Horseradish
Horseradish is a perennial plant with thick, fleshy roots, which branch strongly and grow deep. However, due to the quality of the crop, it should only be cultivated for one year. If left for several years, the garden grows and becomes weeded. Horseradish grows better in shaded places, tolerates winters well, and the above-ground part withstands even frosts of several degrees (-4°C).
Horseradish is a spice vegetable of great dietary importance. The smell and taste of the roots are caused by the presence of sulfur compounds. Horseradish contains significant amounts of vitamin C and mineral salts (calcium, iron and phosphorus). Horseradish propagates from root cuttings. In the fall, lateral roots in diameter 0,8-1,4 cm is cut into pieces of length 25-35 cm. In order not to make a mistake when planting, the upper part of the cut root is cut squarely, and the bottom one is oblique. The seedlings tied in a bunch are buried in the ground. In the spring, they need to be reviewed and discarded when sick.
The place intended for planting horseradish should be fertilized with manure in the fall (5 kg/m2) and dug very deep – on two tips of a spade. At spring, before planting, gives mineral fertilizers: 30 g of calcium ammonium nitrate, 20 g superfosfatu i 30 g 40% potassium salt per 1 m2. A ridge of this depth is made on the prepared bed, so that it is possible to arrange the seedlings in it at an angle of 45 °, the tops of the seedlings should be located 5 cm below the ground. It is planted with a spacing of 50X40 cm.
In order to obtain nice and straight roots, in mid-July the soil is removed from one side of the horseradish plants and the main roots are exposed., to cut off with a sharp knife the thicker side roots (fine roots are not removed). It only leaves 2-3 lateral roots, growing out of the lower part (1/3 length) root root; they will be used for seedlings in the following year. When cutting the side roots, one or two leaf rosettes are left to the plant, and the rest are broken off or cut off with a knife. After carrying out these treatments, the horseradish roots are sprinkled with soil again. After cutting the roots, the horseradish is fed with a dose of saltpetre in the amount of 10 g / m2 and again with the same dose in 3-4 weeks later.
Horseradish is harvested in late autumn, by carefully digging up the entire plant. WITH 1 m2 you can achieve a yield in the amount of 1-1,5 kg. So far, there have been no separate varieties of horseradish, only local types existed. The most common are; Maliński and Czeski, with long roots up to 5 cm, and Bavarian with shorter and thicker roots, tapering downwards.
As already written, horseradish propagates from root cuttings. This is why, because horseradish, it does bloom in our climate, but it does not produce seeds. Hence the difficulties in breeding new varieties.