Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
though a few varieties (e.g., 'Spreewälder Meerrettich') may be significantly less hardy. Horseradish
likes fertile, deep soils with plenty of humus and consistently moderate moisture content.
If you have ever wondered how it is that horseradish roots from the market can be so straight,
whereas those from your garden are full of twists and turns, follow this method, which involves har-
vesting root scions (secondary roots growing off the main root) annually. It was developed by com-
mercial growers in Germany, but it can be used in the home garden as well.
This is how straight horseradish roots begin. Scions growing from the main root are removed with a sharp knife. Cut tops
straight and bottoms slanted (“Spreewald method”) to make it easier to keep track of which end is which.
Pull up entire root in autumn and remove scions with a sharp knife. Cut further so you have pieces
about 0.5-1 in. (1-2.5 cm) thick and 10-12 in. (25-30 cm) long. The thicker and longer the cutting,
the better-looking the crop of horseradish will be. Two to three cuttings can be gotten per plant. Bundle
cuttings together and overwinter in a cool cellar in moist sand or in the ground.
In early to mid spring, sprout cuttings and leave them in a heated room underneath a dark tarp (cov-
er cuttings overwintered outdoors with a tarp). After two to three weeks, undesirable shoots can be re-
cognized; rub these off with a towel, leaving those on the upper and lower 1-1.5 in. (3-4 cm) to form
roots and shoots. Place cuttings in the ground, one end 2 in. (5 cm) deep, the other 6 in. (15 cm) deep.
Old seed-propagation literature suggests aligning all cuttings in the same direction, ideally toward the
south. Pack soil well atop the cuttings and water if necessary.
