How to Grow Horseradish From a Root You Buy at the Grocery Store

Interested in growing your own horseradish? Unlike most vegetables for which you can easily find seeds in a catalog, horseradish is generally started from the root itself. It can be hard to find good horseradish plants or roots, sometimes only at specialty nurseries. If you have a friend growing horseradish you may be able to get a root from them, but if you do not know anyone growing horseradish, what do you do?

Step 1: Watch the Video

In this video we show a store bought root, planted out, and grown into a full horseradish plant.

Step 2: Get a Horseradish Root From a Local Grocery Store

Many grocery stores now have full horseradish roots in their produce sections. If you cannot find them at a normal grocer, specialty grocers that specialize in unique or organic produce will tend to carry them.

Step 3: Place the Root at a Slight Angle in Soil in a 5 Gallon Container.

A 5 Gallon bucket works well. Horseradish tends to spread fairly easily, so unless you are willing to let it take over, you should grow it in a container. While containers larger than 5 gallons would also work, you probably should not go much smaller as you want adequate room for the roots to grow. After all, the roots are the main crop.

Step 4: Cover the Root With More Dirt and Set Outside.

Make sure the root is fully covered and put the container outside. Roots can be placed outside in early spring, even before your last frost. It is best to plant in Spring to give the plant the most opportunity to grow its roots. Rain in most places should be sufficient water to get the plant to grow.

Step 5: Watch for the Horseradish to Grow!

Horseradish leaves will peak up a couple weeks before your last frost (or within about a month if you plant after the last frost) and grow into a large plant within a month after that. Let the plant grow through the summer, and enjoy a fall harvest of horseradish root.