How to Grow Horseradish in Minnesota
Horseradish, known botanically as Armoracia rusticana, is a perennial rhizomatous herb that is grown primarily for its fleshy edible root. The plant produces white flowers in the later spring and sports mid-tone green leaves that have a wrinkled appearance on the surface. Horseradish plants are year-round, hardy only in temperate and subtropical climes. In Minnesota, the plants must be dug in the fall, overwintered indoors and then returned outside in the spring after the ground has thawed and the ambient temperatures have warmed up. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Spading fork, shovel or trowel
- Rake
- Aged manure
- Compost
- Water
- Leaf mold or compost mulch
- Pruning shears
- Twine
- Waterproof tub or other storage container
- Clean horticultural sand to fill container and cover roots
- Clean garden knife
- Refillable spray mist bottle
Instructions
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Select a planting bed with a full sun or lightly filtered shade exposure and nutrient rich, well tilled, loamy soil that is at least a foot deep, high in organic materials and between 5.0 and 7.5 pH. Remove any and all stones, weeds, competing plants, roots, hard soil clumps or other debris in the soil. Till in generous amounts of well aged manure and compost into the soil to boost fertility before planting each year in the spring.
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Plant the horseradish root cuttings, known as "sets," in the early spring after the last hard frost has passed and the ground spoil can easily be worked with a spade or hand trowel. Plant the sets at intervals of one foot, placed vertically or on a bias angle in the soil at a depth of two to three inches.
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Water your horseradish plants to keep the soil evenly moist but not wet. Allow the top half inch of soil to dry out before watering. Depending on climate, rainfall, soil texture and time of year, this may translate into watering once every four to six days or once every two weeks.
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Weed around your horseradish plants frequently throughout the growing season, as they can suffer form soil competition. Pull any non-horseradish sprouts out by the roots and mulch around the plants with leaf mold or compost to keep weeds at bay, moderate soil temperature and retain moisture in the soil.
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Harvest the horseradish roots in the mid- to late fall after they have finished their last burst of growth for the year, likely in late October or very early November in Minnesota, but before the ground freezes. Use a spade or trowel to trench along the planting rows, digging 12 to 24 inches down on one side. From the un-trenched side, use a shovel, trowel or spading fork to gently dig, lever and lift the the intact roots out from the soil, pulling the loose roots free by their green tops.
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Prune off the green foliage tops down to one inch. Cut off any aide or bottom roots less than eight inches in length. Use as much of the fresh root as you like and trim the unused roots for re-planting in spring. Trim the large roots with a straight knife cut across the top and a bias cut on the bottom. This will help to easily distinguish planting orientation in the spring.
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Bind the trimmed roots loosely with twine and bury the roots in a container of moist clean horticultural sand. Stow the container in a dark location where ambient temperatures remain between 32 and 40 degrees Fahrenheit all winter. Check the roots every few weeks and mist the sand with water if it starts to feel dry. Do not let water pool in the bottom of the container where the roots can touch it, as this can cause rot.
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Tips & Warnings
Control the horseradish flea beetle by sprinkling cool wood ashes lightly over the plant foliage, as this repels the beetles. Additionally, clear away all weeds, dead plant material and all debris from around the plants to prevent decaying materials from drawing the beetles to the planting and providing breeding cover.
Rotate the re-planting site every three to four years so the horseradish does not deplete the soil or become prone to localized disease.
References
- Photo Credit Eising/Photodisc/Getty Images
