How to Grow Horseradish: A Complete Perennial Growing Guide

Written by: Luke Marion

Published on April 14, 2026

Updated on April 14, 2026

Horseradish is a root vegetable commonly used to make a pungent condiment that enhances the flavor of meat and various dishes. I personally love it and think everyone should plant it!

It is easy to grow (even in a container), thrives in a variety of soil conditions, and requires minimal care once established. Still, it is often overlooked, even though it has tons of benefits in the garden.

Let’s get right to the root of how to grow horseradish.

We’re Not Horsing Around

Plant them once, harvest for years. Garden perennials are a great garden investment!

We’re not horsing around; MIgardener is serious about getting you the best quality dormant plants at low costs! Our dormant plants are shipped based on growing zones so everything arrives right when it is time for you to plant.

But we didn’t stop there! We also created a series of complete growing guides so you will know exactly how to plant and grow like a pro. Here are some more growing guides you may enjoy:

When to Plant Horseradish

Horseradish is a perennial in growing zones 3-8. When you receive your dormant horseradish roots, plant them as soon as possible so they can establish a root system to survive the winter.

They can be planted as soon as the soil can be worked in the spring, so don’t wait and don’t worry if there is still frost. They are very cold-hardy and intended to be put in the ground even up to 6 weeks before your last spring frost.

How to Grow Horseradish

Before I tell you how to plant horseradish, I want to caution you on planting horseradish in a place that you don’t want it to take over. Horseradish is a very invasive plant!

You might think, "I’ll grow it here, harvest it and plant something else in this spot." Not gonna work! Horseradish is a rhizome that spreads by the root system. Any tiny fragment of root that you leave behind will grow more horseradish!

If it gets started somewhere, it will be there for a long time and be very hard to eradicate. So, make sure you plant it in the permanent location you want, or in a large container to keep it isolated so it can’t spread!

Follow these steps to plant dormant horseradish:

Sunlight - Plant horseradish in a location that gets full sun to partial shade.
Amend Soil - You can amend with compost to give horseradish the well-draining, fertile soil it prefers.
Planting Depth - Plant pieces of root sets in the spring, setting them at a 45° angle with the top of the set about 2 inches below the soil line.
Plant Spacing - Space plants 18–24 inches apart in rows that are 30 inches apart for good airflow and root development.
Watering - Water them regularly to keep the soil damp.

The Simplest Way to Harvest Horseradish

Harvesting horseradish is really simple, but doing it correctly can increase your yield and give you a better chance of success. Harvest the roots in the fall for a more robust flavor.

Lots of growers will tell you that the ideal time to harvest is when the air around the plant smells faintly peppery. This usually coincides with your first frost, and you’ll likely see a slowing of growth before winter and yellowing of leaves.

You can eat any part of the root system, whether small or large, but small root tips are not as flavorful and won’t yield as much as the primary root system. So when you harvest, go as close as you can to the base of the plant, which is the crown, to harvest the thickest, heftiest, tastiest roots.

You’ll notice that horseradish sends out shallower spreading roots to multiply and pop up more plants, but it has a primary root system to uptake water and nutrients. Those primary roots go down deep, like 12 to 24 inches deep! Primary roots are the best ones to harvest.

Here’s how to harvest horseradish:

Remove the Leaves - Removing the leaves will make harvesting a lot easier. They’ll just get in the way if you don’t. Pro-Tip: Don’t waste the leaves, but add them to your compost pile. There are tons of minerals in the leaves. If you don’t have a compost pile, you can chop up the leaves and toss them directly onto garden soil.
Locate the Crown - Find the base of the plant you’ve selected to harvest.
Dig Deep - Place your shovel blade 2 to 3 inches away from the crown and push it straight down into the soil. Wiggle the shovel back and forth, and push it in to the full length of the blade. Don’t dig at an angle, or you will prematurely sever the roots.
Pop Up The Roots - With the shovel still in the soil, apply leverage to the handle to push the roots up out of the soil.
Repeat - Repeat steps 3 and 4, going around the plant until you have pulled up most of the roots. (It will grow back. Trust me, you’re not going to kill it!)

Now it’s time to enjoy! You can grate the roots to make your own horseradish sauce, use them in fire cider or herbal medicine, or add them to various dishes for heat.