How To Harvest Horseradish
Harvest all root before the ground freezes otherwise new plants will spring up the following year.
How to harvest horseradish. Use a digging fork just like what you would use to harvest potatoes and start digging about 12 away from the plant. Held in ideal conditions at 30 to 32F and at humidity between 90 and 95 the roots can last for ten to twelve months or until the next harvest. Start by loosening the soil in a wide circle around the plant.
If you have a newly planted horseradish bed wait until spring to harvest the roots. My grandfather used to store the root and other root foods in the ground in layers during the winters in Pennsylvania digging it up as it was needed. USDA Zone 1-4 harvest in October and early November.
You can also dry horseradish. Although a vegetable no blanching is required. If you are planting more than one do so 30 inches 76 centimeters apart.
Horseradish makes its best growth in late summer and fall so delay harvesting until mid-autumn or later. To harvest horseradish make sure the soil is slightly damp not wet around the roots. Grasp the tops of the plants and tug them gently from the soil.
It will make harvesting easier compared to digging in a dry hard packed soil. How to Harvest Horseradish. When should I harvest horseradish.
Horseradish grows a lot during late summer and early fall so postponing the harvest means larger roots. And identifying when your horseradish is ready to harvest is a cinch. Poke around with your fingers to locate the direction in which the taproot has grown.