Tuck thanks for all the info, much appreciated.
The thing about scraping the root once or twice during the season was
to "improve the quality" of the root, as in taste and size. Seemed
like a bit of work. Doesn't lok like I'll bother.
Thanks again.
Tuck wrote:
On Mon, 02 May 2005 18:24:53 GMT, DigitalVinyl
wrote:
I planted Horseradish last year but I read differnet info on
harvesting. I read you can harvest in fall and overwinter in a
basement for early spring planting or harvest in early spring.
Harvest it in the fall. Dig up as many plants as you need, and let
the rest over winter.
If you want some in the spring, get out and dig. The growing plants
will have a more "watery" root, but it tastes the same.
I opted for early spring since I don't have a basement and didn't want
to risk killing the roots. I want to harvest it now--although it is
growing quickly. I read you should harvest it when it is less than 8
inches high.
The bigger the plant, the woodier and hotter the root. For
horseradish sauce the bigger hotter roots are better.
For slices, you want smaller first year plants.
Do you harevst a particular part? Do you replant the tip and keep the
root closest to the top, or keep younger ends and replant the crown?
The edible part of the plant is the taproot. Cut the tops off, and
compost them.
In SE Minnesota, horseradish is a "thug" plant. It spreads fast and
is very hard to clear. Plowing and rototilling are good ways to
invigorate the patch. It's a strong perennial, and any little bit of
root will sprout another plant.
It's a perennial patch, plant it once, get the patch going, and spend
the next twenty years trying to keep it confined, and the cows out of
it.
I just read that roots in the ground 2+years are stringy/woody. This
confused me. What do you do to prevent that if you harvest and
replant in Spring? Or does harvesting part of it avoid the
stirnginess?
Since most horseradish is chopped or ground and used as part of a
sauce, woody or stringy roots are no big deal. In fact, for a hot
sauce they are better than the smaller roots.
I also read you should uncover and scrpae the roots once or twice
during the growing season to improve the quality. Anyone do that?
Why?
Barbara
DiGiTAL ViNYL (no email)
Zone 6b/7, Westchester Co, NY, 1 mile off L.I.Sound
2nd year gardener
http://photos.yahoo.com/ph/royalfrazier/