Growing horseradish

[Tmann]

Has anyone grown horseradish? Is it invasive and would you grow it again?

 

[Jed]

I've never tried growing horseradish but I believe it could become a weed. It grows from broken off pieces so would spread if hoed in.I would try growing it in a large planter to be safe.
My wife introduced dandelion with the intention of using it for tea and coffee which we do from time to time.
It's now a weed in all our gardens and it grows from both seed and cuttings. A nuisance but we live with it.

 

[SproutSprite]

Has anyone grown horseradish? Is it invasive and would you grow it again?

My daughter and I planted horseradish seeds last year. They were the light pink variety not the darker red kind that I happen to prefer. They did so well that we could not eat them fast enough. Even though we were also harvesting and using the leaves and flowering tops in salads, their greenery absolutely overtook our tomatoes! I recommend that you give them plenty of their own space. I will be using succession planting on them next time.

 

[TheCrazyPlantLady]

My daughter and I planted horseradish seeds last year. They were the light pink variety not the darker red kind that I happen to prefer. They did so well that we could not eat them fast enough. Even though we were also harvesting and using the leaves and flowering tops in salads, their greenery absolutely overtook our tomatoes! I recommend that you give them plenty of their own space. I will be using succession planting on them next time.

That sounds like radish, not horse radish. Horse radish is much much larger, and you don't eat the leaves, as far as I know. I bought a root for the first time this spring, and it was already in a 10" pot with leaves over a food high.

It is doing well in our garden, not spreading or anything. I don't think it will take over the garden, and it's certainly not in the same league with dandelion, which is a weed that spreads through seeds as well as underground root systems. This is a root, and while if you leave it in the ground it will get larger, like any other tuberous perennial, I don't think it is an aggressive grower like mint or periwinkle.

To harvest, you dig up the whole plant, take a couple of cuttings to replant, and use the rest. I also learned that grating the root is what makes it produce the horseradish heat, and the longer you wait to add the vinegar, the hotter it becomes. I can't wait to harvest it this year!!