I have a healthy horseradish plant, and I’m also running out of horseradish root (from which I grew the plant). What is the best way to disinter my plant, cut off a piece of root, and re-inter it so that it survives and thrives? @bogman?
Usually, the best time to harvest and replant horseradish is during early spring, before it gets hot. Once there’s a lot of foliage, the plant will suffer uprooting and likely wilt down. The plants are pretty tough. Smaller side roots can be cut off and planted vertically, putting the end closest to the main taproot up. If you harvest part of the main root, you may cause branching, so you’ll need to trim root branches off, in thle fall, to force a single, fat root. Before replanting, You can cut off most of the foliage to 3 inch nubs. The leaves feed the root and vice-versa. So it’s best to try and keep the two in balance.
If the weather is very hot where you are, avoid damaging the root. Heat stress and wounds can make horseradish vulnerable to fungal rot.
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Thank you! I had recently trimmed the leaves back anyway (the aphids got it), and I’ll wait for the weather to cool down some before harvesting part of the root. Much appreciated.
Beware, those roots have a habit of really moving about and taking over some turf. Choose your spot wisely.
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I’m aware. It’s potted.
Oh, never knew you could grow them in pots. Learn sumfin’ new every day.
Not here, although I wish it was so.
Healthy as a… well, ya know.
Radish?
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I swear you can read my mind. Knock it off!
I finally got around to harvesting the root of my horseradish plant, and it was pretty much non-existent. The root itself seemed no larger than when I planted it initially, and there were just a few narrow “tentacles” growing out from it. Disappointing! My Christmas brunch bloody marys lacked oomph.
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Horseradish plants need a LOT of root space, ideally about 2 feet. At least twice a year, the plants should be unearthed and the side roots trimmed, leaving one (the largest) root to expand. It may take two years, in a pot, for the root to get large enough to harvest; it depends on climate and fertilizing.
Harvest once the tops die back and it’s frosty outside. Scrub the roots and remove as little as possible of the outer surface. I use a paring knife and scrub, rather than peel the root, using the blade perpendicular to the skin to remove dirt. The roots are still not white, and have some speckling.
Then, roots are cubed and put in a food processor with cracked ice, no vinegar yet. Add a little ice water as needed to get a coarse paste. Let that sit for a few minutes before adding white vinegar, about 3 Tablespoons (45ml) per cup (240ml) of grated root, and salt to taste. Chill in an airtight container immediately.
If you have a weak batch of prepared horseradish, you can amp up the nose-twisting by adding a bit of Chinese Hot Mustard powder, made into a paste with iced water. Let the mustard sit for about ten minutes before mixing it in, to taste. This mustard does not get potent right away, so give it time to get zippy.
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Thanks! I don’t have two feet of root space available, unfortunately. And the largest root wasn’t large enough to repot, so I’ll buy another chunk from my local grower (which will probably cost a dollar or two) and try again in 2026.
My MO is to grate horseradish with a microplane as needed and use it right away (I store it in the freezer). I don’t really like the vinegar-ed version, unless it’s Gold’s with beet juice, and that’s mainly just nostalgic for me.
