Topic: Horseradish

[Tyke]

I have read seemingly conflicting advice in books about what to do with horseradish. One book says that you should dig it all up and eat it in winter or else it goes hollow and inedible. Others say that you just pull up what you need and let it spread.

What do i do? I am keen to keep it going as i have had to squash caterpillars most days as they seem to love it. Don't want it to all have been wasted...

[allaboutliverpool]

Dig up what you need.
If you want to control it properly and stop it spreading everywhere, you can dig it all up and store it overwinter in sand or peat and replant in the Spring

[littlebabybird]

we dug ours all up last year, and forgot to replant it, we have tonnes more this year
guess i didnt dig it up to well lol
lbb

[soliphant]

I have 'not planted' but there anyway, Horseradish on part of my plot.

Any ideas on how to get rid of it gratefully received.

[PurpleHeather]

I was told to grow in a container and just use what I needed because it is hard to get rid of

[artichoke]

My daughter has an allotment in London next to one which is infested with horseradish, so I asked her neighbour if he might let me have a piece (I draw the line at buying such an invasive weed). He was astonished to know he had horseradish at all, as he was accustomed to buying pieces of root from a shop whenever he needed horseradish sauce (which is interesting in itself) and had thought his plot was infested with docks.

The pieces he gave me are growing away happily in a rough area next to my own plot, and my understanding is that you dig it up when you need some. I have never had horseradish before so am leaving it in peace until it is better established.

Unfortunately he seems to have abandoned his plot for the summer and his horseradish is EVERYWHERE.

[jonny211]

Hiya,

Can you dig it up anytime or does it come into season as such?

Mines in a backut with the bottom cut out - here's hoping it's contained!

[realfood]

I would advise to only plant it in a large pot, sunk into the ground as it is so invasive. It even shrugs off weedkillers!! I have an attractive variegated leaf form.

[jennym]

Think I might have sussed out how to grow horseradish, have read up on it and also found some advantages by accident. I make a lot of horseradish sauce so need a lot of horseradish.
First, the best bits to make horseradish sauce from are not the thick main tap root, but smaller side roots, about the thickness of your finger.
To get these succulent side roots to grow, you can cut or break the tap roots in early spring. By the time autumn comes, you've got a mass of these side roots and they clean up lovely and are easy to grate. I got masses this year around 3 ft long, nice and clean and not at all woody.
Now, if you've just got it growing in the ground, this can be difficult to manage especially if you are on heavy clay.
I happened to cut some tap roots in spring which were growing, unwanted, by a sort of patio in front of my shed, which had been laid on a thick base of sand and fine gravel. I didn't get round to removing the roots.
The side roots that grew as a result, travelled horizontally under the patio. I had to lift the slabs to get to them, but that was relatively easy, just levering them up. The roots just pulled away from the surface, no digging.
I've read that commercially it can be grown it in really high ridges, say about 3ft high, of nice soft soil, and laid at an angle or horizontally, I haven't tried this in any volume. But growing it in big pots/bins did work well, again the main roots had been a little damaged and they put out loads of lovely side roots.

[Susiebelle]

I would still like to know how to get rid of it!!! ???

[Larkshall]

I would still like to know how to get rid of it!!! ???

Wouldn't we all

[Eristic]

Mines in a backut with the bottom cut out - here's hoping it's contained!

Dreamer, dream on.

[jonny211]

Have  I unleashed a hideous monster on my plot then?

Maybe I'll ask the chickens to dig it out, they destroy everything else that grows!

[PurpleHeather]

You get rid of it by mixing it with beetroot

Add to just anything and enjoy

Sorry do you mean out of the ground?

Oh, in that case you need something called (forgive my spelling)

A 'new clear miss isle'.