replanted/potted?

Di, thanks for the pictures! And that should be really good, since you also are in Ohio. DD went to college in Cincinnati! So, besides all of our traveling in Ohio, I am sort of familiar with the southern part of our state. At least I am looking at pictures that would be in about the same growing zone as I am in.

I have a computer screen for a while each day, but then it goes black again. What a pain. DSIL said to hook it up to an external moniter. I told him to be my guest, as I have no clue! He just smiled. The stinker! But if I called him, he would do it.

Tami