Horseradish Donation Tracker

Quick Links: How & Where to Grow | Temperature | How to Care For | Harvest Signs | Harvesting | Pests | Companions | Varieties | Preservation | Recipes | Michigan Tips | Fun Facts

🌱 How & Where to Grow Horseradish:

• Plant root cuttings in early spring as soon as soil can be worked.
• Choose permanent location – VERY invasive! Consider containers or barriers.
• Plant cuttings 12-18 inches apart at 45° angle, 2-3 inches below soil.
• Space rows 30 inches apart if planting multiple.
• Sunlight: Full sun to partial shade (6+ hours preferred).
• Soil Type: Deep, rich, well-drained soil with pH 6.0-7.0.
• Soil Amendment: Work in compost deeply – roots can go 3+ feet down.

Warning: Any root piece left in soil will regrow – choose location wisely or grow in buried containers!

🌡️ Temperature Guidance:

Hardy perennial. Plant when soil workable. Needs cold for best flavor.

• Planting: Early spring when soil reaches 45°F.
• Growing: Thrives in cool temperatures 60-75°F.
• Cold requirement: Needs several hard frosts for best root development.
• Extremely cold hardy – survives -30°F once established.
• Leaves die back after frost but roots remain viable.

Michigan’s cold winters are perfect – they trigger dormancy and intensify flavor!

💧 How to Care for:

• Consistent Moisture: Important for tender, non-woody roots.
• Watering: 1-2 inches weekly during active growth.
• Mulch: 2-3 inches to retain moisture and suppress weeds.
• Fertilizer: Feed monthly during first year, then just spring application.
• Weed Control: Critical when young – established plants shade out weeds.

📏 Harvest Signs:

Harvest late October after frost. Best flavor after several freezes.

• First year: Let plants establish – harvest lightly if at all.
• Mature plants: Wait until after hard frost kills foliage.
• Root size: Main roots should be 8-12 inches long, 1-2 inches diameter.
• Best timing: Late fall through early spring while dormant.
• Roots harvested in hot weather are woody and bitter.

Cold weather transforms starches to sugars and intensifies the signature heat!

🧺 Harvesting:

Dig carefully from side. Remove all root pieces or they’ll regrow!

• Use spading fork to loosen soil 12+ inches from crown.
• Dig deep – main roots can extend 2-3 feet down.
• Save pencil-thick roots for replanting if desired.
• Remove ALL pieces to prevent unwanted spread.
• Process quickly or store whole roots – grated horseradish loses potency.

🪲 Michigan Pests:

Remarkably pest-free! Occasional flea beetles, root rot in wet soil.

• Flea beetles: May attack leaves but rarely affect roots.
• Root rot: Only in waterlogged soil – ensure good drainage.
• Imported crucifer weevil: Rare but can damage roots.
• The pungent oils that give horseradish its heat also repel most pests!
• More often used AS a pest deterrent for other crops.

🫱🏽‍🫲🏼 Companions:

Good with potatoes, fruit trees. Plant at corners to contain spread.

• Potatoes: Traditional companion – may deter Colorado potato beetles.
• Fruit trees: Plant at drip line to deter borers.
• Avoid: Other brassicas which share diseases.
• Isolation: Best grown alone due to invasive nature.
• Corner plantings: Traditional placement to contain spread.

🌿 Varieties:

‘Maliner Kren’, ‘Big Top Western’, ‘Bohemian’.

• ‘Maliner Kren’: Standard variety, good disease resistance, hot!
• ‘Big Top Western’: Large roots, widely adapted, very pungent.
• ‘Bohemian’: Heirloom, earliest to harvest, excellent flavor.
• ‘Variegata’: Ornamental with cream-splashed leaves, edible roots.
• Most garden centers sell generic horseradish which works fine.

🫙 Preservation:

Store in damp sand 10 months. Grate fresh, add vinegar for heat control.

• Whole roots: Store in damp sand/sawdust at 32-35°F for 10-12 months.
• Refrigerator: Wrap in damp paper towels, plastic bag, 4-6 months.
• Prepared: Grate and mix with vinegar – lasts 4-6 weeks refrigerated.
• Freezing: Grate and freeze in ice cube trays with vinegar.
• Heat control: Add vinegar immediately for mild, wait 3 minutes for hot!

🧑🏽‍🍳 Recipes:

Prepared horseradish, cocktail sauce, horseradish cream, prime rib companion.

• Classic prepared horseradish – just grated root and white vinegar.
• Cocktail sauce with ketchup and horseradish.
• Horseradish cream sauce for beef.
• Beet horseradish (chrein) – traditional Jewish condiment.
• Add to mashed potatoes for amazing flavor kick!

✋🏼 Michigan Tips:

• Plant in buried bottomless containers to control spread.
• Michigan’s winters provide perfect dormancy conditions.
• Harvest after Thanksgiving for strongest flavor.
• Spring-dug roots are milder than fall.
• Consider corner of property away from other gardens.
• One plant provides enough for most families!

🧠 Fun Facts:

• 3,000+ year cultivation history – mentioned in Bible’s Passover Seder.
• Not related to radishes and “horse” likely means “coarse” or “strong.”
• Contains more vitamin C than oranges!
• The heat comes from volatile oils released when cells are crushed.
• Unlike hot peppers, the heat hits your sinuses, not your tongue.
• Was used medicinally before becoming a condiment.
• The enzyme that creates heat is destroyed by heat – never cook it!
• Commercial wasabi is usually horseradish with green food coloring.